61. The Komodo Dragon Endangered, Giant Lizard Of Indonesia The Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) belongs to the group known as monitor lizards, from the ancient belief the creatures monitor or warn, of the presence http://www.travellingtoindonesia.com/beyond/komod-dragon.htm

Komodo Dragon Komodo Dragon Tour The Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) belongs to the group known as monitor lizards, from the ancient belief the creatures monitor or warn, of the presence of crocodiles. The komodo is the largest species of monitor lizard, which are found throughout Asia, Africa, and Australia. The natives call the dragon ora, or buaya darat (land crocodile). Komodo dragon can lift up their heavy tails and beliefs to sprint at up to 18 km per hour, but only for short distances. Dragon also enter the sea and swim, sometimes against strong tidal currents up to 1,000 meters to offshore islets. They can plunge to depths of four meter, easily swimming 100 meters while submerged. Back to the Top Habitat Body Form Young dragons are the most unpredictable, the speediest, and the most tree climbers . Sometimes you see them perched in trees preying on monkeys; some even live in hollow trees. Coloration changes from speckled, multihued, greenish-yellow sub adult to the standard dappled gray adults, large male specimens have yellowish-green spots on their snouts. The clay color camouflages the mature ora as it waists in ambush, while the coloration of the young protects as they scamper through leafy trees.

62. Endangered Species In Big Bend NP horned lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum), also known has a horny toad, exemplifies all the aforementioned reasons for endangered status. These lizards are popular http://www.nps.gov/bibe/endangered.htm

Endangered Species in Big Bend National Park We humans may be too successful. In expanding over the earth, we have extinguished many forms of life and threatened the existence of still others, greatly accelerating the natural rate of extinction. This weakens the system on which all life depends and impoverishes the quality of our life. Fortunately, many countries and groups are taking steps to stop this loss. The National Park Service's role is to provide undisturbed habitat in the United States where all species, including endangered ones, can continue to exist, subject only to the forces of nature. There have been successes, in parks and elsewhere, and this is a symbol of hope. For it signifies that we can stop the worldwide slide of extinction that we started. The effort to halt human-caused extinctions in the United States is guided by the Endangered Species Act of 1973 . This act defines an " endangered species " as any plant or animal species that is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. A "

63. Lizards And Snakes Of Ontario - Great Lakes Forestry Centre lizards and Snakes of Ontario. the Ontario population is considered to be endangered; globally rare and found only on a few islands in western Lake Erie. http://www.glfc.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/landscape/snake_e.html

Our Role Our People Science Research Coordination Services Funding Programs Programs ... Our Partners Select a Centre Pacific Northern Laurentian Great Lakes Atlantic National Site Lizards and Snakes of Ontario Five-lined Skink Eastern Garter Snake Red-sided Garter Snake Northern Ribbon Snake ... Timber Rattlesnake Five-lined Skink ~ Eumeces fasciatus The only lizard native to Ontario Description: 15 - 20 cm black body with five light coloured stripes extending the length of the body juveniles have a bright blue tail Habitat: woodlands, sandy areas and crevices in bedrock Conservation concerns, distribution and status: uncommon and local along the southern edge of the Canadian Shield in central Ontario, the eastern shore of Georgian Bay, and a few isolated areas in southwestern Ontario Potential climatic domain map Species image 326 observations in ONHIC database ; 144 observations used in analysis Back To Lizard and Snake Menu Eastern Garter Snake ~ Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis Description: 48 - 70 cm black with three yellow stripes, the lateral stripes occurring on the second and third row of scales from the belly

64. The Scientist - Cryptozoologists: An Endangered Species News. Cryptozoologists An endangered Species. This includes new species of lizards, monkeys, and other hohum creatures, but also beasts of mythic proportion http://www.the-scientist.com/yr1993/jan/mccarthy_p1_930111.html

