Winter 2008 The Road to Extinction Threatened and Endangered Species by Kim Mumper Do you know what Lake Erie's blue pike has in common with dinosaurs, dodo birds and the passenger pigeon? They are all extinct. This means they no longer live. Some species are extinct because of natural events, like the beginning or ending of an ice age. Recently, extinction has been the result of human actions. Along the road to extinction, humans have reduced the number of that species. Their habitat was changed and that species couldn't survive. Taking too many species for food also put some species on the road to extinction. Changing or destroying habitat affects species numbers. Often, species that are more sensitive to change head down the road to extinction. These species tend to be habitat specialists. They require certain types of habitats to survive. The bog turtle is a good example of a habitat specialist. It lives in spring-fed, marshy wetlands. The Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission (PFBC) and other state agencies work hard to keep species found in Pennsylvania off the road to extinction. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service does the same on a national level. Technically Speaking Species: Related organisms with common characteristics. They can breed and produce offspring. Example: Bullfrogs are a species of frog. Range: The geographic area where a species is found. Habitat: Place that provides water, space and shelter in the right combinations for a species to survive. Extirpated: The species is no longer found in Pennsylvania (or other places), but does live in other locations in its range. Endangered: The species is in danger of becoming extinct. Threatened: The species is in danger of becoming endangered. Candidate: The species is in danger of becoming threatened or endangered. www.fish.state.pa.us Pennsylvania Angler & Boater January-February 2008 49
Endangered Species Prevention There are 71 species on the PFBC's list of threatened, endangered and candidate species. It is easier to keep a species off the road than to restore it. The PFBC works hard to prevent species from getting on the list. List of Threatened, Endangered and Candidate Species Number of Species Endangered Threatened Candidate Fish 28 15 11 Amphibians 4 1 0 Reptiles 4 1 3 Aquatic Invertebrates 4 0 0 Total 40 17 14 Remaining populations of species on the list are protected by PA laws and regulations. It is illegal to have, gather, collect whole or parts of species on the list. Laws and regulations also protect habitat. PFBC biologists review plans for big building projects. This review includes plans for roads, bridges, shopping malls, pipelines, wind farms and housing developments. If important habitats could be damaged, the Commission requires builders to change their plans. The PFBC conducts research on special species and their habitats. Some projects help us learn more about the critter. Some projects focus on the habitat. The Commission even has projects designed to restore species and their habitats. STOP extinction Endangered: Bog Turtle Threatened: Green Salamander Candidate: timber Rattlesnake 50 Pennsylvania Angler & Boater January/February 2008 www.fish.state.pa.us
Special Critter Cards These animals are just a few of the endangered and threatened species in Pennsylvania. Cut out the cards below. Try making your own cards using the information and photos you can find on our web site, www.fish.state.pa.us/etspecis.htm. Northern Riffleshell Mussel - Endangered Green Salamander - Threatened Bog Turtle - Endangered Massassauga Rattlesnake-Endangered www.fish.state.pa.us Pennsylvania Angler & Boater January-February 2008 51
Bog Turtle - Endangered Northern Riffleshell Mussel - Endangered Description: One of the smallest PA turtles at about 4 inches. Shell dark brown with yellow markings. A large red-orange or yellow blotch behind each eye. Found in PA: Southeast counties in open areas of sphagnum bogs, swamps or marshy meadows with slow streams. Why Endangered: Draining or destruction of habitat. Also collected by turtle fanciers. Description: Oval shell about 3 inches long and 2 inches high. Light tan to olive with greenish wavy lines. Found in PA: Northwestern PA in swift streams in clean gravel and sand beds. Why Endangered: Dam and reservoir construction; erosion from mining, logging and farming adds silt to streams and kills mussels. Massassauga