The South Dakota Wildlife Action Plan

Species of Greatest Conservation Need List Revision:

An important component of a state Wildlife Action Plan is a list of species of greatest conservation need. The species list is intended to represent declining species and species that can help indicate the effectiveness of habitat management and conservation. The list is not intended to include all rare species.

Many agencies develop and are guided by species lists. These include lists of state or federal threatened or endangered species, lists of management indicator or sensitive species, and lists of species that have a high priority for a particular habitat type or region. It's important to consider the criteria that pertain to each species list. In the case of South Dakota's Wildlife Action Plan Revision, the criteria include the legal obligation to recover threatened or endangered species, a recognition of the importance of South Dakota in sustaining species that may be less common elsewhere, and the need to identify species that may be vulnerable because they depend on rare habitats or have certain intrinsic characteristics, such as a low reproductive rate.

SDGFP contacted a variety of species and taxa experts to help review and revise the original list. Based on information available to the Wildlife Diversity and Natural Heritage Program and expert input, we developed the following draft list for review. This list has also been shared with a variety of government agencies and Native American tribes in the state.

The opportunity to comment on this draft list closed on September 17, 2012. SD GF&P is currently evaluating suggested additions to the list.

Draft Species of Greatest Conservation Need List

SD Wildlife Action Plan Revision, 2012

Birds
SCIENTIFIC NAME COMMON NAME
FEDERAL STATUS
STATE STATUS
2006 LIST?
2012 LIST CRITERIA
Pelecanus erythrorhynchos American White Pelican
Y
2b
Cygnus buccinator Trumpeter Swan
Y
2b
Pandion haliaetus Osprey
ST
Y
1
Haliaeetus leucocephalus Bald Eagle
ST
Y
1
Accipiter gentilis Northern Goshawk
Y
3
Buteo regalis Ferruginous Hawk
Y
3
Falco peregrinus Peregrine Falcon
SE
Y
1
Bonasa umbellus Ruffed Grouse
N
3
Centrocercus urophasianus Greater Sage-Grouse
C
Y
3
Tympanuchus cupido Greater Prairie-Chicken
Y
2a
Grus americana Whooping Crane
LE
SE
Y
1
Charadrius melodus Piping Plover
LT
ST
Y
1
Tringa semipalmata Willet
Y
2b
Numenius americanus Long-billed Curlew
Y
2a
Limosa fedoa Marbled Godwit
Y
2a
Phalaropus tricolor Wilson's Phalarope
Y
2b
Sternula antillarum athalassos Interior Least Tern
LE
SE
Y
1
Chlidonias niger Black Tern
Y
2a
Athene cunicularia Burrowing Owl
Y
3
Melanerpes lewis Lewis's Woodpecker
Y
3
Picoides dorsalis American Three-toed Woodpecker
Y
3
Picoides arcticus Black-backed Woodpecker
Y
3
Cinclus mexicanus American Dipper
ST
Y
1
Anthus spragueii Sprague's Pipit
C
Y
2a
Calamospiza melanocorys Lark Bunting
Y
2a
Ammodramus bairdii Baird's Sparrow
Y
2a
Ammodramus leconteii Le Conte's Sparrow
Y
3
Junco hyemalis aikeni White-winged Junco
Y
2b
Calcarius ornatus Chestnut-collared Longspur
Y
2a
Mammals
SCIENTIFIC NAME COMMON NAME
FEDERAL STATUS
STATE STATUS
2006 LIST?
2012 LIST CRITERIA
Myotis thysanodes pahasapensis fringe-tailed myotis
Y
2a
Myotis septentrionalis northern myotis
Y
3
Lasionycteris noctivagans silver-haired bat
N
3
Corynorhinus townsendii Townsend's big-eared bat
Y
3
Poliocitellus franklinii Franklin's ground squirrel
Y
3
Urocitellus richardsonii Richardson's ground squirrel
Y
2b
Tamiasciurus hudsonicus dakotensis Black Hills red squirrel
N
2b
Glaucomys sabrinus northern flying squirrel
Y
2b
Vulpes velox swift fox
ST
Y
1
Mustela nigripes black-footed ferret
LE
SE
Y
1
Lontra canadensis northern river otter
ST
Y
1
Reptiles and Amphibians
SCIENTIFIC NAME COMMON NAME
FEDERAL STATUS
STATE STATUS
2006 LIST?
2012 LIST CRITERIA
Graptemys pseudogeographica False Map Turtle
ST
Y
1
Tropidoclonion lineatum Lined Snake
SE
Y
1
Heterodon platirhinos Eastern Hognose Snake
ST
Y
1
Storeria occipitomaculata pahasapae Black Hills Redbelly Snake
Y
2b
Hyla chrysoscelis Cope's Gray Treefrog
Y
3
Apalone mutica Smooth Softshell
Y
3
Terrapene ornata Western Box Turtle
Y
3
Holbrookia maculata Lesser Earless Lizard
Y
3
Acris blanchardi Blanchard’s Cricket Frog
