Saving the Endangered Animals' DNA

Many organizations are taking actions every day to save the endangered species, but I happened

Image via Wikipedia

to see a new one step in - the American Museum of Natural History. You know the one - famous in your kids eyes from Night at the Museum.

They have entered into an agreement with the National Parks Service to save DNA for all endangered and threatened species. Their goal is "to better manage existing animal populations." They also specifically state that they are not intending to get into the business of cloning. Seems like a good idea to have as much information as possible about these species while they're still here.

Image by DJMcCrady via Flickr

All the talk about endangered species made me wonder how many really are currently listed. The US Fish and Wildlife Service actually keeps track on a daily basis. In the United States, there are 409 endangered and 162 threatened animal species. There are also an additional 570 foreign species and over 1000 plants on the list as well. The list covers the large (grizzly bears and orca whales) to the small (clams and beetles).

The US Fish and Wildlife Service has an interesting line on their site - Endangered means there is still time. There is also a Kids Corner that talks about what kids can do to help. I think an easy way to bring it to our kids level is to see what's endangered around them by looking at a state-by-state endangered species list. What's endangered in your area?