The Scientist 7[11]:0, Jan. 11, 1993 News Cryptozoologists: An Endangered Species By Paul Mccarthy Author: Paul McCarthy Date: January 11, 1993 Researchers who stalk rare or fantastic creatures must endure the scorn of colleagues and funding agencies Physical anthropologist Grover Krantz sometimes fantasizes about flying his ultra-light aircraft over the Pacific Northwest on a warm spring day. Controls in one hand and an infrared heat detector in the other, Krantz scans the thawing ground-cover in search of the telltale heat of a rotting Bigfoot carcass. Bagging a body would be the ultimate evidence in a decades-old quest that has left the Washington State University professor an authority on Bigfoot, thought by some to be a surviving Pleistocene ape, Gigantopithecus blacki. Krantz is a member of a small band of scientists called cryptozoologists, who stalk previously undescribedand, some would say, nonexistentanimals. This includes new species of lizards, monkeys, and other ho-hum creatures, but also beasts of mythic proportion: Consider the Loch Ness Monster, a giant octopus with tentacles more than 100 feet long; or Mokele-Mbembe, a dinosaur-like critter and purported denizen of a 50,000-square- mile swamp in the People's Republic of the Congo. The term "cryptozoology" was coined in the late 1950s by French zoologist Bernard Heuvelmans to describe the study of unverified animals. The purpose of the field, says J. Richard Greenwell, secretary of the Tucson, Ariz.-based International Society of Cryptozoology (ISC), is to determine if certain reported species exist and, if so, to "add them to our zoological inventories." Cryptozoologists obtain their leads from sighting reports, explorers' accounts, old manuscripts, archeological artifacts, artwork, and folklore, says Greenwell. Some society members have actually found previously undescribed creatures (see story on page 5).

65. EnvironmentNEPAL - THE NEWS endangered lizards AWAIT TRANSLOCATION. http://www.environmentnepal.com.np/news_d.asp?id=68

66. Education World ® - Lesson Planning: Godzilla Math! ...And Other Lizard Teachin Introduce students to endangered lizards of the United States. You can find a list at Listed Species Information Central on the US Fish Wildlife Web site. http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson066.shtml

EdWorld Internet Topics Sponsored links: Mondera Coupons Earn 90% Profit! Garden Decor Amazon Coupon Codes Coupon Codes Home Decor ... Walden University Graduate degrees in Education Host Department Web Hosting Alberghi Finanza ... Copy DVD Register To Win a $100 GiftCard Visit Target.com Vacanze Accessori Computer Career Education ... Deals On Hotels ARTICLE GUIDE Related Reviews Math Teacher Link Dinosaur Interplanetary Gazette Dinosauria On Line ... The Raptor Center Related Categories Lesson Plans: Math Math Dinosaurs Lesson Planning Center ... Math Lesson Planning Article L E S S O N P L A N N I N G A R T I C L E Godzilla Math!...And Other Lizard Teaching Activities! Capitalize on students' interest in the summer blockbuster movie with Godzilla math word problems and other lizard teaching activities! Were you one of the millions of people who stood in line last weekend to buy tickets to the much-hyped summer blockbuster? Godzilla, the big scene-stealer (and scenery-chewer), netted $55 million at the box office! No doubt a handful of your students were among those who stood in line over the Memorial Day weekend! So why not capitalize on the popularity of the huge lizard? (Cheap commercialism? Heck, if it gets your students reading and mapping and figuring word problems, what's the harm in it?)

67. R019 between leopard lizards, Gambelia, (Reptilia, Lacertilia, Iguanidae). J. Herpetol. 12299307. Mullen, RK 1981. Elk Hills endangered species program http://www.dfg.ca.gov/whdab/html/R019.html

California Wildlife Habitat Relationships System California Department of Fish and Game California Interagency Wildlife Task Group R019 Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizard Gambelia silus Family: Phrynosomatidae Order: Squamata Class: Reptilia Written by: G. Ahlborn Reviewed by: P.A. Medica Edited by: G. Ahlborn DISTRIBUTION, ABUNDANCE AND SEASONALITY Scarce resident of sparsely vegetated alkali and desert scrub habitats. Distribution has been extensively reduced by conversion of habitat to cropland. Currently occurs at scattered sites in the San Joaquin Valley and adjacent foothills. Found on alkali flats, large washes, arroyos, canyons, and low foothills from elevations of 30 to 900 m (100 to 3000 ft). SPECIFIC HABITAT REQUIREMENTS Feeding: Blunt-nosed leopard lizards are carnivorous. They are opportunistic foragers that hunt on the ground, catching grasshoppers, cicadas and small lizards (including smaller leopard lizards). They commonly forage by slowly stalking prey, then rapidly dashing in to capture it.

