Global Center for Species Survival

‘Feast and fast’ migration sees whales lose 36% body fat Research finds humpback whales lose 11,000kg of blubber during their annual migrations - which is equivalent to the energy obtained after feeding on 57,000 kg of Antarctic krill.

Humpback whales expend an enormous amount of energy during migration, and according to new research, they lose up to 36% of their body fat in the process! Such info is critical to conservationists in the IUCN SSC Cetacean Specialist Group, as they look to protect habitats.

#[bit.ly/45p0xCr

Migratory freshwater fish working group launches key conservation initiatives Migratory fish populations have declined sharply in the last fifty years. Image: Petteri Hautamaa – WWF Finland | World Fish Migration Day /// A guest blog by Zeb Hogan and Monni Böhm What do Lake …

Blog about our recent migratory fish workshop hosted by University of Nevada Reno! Inspiring to meet with this dedicated group to discuss outputs that are usable & impactful for conservation policy & benefit these amazing species!

freshwaterblog.net/2025/08/05/m...

Would love for you to add @protectspecies.bsky.social! We have an annual grants program.

Tiny elusive gecko rediscovered on one of the Galapagos islands Leaf-toed geckos were thought to be locally extinct on Rabida Island, but the diminutive reptiles have re-emerged after a campaign to eliminate invasive rats

🚨SPECIES FOUND🚨 Leaf-toed geckos are back from the brink of extinction after the removal of invasive rats. Learn more from @newscientist.com: #[bit.ly/47axZyY

The Indianapolis Zoo Global Center for Species Survival was instrumental in the reestablishment of the IUCN SSC Gekkota Specialist Group.

World’s smallest snake rediscovered in Barbados 20 years after last sighting Conservationists feared 10cm threadsnake as thin as a strand of spaghetti had become extinct

🚨SPECIES REDISCOVERY🚨 The world's smallest snake hadn't been seen for 20 years and was feared extinct, but a single Barbados threadsnake was recently found during an ecological survey, thanks in part to @rewildorg.bsky.social. 🐍

Learn more from @theguardian.com. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Great Barrier Reef coral cover decline shows 'ecosystem under stress' The Australian Institute of Marine Science says coral cover in the Great Barrier Reef has declined after mass bleaching events, with experts warning it faces a future of "increased volatility". 

A new survey shows the Great Barrier Reef has experienced the worst annual coral decline in 39 years. The Australian Institute of Marine Science report points to climate change-induced heat stress, storms and crown-of-thorns starfish as the greatest threats to the ecosystem. 🪸 ab.co/3HaPmFo

The 'blue dragon' is back from the brink | CNN Habitat loss and invasive cats and dogs pushed the Grand Cayman's ancient reptile to the brink of extinction. Now, thanks to ongoing conservation efforts, populations are on the rise.

Back from the brink! Grand Cayman blue iguana populations plummeted to fewer than 25 individuals in 2002. Thanks to conservation efforts, more than 1,200 iguanas have been returned to the wild. The Global Center works closely with the IUCN SSC Iguana Specialist Group.

www.cnn.com/science/gall...

Supersized stick insect discovered in high-altitude trees in Australia The 40cm-long insect, named <em>Acrophylla alta,</em> weighs slightly less than a golf ball and may be the heaviest insect in Australia

🚨 NEW SPECIES ALERT 🚨 Acrophylla alta is more than 15 inches long and weighs slightly less than a golf ball, but that may be enough to make it the heaviest insect in Australia! @theguardian.com has details. 🌍 🧪

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

In rare triumph, camera traps snap endangered wildcats in Pakistan Conservationists snapped images of two small wildcat species in Pakistan earlier this year: an Asiatic caracal (Caracal caracal schimitzi) and a sand cat (Felis margarita) — both which are incredibly rare in the country. Information on both cats in Pakistan is limited, with the sand cat presumed possibly extinct there, according to the IUCN, the […]

From @mongabay.com--Critically Endangered Asiatic caracal and sand cat caught on camera in Pakistan. Conservationists hope the sightings spur interest in the species and lead to greater protections. 🌍 🧪 news.mongabay.com/2025/07/in-r...

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Looking for #wildlife #nature #conservation ?? Check out these superb groups & people @protectspecies.bsky.social @sscmarine.bsky.social @whysharksmatter.bsky.social @iucnshark.bsky.social

Thank you so much! 🌍

Congress participants include @indianapolisprize.bsky.social Winners Drs Russ Mittermeier and Pat Wright, plus Emerging Conservationist Fanny Cornejo. Learn more about primate conservation from the IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group. www.primate-sg.org 3/3

Madagascar | Animals, People, and Threats | WWF Learn about the animals and people of Madagascar, as well as the threats it faces, what WWF is doing, and how you can help.

As a global hotspot of biodiversity, Madagascar is an ideal location for this Congress--the island nation is home to 112 species of lemurs found nowhere else on Earth. www.worldwildlife.org/places/madag... 2/

YouTube video by G.E.R.P Madagascar IPS CONGRESS MADAGASCAR 2025

The world's top primatologists are in Madagascar for the 30th International Primatological Society Congress, which brings together leading scientists, educators and policymakers to advance primate conservation. youtu.be/iZ0ulgliMSI 1/

Lake Tahoe workshop launches key global conservation initiatives for freshwater fish INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — Scientists, policy leaders and conservation experts from five continents have advanced several major initiatives to protect migratory freshwater fish and their habitats followi...