Rattlesnake - Endangered Green Salamander - Threatened Description: Smallest venomous snake. About 20 to 30 inches long. Tail is tipped with yellow; has a small rattle. Found in PA: Central western PA in open old fields and wet meadows; relict prairie lands. Why Endangered: Never common in PA, but habitat reduction from construction of dams, highways, and homes, and mining and farming, have reduced its numbers. Description: About 3 to 5 inches long, with dark background and green lichen-like markings. Found in PA: Southwest counties only in crevices of sandstone rock cliffs or outcroppings of Pottsville formation; near moist hardwood forests near streams. Why Threatened: Northernmost edge of its range in Appalachians. Sand mining and rock climbing may hurt their numbers. 52 Pennsylvania Angler & Boater January/February 2008 www.fish.state.pa.us
Pennsylvania's Special Species Some species are threatened or endangered in Pennsylvania but not in other states. These species are considered state-threatened or state-endangered species. Here is the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission's list of state-threatened or state-endangered fish, amphibians, reptiles and invertebrates. Endangered Fish: Northern brook lamprey, Ichthyomyzon fossor Shortnose sturgeon, Acipenser brevirostrum Lake sturgeon, Acipenser fulvescens Atlantic sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrhynchus Spotted gar, Lepisosteus oculatus Hickory shad, Alosa mediocris Cisco, Coregonus artedi Silver chub, Macrhybopsis storeriana Gravel chub, Erimystax x-punctatus Bridle shiner, Notropis bifrenatus River shiner, Notropis blennius Ghost shiner, Notropis buchanani Ironcolor shiner, Notropis chalybaeus Blackchin shiner, Notropis heterodon Redfin shiner, Lythrurus umbratilis Longnose sucker, Catostomus catostomus Bigmouth buffalo, Ictiobus cyprinellus Black bullhead, Amerius melas Mountain madtom, Noturus eleutherus Tadpole madtom, Noturus gyrinus Northern madtom, Noturus stigmosus Burbot, Lota lota (inland populations only) Threespine stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus Banded sunfish, Enneacanthus obesus Warmouth, Lepomis gulosus Longear sunfish, Lepomis megalotis Iowa darter, Etheostoma exile Eastern sand darter, Etheostoma pellucida Endangered Aquatic Invertebrates: Northern riffleshell mussel, Epioblasma torulosa rangiana Clubshell mussel, Pleurobema clava Dwarf wedgemussel, Alasmidonta heterodon Eastern pearlshell mussel, Margaritifera margaritifera Endangered Reptiles and amphibians: Bog Turtle, Glyptemys muhlenbergii New Jersey Chorus Frog, Pseudacris triseriata kalmi Coastal Plain Leopard Frog, Rana sphenocephala Massasauga Rattlesnake, Sistrurus catenatus Kirtland's Snake, Clonophis kirtlandii Eastern Mud Salamander, Pseudotrion m. montanus Eastern Spadefoot Toad, Scaphiopus holbrookii Rough Green Snake, Opheodrys aestivus Threatened Fish: Mountain brook lamprey, Ichthyomyzon greeleyi Skipjack herring, Alosa chrysochloris Goldeye, Hiodon alosoides Mooneye, Hiodon tergisus Bigmouth shiner, Notropis dorsalis Southern redbelly dace, Phoxinus erythrogaster Smallmouth buffalo, Ictiobus bubalus Spotted sucker, Minytrema melanops Brindled madtom, Noturus miurus Bluebreast darter, Etheostoma camurum Spotted darter, Etheostoma maculatum Tippecanoe darter, Etheostoma tippecanoe Channel darter, Percina copelandi Gilt darter, Percina evides Longhead darter, Percina macrocephala Threatened Reptiles and amphibians: Green Salamander, Aneides aeneus Red-bellied Turtle, Pseudemys rubriventris Endangered: Northern riffleshell mussel Endangered: New Jersey Chorus Frog www.fish.state.pa.us Pennsylvania Angler & Boater January-February 2008 53
Pennsylvania's Special Species Some species are threatened or endangered in Pennsylvania but not in other states. These species are considered state-threatened or state-endangered species. Here is the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission's list of state-threatened or state-endangered fish, amphibians, reptiles and invertebrates. Endangered Fish: Northern brook lamprey, Ichthyomyzon fossor Shortnose sturgeon, Acipenser brevirostrum Lake sturgeon, Acipenser fulvescens Atlantic sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrhynchus Spotted gar, Lepisosteus oculatus Hickory shad, Alosa mediocris Cisco, Coregonus artedi Silver chub, Macrhybopsis storeriana Gravel chub, Erimystax x-punctatus Bridle