68. West Indian Rock Iguanas This SSP concentrates on two of the most critically endangered lizards in the world, the Grand Cayman iguana (Cyclura nubila lewisi) and the Jamaican iguana (C http://www.umich.edu/~esupdate/library/96.07-08/hudson.html

AZA Species Survival Plan Profile West Indian Rock Iguanas By: Rick Hudson The West Indian rock iguanas, Cyclura spp. , are a group of large, ground dwelling, herbivorous lizards that inhabit Caribbean islands throughout the Greater Antilles and the Bahamas. There are eight species with a total of 16 recognized taxa, including subspecies. Rock iguanas inhabit fragile ecosystems and most have suffered greatly over the years because of man's activities and introduced animals. All 16 taxa are currently protected under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES); three are listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the rest are listed as threatened. A more accurate assessment of the state of the iguanas is their classification under the new International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categories; IUCN has recently classified all but four taxa as either critical or endangered. Today, West Indian rock iguanas are recognized as the world's most endangered group of lizards, with several species verging on extinction. Zoos have long been concerned with the plight of these impressive dinosaur-like lizards. However, only recently has a coordinated effort been made to protect rock iguanas. At the inaugural meeting of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association's (AZA) Lizard Advisory Group (LAG) in 1990

69. Endangered Species & Eco Species (CITES), meaning that they are near extinction or very endangered. turtles have many enemies ants, crabs, dogs, raccoons, lizards, carnivorous fish http://www.bahamas.gov.bs/BahamasWeb/VisitingTheBahamas.nsf/Subjects/Endangered

Top Bottom ecosystems of The Bahamas national parks Endangered Species Of The Bahamas GREEN TURTLE Scientific Name Chelonia mydas Description Green turtles get their name because of the color of their body fat which gives the turtle its characteristic color. The carapace (the hard top shell) is mottled light to dark brown and streaked with olive green. Adults can weigh between 200 to 500 pounds. Fairly long flippers and an oval shell make Green turtles hydro-dynamically suited to long-distance swimming. Green turtles and other sea turtles are reptiles. Diet Juvenile Green turtles are carnivorous (meat eating) until the age of six months to a year. However, adult Green turtles are largely vegetarian eating underwater grasses especially turtle grass (Thalassia) and seaweeds. Reproduction Green sea turtles mate in the water. After mating, the female Green turtle usually nests at night. She drags herself out of the sea and onto a nesting beach, up beyond the reach of high tide. Using her hind flippers like shovels, she scoops out a bottle shaped hole and lays about one hundred white, leathery eggs that look like ping-pong balls. She covers the nest with sand and returns to the sea, paying no further attention to it and never seeing her young. Habitat Green turtles can be found in waters between 35° north and 35° south latitude. The major nesting beaches for Green sea turtles in the Wider Caribbean are in Costa Rica, Aves Island off Venezuela, and in Surinam. They also nest in many other places including The Bahamas.

70. Article 5 - Night Lizards, By Richard Rosevear The island night lizard is endangered primarily through habitat loss due to the introduction of livestock. Night lizards of the genus Lepidophyma are sometimes http://members.tripod.com/~lvhs/artic05.htm

var cm_role = "live" var cm_host = "tripod.lycos.com" var cm_taxid = "/memberembedded" Night Lizards by Richard Rosevear The 16 species (in 3 genera) of night lizards, family Xantusiidae , comprise one of the few families of lizards that are restricted to the Western Hemisphere. They inhabit rocky areas of tropical lowlands in Central America and arid and semi-arid regions of the southwestern United States, Mexico, and Cuba. Once thought to be related to geckos because of their similar appearance, night lizards are now believed to be closer akin to teiids and skinks. They are typically small, nocturnal creatures with fused eyelids and vertical pupils. The skin is soft with small, granular scales on the dorsum and large, rectangular scales on the ventrum. Limbs are of normal size with 5 toes and there is a gular fold and a fold of skin on each side of the body. Coloration is usually drab, ranging from dull gray to brown. Night lizards are insectivorous, although the island night lizard, Xantusia (Klauberina) riversiana , feeds heavily on flowers and seeds. Enemies are numerous: owls, small carnivores, large lizards, and large invertebrates. Lyre snakes

71. Florida Scrub Lizard (Sceloporus Woodi) Young lizards reach sexual maturity in 1011 months. The scrub lizard is not listed legally as a threatened or endangered species at the state or federal level http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/BODY_UW133

