Wild, Scenic, and One of the Last Strongholds of a Rare Mussel
"They're just such wonderful rivers," said Sally Rieger, her passion for Connecticut's Farmington River and Salmon Brook apparent as she spoke about the many unique values of these pristine waters... Read More
Birds Benefit from Barrier Beach Restoration at Long Beach West, Conn.
"It's really great to see wildlife and people win," said Deborah Rocque, Deputy Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service?s Northeast Region. That?s the happy end to a long story. Read More
Featured Species in Connecticut
The piping plover is a dainty, sand-colored shorebird, distinguished from other small North American plovers by its pale plumage and bright orange legs. Human activities can disturb piping plovers on both their breeding and wintering grounds. Beachgoers, their vehicles and pets, and nest predators, such as gulls, raccoons, foxes, and feral cats often disturb and destroy nests. More »
Photo credit: USFWS
New England cottontail
The New England cottontail population has plummeted over the last several decades, disappearing from 86 percent of its historical range.
New England cottontail.
Photo credit: Pam Wells
At only about four inches long, the bog turtle is North America's smallest turtle. The northern population of bog turtles in known to range from New York and western Massachusetts south to Maryland.
Photo credit: USFWS
Partnership Stories in Connecticut
New England Cottontail
As recently as 1960, New England cottontails were found east of the Hudson River in New York, across all of Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, north to southern Vermont and New Hampshire, and into southern Maine. Today, this rabbit's range has shrunk by more than 75 percent. Its numbers are so greatly diminished that it can no longer be found in Vermont. More »
Found in Connecticut
The small whorled pogonia (Isotria medeoloides), a member of the orchid family, grows in acidic soils on slopes near small streams in Litchfield and New London Counties. The plant is named for the whorl of 5 to 6 leaves near the top of the stem and beneath the flower. The primary threat to the species is the past and continuing loss of populations from habitat loss and urban development.
Photo credit: Jennifer Modliszewski, Duke University
The dwarf wedge mussel (Alasmidonta heterodon) inhabits streams along the Atlantic Coast, from New Hampshire to North Carolina. Documented populations in Connecticut are located in drainages and streams within Hartford and Tolland Counties. Poor water quality and habitat conditions have led to the decline of the species and threaten the remaining populations.
Photo credit: Susi Von Oettingen, USFWS