Y
3
Plestiodon multivirgatus Many-lined Skink
Y
3
Phrynosoma hernandesi Short-horned Lizard
Y
3
Sceloporus graciosus Sagebrush lizard
N
3
Terrestrial Insects
SCIENTIFIC NAME COMMON NAME
FEDERAL STATUS
STATE STATUS
2006 LIST?
2012 LIST CRITERIA
Cicindela lepida little white tiger beetle
Y
3
Cicindela limbata nympha northern sandy tiger beetle
N
3
Cicindela nevadica makosika Indian Creek tiger beetle
N
2a
Amblycheila cylindriformis Great Plains tiger beetle
Y
3
Nicrophorus americanus American burying beetle
LE
Y
1
Oarisma poweshiek Poweshiek skipperling
C
Y
2a
Hesperia ottoe Ottoe skipper
Y
3
Hesperia dacotae Dakota skipper
C
Y
2a
Atrytone arogos iowa Iowa skipper
Y
3
Speyeria idalia regal fritillary
Y
2a
Speyeria atlantis pahasapa pahasapa fritillary
Y
3
Freshwater Mussels
SCIENTIFIC NAME COMMON NAME
FEDERAL STATUS
STATE STATUS
2006 LIST?
2012 LIST CRITERIA
Alasmidonta marginata elktoe
Y
3
Arcidens confragosus rock pocketbook
Y
3
Lampsilis higginsii Higgins eye
LE
Y
1
Lampsilis teres yellow sandshell
N
3
Lasmigona compressa creek heelsplitter
Y
3
Leptodea leptodon scaleshell
LE
Y
1
Obovaria olivaria hickorynut
Y
3
Quadrula pustulosa pimpleback
N
3
Quadrula quadrula mapleleaf
Y
3
Gastropods
SCIENTIFIC NAME COMMON NAME
FEDERAL STATUS
STATE STATUS
2006 LIST?
2012 LIST CRITERIA
Vertigo arthuri Dakota vertigo
Y
3
Vertigo paradoxa mystery vertigo
Y
3
Catinella gelida frigid ambersnail
Y
3
Oreohelix strigosa cooperi Cooper's rocky mountainsnail
Y
2
Fishes
SCIENTIFIC NAME COMMON NAME
FEDERAL STATUS
STATE STATUS
2006 LIST?
2012 LIST CRITERIA
Fundulus diaphanus Banded killifish
SE
Y
1
Notropis heterolepis Blacknose shiner
SE
Y
1
Umbra limi Central mudminnow
Y
3
Chrosomus neogaeus Finescale dace
SE
Y
1
Catostomus catostomus Longnose sucker
ST
Y
1
Chrosomus eos Northern redbelly dace
ST
Y
1
Scaphirhynchus albus Pallid sturgeon
LE
SE
Y
1
Scaphirhynchus platorynchus Shovelnose sturgeon
LT
N
1
Margariscus nachtriebi Northern pearl dace
ST
Y
1
Macrhybopsis meeki Sicklefin chub
SE
Y
1
Macrhybopsis gelida Sturgeon chub
ST
Y
1
Notropis topeka Topeka shiner
LE
Y
1
Percopsis omiscomaycus Trout-perch
Y
3
Couesius plumbeus Lake chub
Y
3
Catostomus platyrhynchus Mountain sucker
Y
3
Chrosomus erythrogaster Southern redbelly dace
Y
3
Nocomis biguttatus Hornyhead chub
Y
3
Notropis percobromus Carmine shiner
Y
3
Percina caprodes Logperch
Y
3
Percina maculata Blackside darter
Y
3
Aquatic Insects
SCIENTIFIC NAME COMMON NAME
FEDERAL STATUS
STATE STATUS
2006 LIST?
2012 LIST CRITERIA
Analetris eximia A Mayfly
N
3
Epitheca petechialis Dot-winged Baskettail - A Dragonfly
N
3
Stylurus notatus Elusive Clubtail - A Dragonfly
N
3
Perlesta dakota A Stonefly
N
2a; 3
EXPLANATION OF CODES:
FEDERAL STATUS:
LE = federal listed as endangered
LT = federal listed as threatened
C = federal candidate for listing 		STATE STATUS:
SE = state listed as endangered
ST = state listed as threatened
2006 LIST?
Y = species was a species of greatest conservation need in 2006 SDWAP
N = species was not a species of greatest conservation need in 2006 SDWAP

2012 LIST CRITERIA (Criteria for selection as SGCN in 2012 SDWAP revision)
1 = State or federally listed species for which the state has a mandate for recovery (listed as threatened or endangered)
2a = Species that are regionally or globally imperiled* and for which South Dakota represents an important portion of their remaining range
2b = Species that are regionally or globally secure* and for which South Dakota represents an important portion of their remaining range
3 = Species with characteristics that make them vulnerable, including any of the following:

  • are indicative of or depend on a unique or declining habitat in South Dakota;
  • require large home ranges/use multiple habitats;
  • depend on large habitat patch sizes;
  • depend on an ecological process (such as fire) that no longer operates within the natural range of variation;
  • are limited in their ability to recover on their own due to low dispersal ability or low reproductive rates;
  • have a highly localized or restricted distribution (endemics); or
  • concentrate their populations during some time of the year.
* Based, in part, on NatureServe conservation status ranking: www.natureserve.org/explorer/index.htm