Biodiversity

"The Trump administration is considering removing the Key Deer, one of Florida's most iconic and beloved animals, from the Endangered Species List. Named for its habitat in the Florida Keys, they are tiny versions of whitetail deer, typically at the shoulder just two or three feet tall. They're cute, popular with tourists and used to be found on more than a dozen Florida islands. Today, most of them live on a single island, Big Pine Key."

"International trade of giraffes will now be regulated, but habitat loss and bush meat poaching remain the predominant threats to the species."

"Countries have agreed to protect more than a dozen shark species at risk of extinction, in a move aimed at conserving some of the ocean’s most awe-inspiring creatures who have themselves become prey to commercial fishing and the Chinese appetite for shark fin soup."

"Countries voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to regulate international trade in giraffes, an endangered species, and in their skins and other parts, overcoming objections by southern African states and drawing praise from conservationists."

"Environmental groups flocked to court today to fight the Trump administration's new Endangered Species Act regulations, kicking off a high-stakes legal debate over the government's authority to make sweeping changes to how agencies protect rare animals and plants."

"The triennial summit of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites), that began on Saturday, will tackle disputes over the conservation of great beasts such as elephants and rhinos, as well as cracking down on the exploitation of unheralded but vital species such as sea cucumbers, which clean ocean floors."

"New wildlife trade rules being discussed at CITES could affect 550 species, including elephants, rhinos and giraffes."

"Eleven state attorneys general are pushing back against an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposal they say would weaken the process for determining whether pesticides are harmful to endangered species."

"The ghost orchid is one of the rarest and most mysterious flowers in North America. Until recently, scientists could only guess at how the 2,000 or so plants that cling to the trees in Florida’s remote old-growth swamp forests are pollinated—no one had ever photographed the event before."