U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)

Sssurprise! You’re going to have 12 babies! Did you know that giant garter snakes give live birth? Yep. They do not lay eggs; they give birth to live young. Litter sizes can range from 10 - 46 individuals. This female snake recently learned that she was having 12 babies during her ultrasound! We're working with U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) on a project that aims to support the recovery of this threatened snake. USGS is performing surveys in giant garter snake habitat and capturing females in the hope that some are "expecting." The females will give birth in captivity and released shortly afterward in the same area where they were captured. The baby snakes will be raised in captivity until they reach a certain length and size. This “headstart” program helps get the babies past the point where they are most vulnerable to several factors, including predators and competition with other animals for prey. Giant garter snakes live in marshes, sloughs, ponds, agricultural wetlands and other waterways in Northern California. Photos by USGS #WorldSnakeDay

As far as butterflies go the queen is as regal as they get! While it resembles a monarch, queen butterflies have a unique pattern of white dots along the inner and outer wings. With darker colors and a harder exoskeleton the queen butterfly is tough. Have you seen any queen butterflies recently? Photos: Anna Blades/USFWS

This week on our fishiest #podcast, Guy gets all gussied up in his best brown trout ensemble (again), Katrina recalls a brown trout 💩 story, and the two co-hosts dig into the history of these fish making their way to the USA and how they are perceived. Maria Dosal joins from her Agdaagux homelands on the Alaska Peninsula to talk about fish regalia and respecting the whole fish. "Catch" new episodes of "Fish of the Week!" every Monday at FWS.gov or wherever you get your podcasts. We have hundreds of hours of fish conversation for you piscivores to consume and limitless fish and perspectives yet to cover. Email Katrina to let the team know what you like, what we can do better, and which fish we should cover. ✔️ A brown trout. 📷 parkermakk (CC by NC 4.0) #AllTheFish 🐟

Don't worry folks, the dragonfly handling this human is a professional. Let us introduce you to one of the biggest species of dragonfly in North America. The swamp darner is large and in charge and lives throughout the eastern United States, as well as a few states west of the Mississippi River. You can spot these magnificent dragons taking flight throughout June and July and this one was spotted at Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge in Maine. Photo by BBenvenuti/USFWS

Meet Robert, the “heart and soul of Toppenish National Wildlife Refuge.” Robert Luna started working at the central Washington wildlife refuge when he was a teenager, and about three decades later the engineering equipment operator was recently named Refuge Employee of the Year by the National Wildlife Refuge Association. "Robert has been the heart and soul of Toppenish National Wildlife Refuge for more than three decades, and his contributions are beyond measure,” said Trevor Sheffels, the acting deputy project leader at Toppenish, an important stop for migratory birds along the Pacific Flyway. “I never do anything for praise,” Luna said. “I let my work speak for itself. I’m proud of what I do and I’m always happy to show anybody the kind of work I do. I see the vision of the Fish and Wildlife Service, and you know, I enjoy it.” Read the full story on Luna, who moved with his family from Los Angeles in the 1980s to Toppenish: https://lnkd.in/erkGVy2Z

Once again we ask, are you urgin' for sturgeon? The Genoa National Fish Hatchery in Wisconsin raises thousands of lake sturgeon every year for restoration efforts across the country. These fish were decimated by overharvest and killing because they were thought to be a nuisance fish. Since it takes so long for lake sturgeon to reach adulthood (around 20 years), we are finally seeing how passage of the Clean Water Act and collective conservation efforts that began decades ago are leading to growing lake sturgeon populations. Recently, with the help of federal, state, and Tribal partners, Genoa National Fish Hatchery staff participated in a lake sturgeon collection that occurred near the Prickett Dam on the Sturgeon River in Michigan. The eggs were collected and fertilized and then transported to the hatchery. These fish will be raised at Genoa for approximately 4 months. Once they grow to 7-8 inches, they will then be tagged and released into the wild. We love conserving species and look forward to continued restoration of this amazing prehistoric fish. Photo by Erica Rasmussen/USFWS.

Biotechnicians are hard at work all across the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge! A day as a biotech might include: • Checking nests and burrows to monitor chick growth • Counting cliffside nests from afar • Banding seabirds for long-term monitoring Despite busy schedules and tight weather windows, biotechnicians find moments to pause and appreciate the beauty of the islands around them! 🥾Where have your boots been? 📷 Photos from Chowiet, St. Lazaria, Aiktak, St. George, and St. Paul Islands respectively. S. Koike, E. Parsons, S. Darmstadt, and J. Cleaves/USFWS

When you picture fish sampling, you might think of nets or electrofishing. Light traps are less familiar gear. Light traps are deployed by our biologists in backwater areas and small tributaries that could serve as nursery habitats for larval fish. Each trap is outfitted with a green LED light. Like insects at your porch light, plankton, small fishes, and aquatic invertebrates will be attracted and enter the trap overnight. The Oklahoma Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office is currently using light trapping to determine whether bighead and silver carp are successfully spawning in the Red River system in TX and OK. Thank goodness for good microscopes and genetics tests to help us identify these little eyelash-sized fishes! Photos: USFWS

Get to know three West Coast pikeminnows: Sacramento, Umpqua, and Northern! Our latest podcast episode of "Fish of the Week!" compliments our Colorado Pikeminnow episode from season 3. Our guest, Stewart Reid, specializes in the biology and stewardship of Western fishes. Tune in at https://lnkd.in/eMa_GYrn, Apple podcasts, or wherever else you listen (just search "Fish of the Week!"). 🎧 A Northern Pikeminnow. 📷 Nicholas Bott #AllTheFish 🐟

Exciting news! We are thrilled to announce $48.4 million in grants through the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund. This will be matched by more than $27.75 million in partner funds. This critical funding will aid in the conservation and permanent protection of over 23,000 acres of habitat, providing a safe haven for 80 listed and at-risk species across 19 states and Guam. Get the full story here: https://ow.ly/KJsV50SuxSC Photo of Indiana bats by Ryan Hagerty/USFWS