shiner, Notropis bifrenatus River shiner, Notropis blennius Ghost shiner, Notropis buchanani Ironcolor shiner, Notropis chalybaeus Blackchin shiner, Notropis heterodon Redfin shiner, Lythrurus umbratilis Longnose sucker, Catostomus catostomus Bigmouth buffalo, Ictiobus cyprinellus Black bullhead, Amerius melas Mountain madtom, Noturus eleutherus Tadpole madtom, Noturus gyrinus Northern madtom, Noturus stigmosus Burbot, Lota lota (inland populations only) Threespine stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus Banded sunfish, Enneacanthus obesus Warmouth, Lepomis gulosus Longear sunfish, Lepomis megalotis Iowa darter, Etheostoma exile Eastern sand darter, Etheostoma pellucida Endangered Aquatic Invertebrates: Northern riffleshell mussel, Epioblasma torulosa rangiana Clubshell mussel, Pleurobema clava Dwarf wedgemussel, Alasmidonta heterodon Eastern pearlshell mussel, Margaritifera margaritifera Endangered Reptiles and amphibians: Bog Turtle, Glyptemys muhlenbergii New Jersey Chorus Frog, Pseudacris triseriata kalmi Coastal Plain Leopard Frog, Rana sphenocephala Massasauga Rattlesnake, Sistrurus catenatus Kirtland's Snake, Clonophis kirtlandii Eastern Mud Salamander, Pseudotrion m. montanus Eastern Spadefoot Toad, Scaphiopus holbrookii Rough Green Snake, Opheodrys aestivus Threatened Fish: Mountain brook lamprey, Ichthyomyzon greeleyi Skipjack herring, Alosa chrysochloris Goldeye, Hiodon alosoides Mooneye, Hiodon tergisus Bigmouth shiner, Notropis dorsalis Southern redbelly dace, Phoxinus erythrogaster Smallmouth buffalo, Ictiobus bubalus Spotted sucker, Minytrema melanops Brindled madtom, Noturus miurus Bluebreast darter, Etheostoma camurum Spotted darter, Etheostoma maculatum Tippecanoe darter, Etheostoma tippecanoe Channel darter, Percina copelandi Gilt darter, Percina evides Longhead darter, Percina macrocephala Threatened Reptiles and amphibians: Green Salamander, Aneides aeneus Red-bellied Turtle, Pseudemys rubriventris Endangered: Northern riffleshell mussel Endangered: New Jersey Chorus Frog www.fish.state.pa.us Pennsylvania Angler & Boater January-February 2008 53
Word Search: Pennsylvania's Special Critters Find the 16 words listed below in the puzzle. Words appear forward, backward, up and down, and diagonally. The puzzle solution appears on the next page. R O I V W N V Y Z T M S E G E F O A D M I W J H E U E L G N M D U G C N L R T E S I T M D C A D G U H E D X V S C R G A F L D P H A T O L L E E U S N P M F T T G S A B I L P T T G F B R E O R R A T M F S G U E C B N D D M Q E S I C E O R R O E R G O L Q E E S B V B G E D A T C N I T X E N A A H E D P O L L U T I O N G S M H O S D E T A P R I T X E J N K N U U H O R A D A R T E R A A B A Q H A F C E C F B T D Z E K O O I M Q K Y Q O Z O V U U Q E BOG TURTLE DARTER ENDANGERED EXTINCT EXTIRPATED HABITAT MADTOM MASSASAUGA Bog Turtle MUSSEL PFBC POLLUTION ROUGH GREEN SNAKE SPECIES STURGEON THREATENED WILDLIFE 54 Rough Green Snake Pennsylvania Angler & Boater January/February 2008 www.fish.state.pa.us
Jokes Submitted by PLAY Readers What s a Frog s Favorite sport? Croak-Et! Darvin in Lancaster Why was the toad happy? Because he ate everything that bugged him! What do you get when you cross an elephant with a fish? Swimming Trunks! To learn more about threatened and endangered species, visit: PA Fish & Boat Commission s web site: www.fish.state.pa.us. Click on Non-Game Species. Also, go to the State Wildlife Grant Program page to learn about important studies. The Pennsylvania Natural Heritage program: www.naturalheritage.state.pa.us. The Pennsylvania Wild Resource Conservation Program: www.dcnr.state.pa.us. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: www.fws.gov. What day do fish hate? Fry-day! What would you catch if you fished with peanut butter? Jellyfish! Peter (7) in Swarthmore Why did the bog turtle cross the road? to Get to the Shell Station! Send jokes you make up to: PLAY Jokes PA Fish & Boat Commission P.O. Box 67000 Harrisburg, PA 17106-7000 Or email your jokes to: ra-pfbcplay@state.pa.us Include your name (first name only), your age, and your town. What did Lake Raystown say to Lake Erie? Nothing, they just Waved! Word Search Answer Key Edited by: Art Michaels Photos: Andy Shiels, Tom Diaz Layout and design: Spring Gearhart PLAY Subscriptions: Jean Davis and Marty Miller www.fish.state.pa.us Pennsylvania 2008 PA Fish Angler & Boat & Boater Commission January-February 2008 55