Not your average squirrel

We are excited to announce the recovery of the Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrel, placed on the first endangered species list in 1967!

More than 80 percent of this squirrel’s home is on private land and Delmarva landowners and residents played a major role in the recovery of this species. The species has thrived and continues to expand across the working landscapes of the Peninsula as private landowners continue with routine timber harvest and farming with sufficient mature forest nearby to support the squirrels.

Check out this awesome infographic that tells the story of the Delmarva fox squirrel’s recovery

Infographic created by Alexa Marcigliano/USFWS

The Endangered Species Act has been enormously successful in conserving imperiled wildlife, preventing the extinction of more than 99 percent of the species listed as threatened or endangered since 1973. The Delmarva fox squirrel will follow 27 species that have been delisted due to recovery, including the bald eagle, American alligator, and peregrine falcon. Meanwhile, 30 species have been down-listed from endangered to threatened.

The recovery of the Delmarva fox squirrel demonstrates how the Endangered Species Act can be an effective tool to protect and recover imperiled wildlife from the brink of extinction, especially when we work in partnership with states, tribes, conservation groups, private landowners, and other stakeholders.

Click here for a universally accessible version of the graphic