Illinois is home to over480 threatened or endangered species, including birds, mammals, insects, amphibians, reptiles, mussels, crustaceans and plants. 33 of these species are also federally protected including Eastern Massasauga, Hines Emerald Dragonfly, Rusty Patched Bumblebee, Piping Plover, Rabbitsfoot Mussel, and Eastern Praire-fringed Orchid.
Endangered Species: a species in danger of becoming extinct within all of a portion of its range.
Threatened Species: a species that is likely to become endangered because its populations are low enough or declining such that extinction is possible in the future.
Extirpated Species: A species that is no longer found in the wild in an area, but can be found elsewhere in its range (i.e. Bison have been extirpated from Illinois, but are still found in the western states).
Extinct Species: a species that is no longer living in the wild.
Rabbitsfoot Mussel - Federally Threatened
There are 2 main threats to endangered and threatened species in Illinois:
Habitat Loss and Pollution
Illinois has lost over 90% of its wetlands, 99% of prairies and 80% of forests. Much of the remaining natural areas are affected by pollution.
Exotic Invasive Species
Exotic invasive species are plants and animals introduced to an area, which then cause problems. These species compete with native species for resources.
What can you do to help?
- Restoration workdays – many places have volunteer organizations involved in restoring natural areas or start a natural garden or prairie in your own community.
- Create your own backyard habitat – By planting native species and eliminating chemicals in your yard, you can help provide refuge for native species.
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – Cutting down on our waste reduces the amount of space we need to turn into landfills and the leaking of chemicals from those landfills into the environment.
- Be careful not to introduce species from other places. Never release unwanted pets into the wild and always clean your equipment before going into a lake.
- Don’t collect live animals from the wild and don’t purchase wild-captured animals.
Learn more about some of our research being done to conserve Illinois’ endangered species: