The Mojave Desert is a haven for a great range of animal and plant life. However, many of the species which live in the desert are in danger of extinction. Human alteration or destruction of habitats in the Mojave Desert, by methods such as road and housing construction, pollution and agriculture, could mean that some of this vulnerable flora and fauna will no longer exist in the future. However, with federal protection, endangered species can often come back from the brink of extinction.
The California brown pelican, Least Bell's vireo and the Yuma clapper rail are three endangered bird species existing in the Mojave Desert, as of early 2011. The Least Bell's vireo population in America had fallen to around 300 birds before it was federally protected in 1986, when it mounted a comeback. The iconic bald eagle has been a success story for conservationists, having been removed from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants in 2007.
Six fish species in the Mojave Desert are considered to be under threat of extinction, as of 2011, including the bonytail chub, Colorado squawfish, devil's hole pupfish, Mohave tui chub, humpback chub and razorback sucker. The Mohave tui chub was unique to the region, but no longer exists in the wild due to predation by the mosquito fish and the arrival of invasive species in the Mojave River Basin. Scientists are working to save the Mohave tui chub from extinction in controlled laboratory conditions.
Three mammal species in the Mojave Desert are considered either sensitive to the threat of extinction, or a candidate for federal listing. Townsend's big-eared bat and the Amargosa southern pocket gopher are considered candidates, while the desert bighorn sheep's status is "sensitive." The mountain lion, or cougar, is of special concern in California because of increasing urbanization, which has encroached upon its terrain and discouraged the species from migrating to interact with cougar populations in other parts of the United States.
Perhaps the best-known endangered species in the Mojave Desert is a reptile, the Mojave Desert tortoise. From 1996 to 2006, state and federal agencies spent over $93 million on preserving this tortoise, whose critical habitat is at constant risk from human interference. Schemes to protect the species have included erecting fencing to prevent them from walking onto highways and a disastrous attempt to move 770 tortoises, in order to allow for the expansion of a military training center in California. After the relocation, more than 90 of the tortoises perished and others were in danger of disease before it was suspended in Oct. 2008.