Florida scrub lizard ( Sceloporus woodi Lyn C. Branch and D. Grant Hokit Description The Florida scrub lizard is a small, gray or gray-brown lizard with spiny scales (Figure 1). Adults are about 5 inches in total length. A prominent characteristic of scrub lizards is a thick brown stripe that runs down each side of the body from the neck to the base of the tail. Adult males have bright turquoise patches on the sides of the belly and a black throat with small turquoise patches at the base. Females generally lack the turquoise patches, but sometimes have faded patches on their bellies. The fence lizard ( Sceloporus undulatus ) overlaps geographically with the scrub lizard in northern Florida but is easily distinguished from this species because it lacks the dark stripe. CREDITS: Photograph by Grant Hokit Figure 1. The Florida scrub lizard Distribution and Habitat The range of the Florida scrub lizard is restricted entirely to Florida. These lizards occur in disjunct populations in central Florida and on the Atlantic Coast (Figure 2). Populations also once occurred along the Gulf Coast of Florida in Lee and Collier counties, but most or all of these populations may have been extirpated due to increasing development along the coast. Scrub lizards are habitat specialists that live in dry upland such as sand pine scrub, oak scrub and sandhill. They require sunny areas with large amounts of bare sand. Scrub lizards are most common in habitats that have been kept open by fire or other disturbances such as logging of sand pine, but also may persist for some time at the edges of more dense scrub.

72. Florida Herp Bibliography, Topic Search Results 4, Anonymous. 1987. Listing protection proposed for two plants and three animals two Florida lizards. endangered Species Technical Bulletin 12(2)6–7. http://wld.fwc.state.fl.us/herpbibl/resultstopic.asp?Species=NREY

73. Virgin Islands E-Magazine They eat small lizards and more infrequently small mammals and birds. The tree boa is almost never seen in the Virgin Islands, it has become endangered due to http://www.vinow.com/news/aug03/animals.php

Thursday, June 10, 2004 Home Page Accommodations Activities/Sports Cruise Guide ... Advertise Virgin Islands E-Magazine Endangered Animals of the Virgin Islands Most Virgin Islands enthusiast whether residents or visitors can name at least a few animals that are common ly found in the islands. Perhaps mongoose, lizards, deer might come to mind; definitely the iguana does for most people. But what about owls, bats or tree boas- yes snakes; would they come to mind? Probably not and perhaps the reason is that these animals are all endangered or threatened. Let’s learn more about some of the endangered animals of the Virgin Islands. Turtles The green turtle, leatherback turtle and hawksbill turtle are all sea turtles that were once very common to coastal waters, coral reefs and sea grass beds around the USVI. All three species nest on sandy beaches, some of which are protected in the USVI in order to prevent further harm to the turtle population. Leatherback turtles have been around for a long time, over 150 million years to be more exact. They outlived the dinosaurs and are considered the longest living marine species! But today the world’s largest turtle the leatherback which can weigh over 1000 pounds and reach lengths of nine feet is on the brink of extinction.

74. Illegal Lizard Skin Business Flourishes In Orissa The skins used in the instruments come from two species of endangered monitor lizards the Indian monitor or varanus bengalensis and yellow monitor lizard or http://www.indianjungles.com/110204d.htm

Illegal lizard skin business flourishes in Orissa Monday, February 9 http://in.news.yahoo.com/ HOME Bhubaneswar, Feb 9 (IANS) Sale of musical instruments made of skins of lizards, though prohibited by law, flourishes at a religious fair held in an Orissa town, say activists. The instruments are sold at the grand annual religious fair at Joranda, a pilgrimage centre in Dhenkanal district, 130 km from here, for followers of the Mahima Dharma religious movement founded in 1828. There are over half a dozen temples in Joranda dedicated to the movement's founder, Mahima Gosain. Every year, people congregate for a fair between January and February. This year, the five-day festival began last week. Followers of the religious group play a musical instrument known as 'khanjani' that is made of a small hollow round ring of wood across which skin of a monitor lizard is stretched. Wildlife activists say at least 5,000 such instruments were sold at this year's fair. "At least 6,000 monitor lizards must have been killed for these instruments," said an expert who visited the fair. But wildlife officials deny this. "Every year we patrol the fair and arrest the people selling them," district wildlife officer Sashi Pal told IANS.

