BIO-WEST biologists conducting mammalian surveys at the Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) have captured a round-tailed ground squirrel (Spermophilus tereticaudus), a species not found in the Refuge since 1891. The squirrel, which is common in other areas of Nevada, was captured using Sherman live traps during the 2008–2009 field season.
BIO-WEST is gathering baseline information on the presence, distribution, and natural history of small mammals on the Refuge to assist Refuge staff with wetland restoration efforts. Restoration efforts are particularly important because the Refuge is home to more than 20 plant and animal species, including threatened and endangered species, found nowhere else in the world.
When asked about BIO-WEST’s work at the Refuge, BIO-WEST ecologist Benjamin Chen said, “It’s a function of us learning how to participate responsibly with our surrounding environment. The mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System speaks to the fact that the conservation of the environment relates to the preservation of our heritage and the belief that simply because it exists, life—a species—is worth protecting, and there is an inherent value in each of the species that make up the complex system that is Ash Meadows.”