More than 12 years after the Center for Biological Diversity petitioned the agency, its officials proposed on Thursday listing the southern hognose snake as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
Wildlife
Conservation group’s US 64 study finds ‘remarkable carnage’
More than 5,000 vertebrates representing 144 species of wildlife were killed on U.S. Highway 64 just halfway through a two-year survey.
Night flyer out on a limb
A male luna moth, or Actias luna, finds a perch in the branches of a Japanese maple near Russell Creek in Beaufort. The easily identified species flies mostly at night and is found statewide this time of year in and near hardwood forests, wooded residential areas and, on North Carolina’s barrier islands, in maritime forests. Adult luna moths do not feed and live off food they consumed as caterpillars for the moths’ seven- to 10-day lifespan.
Driver who struck wild horse in Currituck County identified
Trevor Odell Belcher of Greenville, Tennessee, was driving a 2010 Chevrolet, traveling south on Sandfiddler Road when he struck the horse that was crossing in the path of his vehicle.
Coexisting with coyotes workshop set for Aug. 27 in Ocracoke
Cape Hatteras National Seashore and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission are cohosting the public workshop on coyotes.
Driver strikes, kills 10-year-old stallion in Currituck County
Francisco was an otherwise healthy wild horse with a harem of four mares, a yearling colt, and a four-month-old colt.
Cape Lookout duck blind permit lottery to run Aug. 26-28
Lottery winners will be able to select their duck blind location within the Cape Lookout National Seashore during in-person appointments Sept. 12 at the Harkers Island visitor center.
State wildlife agency seeks conservation steward nominations
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is accepting nominations for the annual Thomas L. Quay Award through Friday.
Tales from the dunes: Butterflies in science, sentiment
NC State and North Carolina Aquarium researchers have traipsed across sand to study the crystal skipper, a butterfly known for its white speckled wings that can only be found in the Bogue Banks area.
Wildlife agency releases draft species management plan
Public comments will be accepted through July 5 to the draft update of the North Carolina State Wildlife Action Plan, which identifies and prioritizes species of greatest conservation need in the state.
Shorebirds among species in steepest decline in latest count
Audubon’s 2025 State of the Birds Report shows East Coast species such as least terns, American oystercatchers and piping plovers are diminished in numbers with shorebirds most heavily represented among those at a perilous tipping point.
Tabb’s Trails: Jockey’s Ridge State Park celebrates 50 years
The 426-acre state park in Nags Head is a harsh environment but rewards with self-guided trails taking hikers through dunes, foliage and by flowering plants swarmed by pollinators.
Cape Lookout to begin Horse Sense and Survival tours
Cape Lookout National Seashore’s Resource Manager Dr. Sue Stuska will lead this year’s Horse Sense and Survival tours June 21, July 20, Aug. 3 and Sept. 20.
State reminds visitors to maintain distance from wild horses
As tourism season ramps up, visitors to coastal areas where wild horses roam are reminded to keep a safe distance.
‘GatorWise’ advises how to live responsibly among alligators
The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission has joined the near dozen other southeastern U.S. states that American alligators call home by launching GatorWise.
Decapitated dolphin found in Pender prompts criminal search
An investigation continues into the intentional decapitation of an 8-foot-long bottlenose dolphin found on Lea-Hutaff Island’s shore.
