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Endangered species: Skinks are sexy too

The Labrador duck is long gone and the wild Vancouver Island marmot is struggling to bounce back, but the whooping crane, the swift fox and the bison are actually making comebacks. With more than 30 species already gone and over 400 species of plants and animals at risk, Canada is starting to get serious about protecting its endangered species. Let's hope it's not too late.

The northern prairie skink, a small brown lizard, is one of many seemingly insignificant species that is endangered. Early conservation efforts in Canada brought the wood bison, whooping crane and peregrine falcon back from the brink of extinction, but it's not just these "sexy" species that need our attention. CBC's Barbara Frum talks with Monte Hummel, president of the World Wildlife Fund Canada, about the importance of protecting whole ecosystems, not just the species at the top of the food chain.

Hummel explains that the small, obscure organisms at the bottom of the food chain are the building blocks of an ecosystem, without which whole systems may be lost. Habitat destruction is the leading cause of species endangerment, and Canada is falling behind in habitat protection. The list of endangered species published lacks federal clout; protection depends instead on inconsistent and often non-existent provincial legislation. 
. The eelgrass limpet, dwarf wedgemussel and Puget Oregonian snail are all mollusc species that are no longer found in Canada. The mudpuppy mussel, wavy-rayed lampmussel and dromedary jumping-slug are among the endangered molluscs that can still be saved.
. Other less-than-sexy endangered species in Canada include the Lake Erie watersnake, northern leopard frog, seaside centipede lichen and, of course, the northern prairie skink.
Medium: Television
Program: The Journal
Broadcast Date: June 23, 1989
Guest(s): Monte Hummel
Host: Barbara Frum, Noelle Richardson
Duration: 6:32

Last updated: May 1, 2012

Page consulted on May 22, 2013

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