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Biodiversity

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Biodiversity refers to the variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem. It is necessary for life to thrive on Earth.

Aldo Leopold, one of the great thinkers of conservation, observed more than half a century ago the importance of protecting species. "To keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering," he wrote. Losing species is like throwing away one by one the engine parts of an airplane while flying.

Biodiversity is a major initiative of Conservation International.

Biodiversity conservation provides substantial benefits to meet immediate human needs, such as those for clean, consistent water flows; protection from floods and storms; and a stable climate. 

Curated by mokiethecat

That's Wild: The Hannibal Lecter of Larvae
May 08, 2025
Riddle me this: What kind of animal eats meat (including that of its own species), lurks in spiders’ webs plotting to steal their prey, and covers its body in the dried-out corpses of insects? The answer is: bone collector caterpillars. But don’t hate them because they’re beautiful. This newly described Hyposmocoma species wears dresses of bug bits to keep itself camouflaged so the spiders whose webs it hunts in don’t notice it — and it’s the length of an average fingernail. Only .13% of caterpillars in the world are carnivores, so these guys are rare indeed. Check out our video to see them in action and meet the scientists researching them. ********************* About the Center: The Center for Biological Diversity is a 501c3 nonprofit headquartered in Tucson, Arizona. At the Center, we believe that the welfare of human beings is deeply linked to nature — to the existence in our world of a vast diversity of wild animals and plants. Because diversity has intrinsic value, and because its loss impoverishes society, we work to secure a future for all species, great and small, hovering on the brink of extinction. We do so through science, law and creative media, with a focus on protecting the lands, waters and climate that species need to survive. We want those who come after us to inherit a world where the wild is still alive. Where to find us: WEBSITE: https://www.biologicaldiversity.org TWITTER: https://twitter.com/CenterForBioDiv FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/CenterforBioDiv INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/centerforbiodiv TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@centerforbiodiv TAKE ACTION: https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/action/alerts For questions or media inquiries, email us at center@biologicaldiversity.org.