From Ferrets To Cranes: Montana’s Endangered Wildlife In Focus

When you think endangered species, what animals do you think of first?  Rhinos, elephants, gorillas, pandas, animals like that?  Nothing that would be native to Montana, right?

What EXACTLY Is An Endangered Species?

From Britannica:

Endangered species, any species that is at risk of  extinction because of a sudden rapid decrease in its population or a loss of its critical habitat

 

Montana Is Home To 6 Endangered Species

Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks has a comprehensive list of Montanan's native endangered species.

• Black-footed Ferret, the rarest mammal in North America.  Weighing in at about 2 pounds, this weasel has been on the endangered species list for 29 years.

• Least Tern, listed in 1985.  Only the inland Terns are endangered, the East and West coast population is fine.

• Northern Long-eared Bat, listed in 2023, populations are declining due to white-nose syndrome.

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• Pallid Sturgeon, there's no year as to when it was listed.  This Sturgeon is found in the upper Missouri and can grow to 50 pounds.

• White Sturgeon, listed in 1994, Kootenai River White Sturgeon have had a population decline since the 1950's and 1960's due to pollution, and their natural reproduction is insignificant.

• Whooping Crane, now at a population of only 319 it's the highest level of the century for the bird.

Being listed as an endangered species HAS helped save some species from going extinct like the Bald Eagle, Gray Wolf and Peregrine Falcon who have since been taken off the endangered species list.