Way back in 2007 when I first learned about the “Keystone Species” concept I asked around to find out if there were others besides the beaver. I was told there definitely were but that information was passed a long time ago in school and they had forgotten. Worth A Dam’s receiving organization “Land for Urban Wildlife” was a great fan of ground squirrels, so I knew about them. And the mysterious tail motions of the egg-laying alligator were quirky enough to get my attention, but other than that I wasn’t sure. Turns out there is no “complete list” on the internet, but I thought you might appreciate this new tool that I have added to the margin. Click on an individual picture to learn why it is considered a Keystone Species. Some of them lack useful videos explaining their role, so for the moment I linked to a cool video instead. I’m sure that will change as more conservation ecology students do their homework this semester.
