New Mexico Ecological Services Field Office

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New Mexico Meadow Jumping Mouse 

This endangered species is found in New Mexico, eastern Arizona, and southern Colorado, where it relies on habitat areas along rivers to make its home. It is very sensitive to changes in the  riparian riparian
Definition of riparian habitat or riparian areas.

Learn more about riparian  (along rivers or stream edges) vegetation conditions it needs, and requires perennial flowing streams. Our office is leading the development of a plan to guide the recovery efforts necessary to protect this species from further decline. This will include significant habitat protection and recovery actions on degraded critical habitat on both public and, where possible, private lands with willing landowners. The recovery planning process involves multiple partners from the U.S. Forest Service, State game and fish agencies, academics, and Tribes, along with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists. We anticipate having a final recovery plan published by January 2023. 
 

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Black-footed Ferret 

The black-footed ferret is a specialized member of the weasel family native to the open prairie habitat found in the interior parts of North America. It is entirely dependent upon prairie dogs and their colonies for food and shelter. Our office has been actively supporting an ongoing and successful reintroduction effort in Mora County, New Mexico, on a private ranch. 2022 will be the fourth active year for this project, which includes three releases of black-footed ferrets from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center in Colorado. Annual surveys have detected active breeding females with kits each of the past three years for this project, making this a successful endeavor to date. This is one of the few black-footed ferret recovery actions being done on private land in the United States. 

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Sacramento Mountains Checkerspot Butterfly 

The Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly lives only in mountain meadows near Cloudcroft, New Mexico. They are pollinators for local wildflowers and lay their eggs on New Mexico beardtongue. In recent years, this butterfly has declined in abundance due, in part, to drought and heavy browsing by large herbivores. We are currently collaborating with the U.S. Forest Service and some non-governmental organizations to conserve this scarce species. Currently, our conservation team is focusing on protecting meadow habitat, planting native plants to provide pollen, and captive breeding and raising of the checkerspot butterfly. 

Office Species by Taxa

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