Conservation

Threatened and Endangered Species

Game, Fish and Parks is involved in many aspects of species recovery. The state’s endangered species law describes the responsibilities of state agencies for listing and recovering state threatened or endangered species. GFP also partners with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to help recover federal listed species found in the state.

Status Reviews were drafted by the Wildlife Diversity Program staff for all state threatened or endangered species to summarize what is known about the species in the state, to identify delisting or downlisting goals if current knowledge allows that step, and to list monitoring and research needs. These reviews will be revisited every two years.

South Dakota’s Wildlife Action Plan is focused on the needs of species identified as species of greatest conservation need, which include nearly all of South Dakota’s state and/or federal listed threatened or endangered species. 

If you plan to sample or collect any species listed as a state threatened or endangered species, you must request a state endangered species authorization.

Invertebrates:

Name  Scientific Name Federal Status State Status
American burying beetle Nicrophorus americanus  LT
Scaleshell Leptodea leptodon LE
Higgins Eye Lampsilis higginsii LE
Dakota skipper Hesperia dacotae LT
Poweshiek skipperling Oarisma poweshiek LE

Fishes:

Name Scientific Name Federal Status State Status
Banded killifish Fundulus diaphanus SE
Blacknose shiner Notropis heterolepis SE
Finescale dace Chrosomus neogaeus SE
Longnose sucker Catostomus catostomus ST
Northern pearl dace Margariscus nachtriebi ST
Northern redbelly dace Chrosomus eos ST
Pallid sturgeon Scaphirhynchus albus LE SE
Shovelnose sturgeon Scaphirhynchus platorynchus  LT
Sicklefin chub Macrhybopsis meeki SE
Sturgeon chub Macrhybopsis gelida ST
Topeka shiner Notropis topeka LE

Reptiles and Amphibians:

Name Scientific Name Federal Status State Status
Eastern hognose snake Heterodon platirhinos ST
False map turtle Graptemys pseudogeographica  ST
Lined snake Tropidoclonion lineatum SE

Birds:

Name Scientific Name Federal Status State Status
American dipper Cinclus mexicanus ST
Eskimo curlew Numenius borealis LE SE
Least tern Sternula antillarum  SE
Osprey Pandion haliaetus ST
Peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus ST
Piping plover Charadrius melodus             LT ST
Whooping crane Grus americana LE SE
Rufa Red Knot Calidris canutus rufa LT

Mammals:

Name Scientific Name Federal Status State Status
Black-footed ferret Mustela nigripes  LE SE
Gray wolf Canis lupus LE (statewide)
Northern long-eared bat Myotis septentrionalis  LE
Swift fox Vulpes velox ST

Plants:

Name Scientific Name Federal Status State Status
Western prairie fringed orchid  Platanthera praeclara LT
Leedy's Roseroot Rhosiola integrifolia ssp. leedyi  LT

Key to Codes:

LE = Federal Endangered
LT = Federal Threateded
C = Federal Candidate
PE = Proposed Endangered
PT = Proposed Threatened
SE = State Endangered
ST = State Threatened