U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)

Biologists use many tools in the field, including camera traps set up inside of buckets to detect snakes. It's always exciting to see what wandered through and the variety may surprise you! Take a look at some of the cool sightings and surprises. 📷: Eastern massasauga rattlesnake (our target!), black bear, toad, raccoon, opossum, star-nosed mole, cottontail rabbit, striped skunk, hognose snake, black bear

This account Sept 30 🦋🐟🐿️🐢🐦 This account Oct 1 🕷️🐍🦇🐀🕸️

In May, a desert tortoise decided to lay eggs under a picnic table at Joshua Tree National Park and they hatched on August 28 (s/o to all the Virgo babies!). We worked with the park to relocate them away from the parking lot area and released them on September 13. They’ve been doing great ever since! By the way, happy #DesertTortoiseWeek! Celebrate Desert Tortoise Week near you: https://lnkd.in/gd_GzHfA Footage of three desert tortoise hatchlings walking around and resting together by Kent Kowalski/USFWS, video by Rebecca Fabbri/USFWS

On this, the first day of October, we present to you one of our favorite orange animals: the regal ring-necked snake. At only a foot or two long and non-venomous, this beauty isn't spooky, unless you're another small snake (their favorite prey). Keep a sharp eye out at dusk in the desert southwest to see one for yourself. As always, be sure to always give wildlife enough space that you both feel safe. Photo: Jeff Servos/USFWS

We brought you a duckling. You're welcome. This ruddy duckling and its siblings were spotted at Lake Andes National Wildlife Refuge in South Dakota. Ruddy ducks are diving ducks, meaning they dive underwater to forage for aquatic invertebrates and vegetation. Video: A ruddy duck foraging at Lake Andes National Wildlife Refuge in South Dakota by Liz Julian/USFWS Video description: A duckling swimming and then diving under the water's surface.

What good are they? "Well, what good are you?" goes the famous quote about this fish. 🐟 Meet the Owens Pupfish: a small, blue, chubby, feisty, extreme, endangered fish. This fish is native to the Owens Valley in California and was recently celebrated in the newly-established Owens Pupfish Refuge within the Bishop Paiute Tribe’s Conservation Open Space Area. 🐟 Catch a new episode of Fish of the Week every Monday at FWS.gov or wherever you get your podcasts. This week, Brian Atkins, Environmental Director for the Bishop Paiute Tribe, and Menemsha Zotstein with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are guests on our episode about Owens Pupfish. Take a listen to learn all about this fish and the work being done to conserve it. 🐟 📷 California Department of Fish and Wildlife #AllTheFish

When you work as a refuge manager and a law enforcement officer for USFWS, sometimes picking up abandoned lobster traps is on your work BINGO card for the day. At Parker River National Wildlife Refuge Complex, abandoned lobster traps can be a hazard for both wildlife and humans on the beach. If the traps are properly tagged, the owners are contacted to come pick them up. If they are not tagged and damaged beyond repair, they are disposed of or occasionally repurposed. As a reminder, it is illegal for private citizens to remove lobster traps from the beach without proper approval, but beached live lobsters can be released as they cannot survive out of water! Thanks for making the beach a safer place for wildlife and humans! Photo by USFWS

The face you make when you are determined to get to fee-free day. Be honest, have you ever looked as intense as this least grebe? We need you to channel this bird's energy today, especially if you are headed out to any of the National Public Lands Day events. Today, Sept. 28th, all entrance fees are waived at federal public lands across the country. Most USFWS national wildlife refuges don't charge an entrance fee, but at the handful that do, those fees are waived. Put on your determined grebe face and stop by and see us! Photo of least grebe at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge in Texas, by Scott Stoner (sharetheexperience).

Time to shell-ebrate!!!! Desert Tortoise Week festivities are starting THIS WEEKEND. Did you know that desert tortoises create homes for other critters and help disperse plant seeds? So helpful! The Mojave Desert tortoise was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1990 due to habitat loss, predation and other stressors. While they face many challenges, you can help secure a brighter future for these incredible creatures by learning about conservation efforts underway in California and Utah! Learn more about Desert Tortoise Week events happening near you: https://lnkd.in/gN6wSyEe Photo by Kristina Drake/USFWS

There is a bear in this photo. Do you see it? In the Pacific Northwest, fish hatchery employees are accustomed to wildlife encounters, including black bears. This photo was taken during a hike this past summer to check on water levels above Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery, in the mountains of central Washington state. Always be prepared when hiking in bear country – and check out some bear safety tips in the comments! USFWS photo: Mathew Maxey