Preservation group releases 2019 list of Missouri’s most endangered historic places

(Editor’s note: This is the first in a three-part series.) Missouri Preservation has announced its 2019 Places in Peril list which includes many places in Traveler country. Places in Peril is an annual list of endangered historic places in the state of Missouri. These places are nominated by concerned individuals and decided upon by a…

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Prairie Massasauga rattlesnake

Although rattlesnakes won’t win many wildlife popularity contests, everyone who loves Missouri’s outdoors should be rooting for the Prairie Massasauga rattlesnake to hold on in the state. As is the case with many other wildlife species in decline, the story of the Prairie Massasauga rattlesnake’s trouble is a tale of disappearing habitat. A reduction in…

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American Burying Beetle

A creature that thrives on death could help biologists learn more about life in Missouri’s outdoors. American burying beetles are scavengers that benefit humans by helping clear the landscape of dead animal carcasses, but their value isn’t defined solely by their diet. Studying their nocturnal routines could provide more insight into the affects light pollution…

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Neosho Madtom

Neosho Madtom (Noturus placidus):Spring River @ CR 360 (Kafir Road). Jasper County, Missouri A declining population is one of the trademarks of an endangered species, but Missouri’s Neosho madtom population seems to defy that unwritten rule. It’s believed this small catfish is as numerous as it’s probably ever been in the state. However, because that…

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