A Canada Lynx. And this one's a kitten! Photo by Josh More

A Canada Lynx. And this one is a kitten! Photo by Josh More.

If you came across a Canada lynx while taking out the trash one night, you would not mistake it for a stray cat. The Canada lynx is a ferocious-looking, wildly furry creature bigger than a bobcat, standing about two feet tall at the shoulder. It has been known to kill deer, but mostly it preys on the (adorable and unfortunate) snowshoe hare.

Since 1999, when the animal was reintroduced to Colorado, approximately 60 of the cats have wandered into northern New Mexico and at least 14 have been killed. In two weeks, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) will decide whether or not to extend federal protections for the cat to New Mexico. The USFWS must make the decision by Dec. 15 as part of the settlement of a lawsuit brought against the agency by the Western Environmental Law Center, representing several environmental groups, including Wild Earth Guardians. The center had asked the agency to protect the lynx in New Mexico and decided to sue when the USFWS did not act within the required time period.

Prairie dogs kiss when they meet. Seriously. Photo by Mila Zinkova.

Prairie dogs kiss when they meet. Seriously. Not kidding. Photo by Mila Zinkova.

Speaking of lawsuits, it was Wild Earth Guardians who forced Fish and Wildlife to make a move on the black-tailed prairie dog.

The black-tailed prairie dog may warrant federal protection as a threatened or endangered species, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced yesterday.

In March 2008, Wild Earth Guardians had filed suit against the USFWS for failing to act on a previous petition for protection. Yesterday’s announcement is a result of a settlement reached earlier this summer.

The USFWS will initiate a review that may — or may not — lead to the rodents being listed as threatened or endangered.

Ranchers say prairie dog burrows ruin grazing land, while biologists say they are a keystone species of the prairie grassland ecosystem, aerating and fertilizing the soil, creating habitat for other small critters and providing tasty snacks for eagles, foxes, owls and ferrets.

“Big agriculture has put tremendous pressure on the Fish and Wildlife Service to not list the black-tailed prairie dog. Now, the agency must put science over politics and follow through with listing,” Lauren McCain, Desert and Grassland Projects director for Wild Earth Guardians, said in a press release. “Endangered Species Act protection is likely the only way to prevent the animal’s extinction.”