Publications

Defenders of Wildlife analyzed LEMIS data from 2005 to 2014, during which time some 49,334 imported shipments from around the world were denied entry into the United States by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement.

Discussions on combating wildlife trafficking have focused mainly on elephants, rhinos and tigers in Africa and Asia. Often forgotten, however, is the fact that wildlife trafficking occurs across all continents and threatens a wide range of imperiled species, including exotic birds, sea turtles, coral, caimans, iguanas, pangolins and land tortoises. This report draws attention to two important regions involved in wildlife trafficking that are often overlooked: the United States and Latin America.

Para prestar la atención necesaria a esta crisis de tráfico ilegal de vida silvestre, y para entender mejor los vínculos entre los Estados Unidos y Latinoamérica, Defenders of Wildlife realizó un análisis extensivo de los datos colectados por uno de los sistemas de monitoreo de comercio de vida silvestre más completos en el mundo, el Sistema de Información de Gestión de Aplicación de la Ley (LEMIS) manejado por el U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).

To focus much needed attention on the wildlife trafficking crisis in Latin America, and to better understand the links between this region and the United States, Defenders of Wildlife analyzed data collected by the Law Enforcement Management Information System, to identify trade routes, most commonly trafficked animals and products, the capacity of law enforcement to handle the problem, and more. This brief brochure summarizes our findings.

Nayarit is the foremost birding area in western Mexico, harboring more than 530 species of birds including 45 endemics. This quick guide presents the illustrations of more than 140 species of birds common to the Riviera Nayarit region, including 21 endemic species.

Located in the center of the Bay of Banderas, Puerto Vallarta is surrounded by a variety of ecosystems that are home to many endemic bird species. This quick guide presents the illustrations of more than 135 species of birds common to the region, including 20 endemic species.

The coasts and seas of Mexico are inhabited by six of the seven species of sea turtles of the world and all are classified as endangered. This quick guide presents the illustrations of six species and one subspecies of sea turtles found in Mexico.

The region of Los Tuxtlas is unique to Mexico since it is formed by a series of extinct volcanoes whose slopes are covered by cloud forest, medium evergreen rainforest and dry tropical rainforest which are inhabited by more than 485 species of birds. This quick guide presents the illustrations of 150 species of birds common to Los Tuxtlas.

Los Cabos is located at the tip of the Peninsula of Baja California, surrounded by desert and thorn brush ecosystems, with some estuaries along the coastline. There are more than 400 species of birds in the state with 6 endemics to Mexico. This quick guide presents illustrations of 102 species of birds found commonly around the Los Cabos region.