75. Cyclura lizards of the genus Cyclura are among the most endangered lizards because much of their fragile island habitat has been either destroyed by human development http://islands.bio.miami.edu/Targets/Rock Iguanas/

Cyclura - General Information about the genus: The Genus Cyclura is composed of eight species of West Indian rock iguanas that inhabit tropical dry forests and pine barrens throughout the Greater Antilles and the Bahamas (Alberts et al. 1997). Cyclura is a distinct lineage that is not closely related to any other iguanine (Malone et al. 2000). Endemism in this genus is extreme; each distinct lineage is restricted to only one island or one small island group (Malone et al. 2000). The general pattern of Cyclura radiation reflects a southeast to northwest directionality (Malone et al. 2000). Of the eight existing rock iguana species, three species are found on the islands of the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos: C. carinata C. cychlura , and C. rileyi (Malone et al. 2000, Buckner and Blair 2000b, Gerber and Iverson 2000). Rock iguanas are the largest and most conspicuous lizards in the western hemisphere, inhabiting islands throughout the Greater and Lesser Antilles and the Bahamas (IUCN Specialist Group Reports 1998, Shedd Aquarium 2001). Cyclura lizards are large herbivorous lizards and are the largest native herbivores on many West Indian islands (Hartley et al. 2000, Shedd Aquarium 2001). Different populations of the same species of rock iguana may use remarkably different food resource plants, even if the vegetation of the habitats may be similar; such observations suggest that learning by the lizards and local variation in plant palatability may be important factors in determining diet (Auffenberg 1975). In addition to plants, rock iguanas may also consume other foods to obtain protein.

76. Lizards The stars of the show at RainForest are the critically endangered Rhinoceros iguanas! These lizards have been donated to RainForest after being confiscated in http://www.rfadventures.com/lizards.htm

RainForest Adventures is home to an amazing array of lizards. From the tiny gecko to the giant Water Monitor we have assembled a wonderful collection of these fascinating animals. Baby Bearded Dragons hatch on 12/19/03 A real present from Santa! Click here to see the babies Our lizards our fed daily. If you would like to see the feeding please come early the Iguanas and other herbivores are fed early each morning, usually around 10:00 a.m. The stars of the show at RainForest are the critically endangered Rhinoceros iguanas! These lizards have been donated to RainForest after being confiscated in a smuggling operation gone bad! Here are a few pictures of some of our creatures. Plated Lizard Crocodile Monitor Cuban Ground Iguana Euromastyx Legless Lizard Frilled Lizard Common Green Iguana Green Tree Monitor Leaf Tailed Gecko Leopard Gecko Malayan Water Monitor Last modified: 02/27/04

77. Lizards well as insects? Which lizard is a vegetarian? Which of these lizards are endangered species? Graphics courtesy of aaaclipart.com. http://www.uwm.edu/People/wigwam/

See if you can answer the following questions by searching the corresponding websites. http://members.aol.com/lizardsite/ http://www.scz.org/animals/d/komodo.html http://www.desertusa.com/sep97/du_gilamonster.html What kind of food do geckos eat? How do iguanas protect themselves from their enemies? How long do bearded dragons live? What should you not use to warm the gecko? How much does an adult komodo dragon weigh? Do they eat plants, animals, or both? What kind of places do komodo dragons like to live? What are the names of the only two poisonous lizards? What does a Gila monster look like? What time of the day do Gila monsters eat? See if you can find the answers to these questions by looking at all of the websites listed. Which lizard is considered to be a good swimmer? Which lizard enjoys eating a variety of vegetables as well as insects? Which lizard is a vegetarian? Which of these lizards are endangered species? Graphics courtesy of aaaclipart.com

78. Reptiles Creamstriped Shinning Skink Skinks of Townsville. Czechura s Litter Skink Wet Tropics lizards. Day Geckos Nine Most endangered Species. Desert Horned Lizard http://www.animalomnibus.com/reptile.htm

