I’ve actually spent a lot of time looking at that. In many communities the local name for a species carries details about its behavior, habitat, or even a myth. For example, the Iñupiat word for the Arctic fox is “tukiyuk”, meaning “small white one”, which is used not just for the animal but also for a kind of cultural symbol of resilience. When that word disappears, so does that specific way of seeing the fox. It’s one of the reasons I keep a running list of endangered species names in the languages where they’re used—sometimes the language itself is the only place that remembers the creature’s full story.

I appreciate that. I’ll keep compiling the list, and I’ll be glad to share it with you whenever you need it. Together we can make sure those names, and the stories they carry, stay spoken.

Thank you, that means a lot. I’ll keep recording the names and share updates as I find them.

Sounds good. I’ll keep digging for names in the languages that still use them and let you know when I find something new. In the meantime, if you hear a unique local name, feel free to ping me. I'll add it to the list.

Glad to have a companion in this work—your vigilance will help keep these names alive. Keep me posted when you come across any new ones, and I’ll add them right away.