Border fences pose threats to wildlife on US-Mexico border, study shows

Border fences pose threats to wildlife on US-Mexico border, study shows: "Current and proposed border fences pose significant threats to wildlife populations, with those animals living in border regions along the Texas Gulf and California coasts showing some of the greatest vulnerability, a new study from The University of Texas at Austin shows.

'Our study is the first comprehensive analysis of threats to species across the entire U.S.-Mexico border,' says Jesse Lasky, a graduate student in the laboratory of Tim Keitt, associate professor of integrative biology. 'The scale at which these fences stretch across the landscape is large, so it's important for us to also have a large- scale view of their effects across the continent.'

Among the species at risk include four species listed as threatened globally or by both the U.S. and Mexico, and another 23 with small range sizes. The animals include the Arroyo toad, the California red-legged frog and the jaguarundi.

'We were able to identify a list of animal species that are most at risk and should be prioritized and monitored for change,' says Lasky. 'We're hoping this helps point decision-makers towards the animals to look at first when making priorities for conservation.'"