Reptiles Crocodilians African Dwarf Crocodile African Slender-snouted Croc American Alligator - Alligator mississippiensis A Glimpse of Florida Animal Bytes: American Alligator Animal Diversity Web Jackson Zoo Endangered Species ... ZooNet Endangered Species American Crocodile Animal Diversity Web The BelizeanCyberZoo Black Caiman Broad-snouted Caiman Brown or American Caiman Chinese Alligator - Alligator sinensis AZA - Chinese Alligator Species Survival Plan ZooNet Endangered Species Common or Spectacled Caiman ZooNet Endangered Species Cuban Crocodile - Crocodylus rhombifer AZA - Cuban Crocodiles Species Survival Plan Cuvier's Dwarf Caiman False Gharial - Tomistoma schlegelii June's Jungle Gharial - Gavialis gangeticus SCZ Animals ZooNet Endangered Species Johnston's River Crocodile Australian Crocodiles Morelet's Crocodile Mugger or Marsh Crocodile Animal Diversity Web New Guinea Crocodile Nile Crocodile African Safari 1994 Animal Bytes: Nile Crocodile Animal Diversity Web Zoo in the Wild Orinoco Crocodile Philippine Crocodile Rio Apaporis Caiman Saltwater Crocodile ENDANGERED AUSTRALIAN ANIMALS Siamese Crocodile Smooth-fronted Caiman Yacare Caiman General Crocodilian Info Crocodile Information...Crocodiles are Reptilian

79. Earlham -- Biological Diversity -- St. Croix Ground Lizard a minimum self sustaining population of 500 individuals on Buck Island Reef National Monument, where no lizards are known to reside currently (endangered, 1996 http://www.earlham.edu/~forbero/stcroix.htm

Biological Diversity 2003 Image courtesy of http://caribbean-ecoteam.fws.gov/green_cay_index.htm Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Craniata Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Family: Teiidae Genus: Amevia Species: polops Image courtesy of http://endangered.fws.gov/i/C1M.html Conservation Organizations This site lists the status of endangered species. http://endangered.fws.gov/i/c/sac1m.htm l Map adapted from image found at http://www.buystcroix.com/map.htm Literature Cited Endagered Species Information 1996. http://fwie.fw.vt.edu/www/esis/lists/e154006.htm . Accessed on Feburary 17, 2003. Green Cay National Wildlife Refuge. General Information. http://caribbean-ecoteam.fws.gov/green_cay_index.htm . Accessed on March 3, 2003. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Division of Endangered Species. http://endangered.fws.gov/i/c/sac1m.html . Accessed on Feburary 17, 2003. United States Geological Survey. Status and Trends of the Nations Biological Resources; Caribbean Islands. http://biology.usgs.gov/s+t/SNT/noframe/cr133.htm

80. International Wildlife: Dark Times For Cuba's Sabal Palms - Endangered Trees Of National Museum of Natural History in Havana, to study an endangered woodpecker, Fernandina s provides shelter and food for a wide array of birds and lizards. http://articles.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1170/is_n2_v28/ai_20341173

@import url(/css/us/style.css); @import url(/css/us/searchResult1.css); @import url(/css/us/articles.css); Advanced Search Home Help IN all publications this publication Reference Automotive Business Computing Entertainment Health News Reference Sports YOU ARE HERE Articles International Wildlife March-April, 1998 Content provided in partnership with Print friendly Tell a friend Find subscription deals Dark times for Cuba's Sabal palms - endangered trees of Zapata Swamp International Wildlife March-April, 1998 by Doug Wechsler In the great Zapata Swamp, both birds and people covet these "sticks with punk hairdos" Carajo! Lost again. Trudging through the oppressive heat in Cuba's Zapata Swamp, I search for the Cuban parrot nest I discovered the day before in the stump of a dead sabal palm. The distinctive trees provide nesting habitat for the parrots, but I have been using them as guideposts to help me navigate through this flat woodland. Sabal palms look like punk hairdos on sticks, and their odd shapes and the lichen patterns on their trunks make each one unique. Now I am wandering in circles and my heart sinks as I realize why: My guideposts from 24 hours ago are missing. I have come to the Zapata Swamp with my colleague, ornithologist Arturo Kirkconnell of the National Museum of Natural History in Havana, to study an endangered woodpecker, Fernandina's flicker, and to photograph birds native to Cuba. In the process, I have been introduced to this quintessential Cuban ecosystem and its remarkable community of animals. The sabal palm, the keystone species of this ecosystem, provides shelter and food for a wide array of birds and lizards. If something happens to the palm, the entire ecosystem may be at riskincluding all the creatures I've come to see.

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