And another one - and so much more great work to come out of this - watch this space!

www.tahoedailytribune.com/news/lake-ta...

@protectspecies.bsky.social

'We've raised thousands': The pickle-shaped 'janitors' cleaning Filipino reefs Sea cucumbers, or 'janitors of the sea', scour and clean the seafloor, allowing other animals to thrive. In the Philippines, a group of women stand guard to help them multiply.

www.bbc.com/future/artic...

Highlighting the wonderful work of the Chair of the IUCN SSC Sea Cucumber Specialist Group 🌊

@protectspecies.bsky.social @sscmarine.bsky.social

To try and secure conservation actions for these highly threatened species, mobulid rays have been listed under international agreements like the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and...

Happy Shark Awareness Day from the IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group (SSG)! This year we are putting the spotlight on mobulid rays.

Join us for a day of celebration and awareness-raising! Please use hashtags #SharkAwarenessDay and #mobulidrays

If you're a conservationist or nature enthusiast who is new to Bluesky, we've got you covered! We frequently update an IUCN SSC starter pack to make it easy for you to follow IUCN SSC members, Specialist Groups, Task Forces and Committees. 🌍🧪

go.bsky.app/4mGN37B

IUCN welcomes renewed global resolve for ocean action as third UN Ocean Conference closes The Third UN Oceans Conference (UNOC3), together with the preceding special events: the One Ocean Science Congress, the Coastal Cities Summit and the Blue Economy and Finance Forum, were pivotal momen...

iucn.org/news/202506/...

@sscmarine.bsky.social
@protectspecies.bsky.social

If you're a conservationist or nature enthusiast who is new to Bluesky, we've got you covered! We frequently update an IUCN SSC starter pack to make it easy for you to follow IUCN SSC members, Specialist Groups, Task Forces and Committees. 🌍🧪

go.bsky.app/4mGN37B

We are excited to share that the IUCN SSC Australasian Marsupial and Monotreme Specialist Group has joined Bluesky! Make sure you follow them. @iucnmarsupmonsg.bsky.social

Woohoo! Welcome to Bluesky!

Invertebrate Conservation Coordinator - Full Time - Indianapolis, IN Do you have a passion for species conservation and the determination to work within a global network to promote invertebrate species conservation around the world? The Indianapolis Zoo Global Center f...

Love plants, conservation and the SSC? Come work with us! 🌺🌴🌵🌽🌲🌻

@protectspecies.bsky.social
is looking for a passionate Plant Conservation Coordinator to support the IUCN Species Survival Commission's plant Specialist Groups.

indianapoliszoo.applicantpro.com/jobs/3774489

Big, Beautiful Swallowtails Swallowtails are the flamboyant rockstars of the butterfly world! They are large, colorful and frankly spectacular butterflies in the family Papilionidae which contains around 580 species. Some have b...

www.indianapoliszoo.com/gcss/blog/bi...
@protectspecies.bsky.social
@innativeplants.bsky.social
@monnikaboom.bsky.social
🦋 🌱

First-Ever Intersex Southern Right Whale Discovered Among 36-Year-Old Crossbow Skin Samples It marks the first documented case of sex chromosomal aneuploidy for the species.

From @iflscience.com, “First-ever intersex southern right whale discovered among 36-year-old crossbow skin samples: it marks the first documented case of sex chromosomal aneuploidy for the species.” 🌍🧪🐋 @sscmarine.bsky.social

www.iflscience.com/first-ever-i...

Trafficking of Galápagos iguanas as an example of a global problem: CITES permits, laundering and the role of transit countries in Europe and Africa International cooperation is widely considered necessary to prevent the over-exploitation of threatened species in trade. The Convention on Internatio…

From ScienceDirect, “Trafficking of Galápagos iguanas as an example of a global problem: CITES permits, laundering and the role of transit countries in Europe and Africa.” The lead author is co-chair of the IUCN SSC Monitor Lizard Specialist Group. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... 🌍🧪🦎

Big, Beautiful Swallowtails Swallowtails are the flamboyant rockstars of the butterfly world! They are large, colorful and frankly spectacular butterflies in the family Papilionidae which contains around 580 species. Some have b...

As June comes to a close, we reflect on swallowtails (it was World Swallowtail Day this month, thanks to @sbbtrust.bsky.social!) & the work still ahead on the IUCN Red List Global Swallowtail reassessment.

Thanks for posting, @protectspecies.bsky.social!

www.indianapoliszoo.com/gcss/blog/bi...

‘It’s death by a thousand cuts’: marine ecologist on the collapse of coral reefs David Obura believes humans have been using nature for free, and tipping points at some reefs have already passed

www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Dr David Obura, Co-Chair of the IUCN SSC Coral Specialist Group
@sscmarine.bsky.social
@protectspecies.bsky.social

We’re hiring! The Indianapolis Zoo Global Center for Species Survival is looking for a Plant Conservation Coordinator and an Invertebrate Conservation Coordinator to join the team. Details are posted to the Indianapolis Zoo’s job portal. Click to apply. indianapoliszoo.applicantpro.com/jobs/