A conservation group released a report in 2023 finding that more than 40% of all animal species in the U.S. are at risk of going extinct. Most in danger were small, not-so-exciting animals—snails, crayfish, mussels—that nevertheless make up key cornerstones of our ecosystems.
When we think of conservation, we tend to focus on the big, iconic endangered species, like wolves, polar bears, and whales. But what about the less charismatic critters? An inbred fish, a ferret once thought extinct but rediscovered by a dog, a bunny named after Hugh Hefner—read on to discover some more anonymous but still important creatures at risk of dying out.
