Featured Species

We conserve and restore threatened and endangered species and their habitats with a focus on imperiled bat and freshwater mussel species. Our office has also been actively involved with the conservation and recovery efforts for species such as the Topeka shiner, Iowa Pleistocene snail and eastern prairie fringed orchid to mention a few. In addition, our office has taken an active role in the conservation of pollinator species including the monarch butterfly and their habitats in Illinois and Iowa.

For a list of threatened and endangered species, visit the link below.

https://ipac.ecosphere.fws.gov

Brown and black striated freshwater mussels sitting a steel truck bed

Shell surface: Many low, wide bumps run in a single file line down the outer shell surface, from the beak (the swelling above the point where the 2 shell halves join) to the opposite shell edge. The rest of the shell surface is smooth (without bumps), and looks slightly pressed-in from the beak...

FWS Focus
Species
Kingdom
Animalia
Taxonomic Rank
Species
The decurrent false aster is threatened species. It is a perrenial plant found in moist, sandy floodplains and prairie wetlands along the Illinois River. Although not very tolerant to prolonged flooding, this plant relies on periodic flooding to scour away other plants that compete for the same...
FWS Focus
Species
Kingdom
Plantae
Taxonomic Rank
Species
Cluster of roosting bats.

The Indiana bat is a medium-sized Myotis, closely resembling the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) but differing in coloration. Its fur is a dull grayish chestnut rather than bronze, with the basal portion of the hairs on the back a dull-lead color. This bat's underparts are pinkish to...

FWS Focus
Species
Kingdom
Animalia
Taxonomic Rank
Species
This plant is 8 to 40 inches tall and has an upright leafy stem with a flower cluster called an inflorescence. The 3 to 8 inch lance-shaped leaves sheath the stem. Each plant has one single flower spike composed of 5 to 40 white flowers. Each flower has a three-part fringed lip less than 1 inch...
FWS Focus
Species
Kingdom
Plantae
Taxonomic Rank
Species

Our Species