1. Threatened and Endangered
Species that Affect Forestry Practices in Alabama

2. Objectives Provide background information concerning
Threatened and Endangered Species regarding:
Policy
Definitions
Species Accounts
Ranges
Forestry Considerations
The purpose of this presentation is to provide background information concerning threatened and endangered species regarding policy, definitions, species accounts, ranges and forestry considerations.

3. Sources
Primary sources of information used in this presentation were the four volume set of Alabama Wildlife, edited by Ralph Mirachi. This set is available for purchase from Books a Million and costs $19.95 each. Also used and available for free is the pocket reference guide, Threatened and Endangered Species of Alabama: 3rd Edition, A Guide to Assist with Forestry Activities, written by Rhett Johnson. This publication can be ordered from either the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Daphne Field Office at area code

4. The Endangered Species Act
Prohibits the “take” of listed animals
Prohibits the “trade” of listed plants and animals, including their parts and products
The purpose of the Endangered Species Act is to protect and recover imperiled species and the ecosystems upon which they depend. It is administered by the Interior Department’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Commerce Department’s National Marine Fisheries Service. The Fish and Wildlife Service has primary responsibility for terrestrial and freshwater organisms, while the responsibilities of National Marine Fisheries Service are mainly marine species such as salmon and whales.
The Endangered Species Act protects listed species and their habitats by prohibiting the “take” of listed animals and the interstate or international trade in listed plants and animals, including their parts and products, except under federal permit. Such permits generally are available only for certain conservation and scientific purposes.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Hollingsworth, John and Karen

5. Definitions
Take - to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect or attempt to engage in any such conduct.
Harm - an act which actually kills or injures wildlife. Such an act may include significant habitat modification or degradation where it actually kills or injures wildlife by significantly impairing essential behavioral patterns, including breeding, feeding, or sheltering.
Take is defined as “to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect or attempt to engage in any such conduct.” Through regulations, the term “harm” is defined as “an act which actually kills or injures wildlife. Such an act may include significant habitat modification or degradation where it actually kills or injures wildlife by significantly impairing essential behavioral patterns, including breeding, feeding, or sheltering.” Listed plants are not protected from take, although it is illegal to collect or maliciously harm them on federal lands. Protections from commercial trade and the effects of federal actions do apply for plants. Some state laws contain their own restrictions on the take of listed species.

6. Definitions
Endangered – in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range
Threatened – likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range.
Under the Endangered Species Act, species may be listed as either “endangered” or “threatened.” Endangered means a species is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. Threatened means a species is likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range. All species of plants and animals, except pest insects and non-native species, are eligible for listing as endangered or threatened. For the purposes of the Endangered Species Act, Congress defined species to include subspecies, varieties, and, for vertebrates, distinct population segments.

7. Listing Process
The Endangered Species Act specifies that a species must be listed as endangered or threatened solely on the basis of its biological status and threats to its existence. When evaluating a species for listing, five factors are considered: 1)damage to, or destruction of, a species’ habitat; 2) overuse of the species for commercial, recreational, scientific, or educational purposes; 3) disease or predation; 4) the inadequacy of existing protection; and 5) other natural or human related threats to the species’ survival. When one or more of these factors imperils the survival of a species, the Fish and Wildlife Service takes action to protect it. To ensure the accuracy of the data, the Fish and Wildlife Service decides all listings using sound science and peer review.

8. Listing Process
The Fish and Wildlife Service also maintains a list of “candidate” species. These are species for which there is enough information to warrant proposing them for listing but that have not yet been proposed because of higher listing priorities. While listing actions of higher priority go forward, the Fish and Wildlife Service works with states, tribes, private landowners, private partners, and other federal agencies to carry out conservation actions for these species to prevent further decline and possibly eliminate the need to list them.

9. Listing Process
Once the final rule is published in the Federal Register, the species is added to the list effective 30 days after the announcement. The law’s ultimate goal is to “recover” species so they no longer need protection under the Endangered Species Act. Recovery plans describe the steps needed to restore a species to ecological health. Recovery plans for listed species, developed by the Fish and Wildlife Service and stakeholders, identify delisting and down listing goals. When a species reaches its delisting goals, the Fish and Wildlife Service considers removing it from the Federal Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants. Likewise, when a species reaches its down listing goals, the Fish and Wildlife Service considers changing its status from Endangered to Threatened. Species are taken off the endangered and threatened species list for a variety of reasons, including recovery, extinction, new evidence of additional populations.

10. Extinct Species in Alabama
Passenger Pigeon
Carolina Parakeet
Bachman’s Warbler
Harelip Sucker
Whiteline Topminnow
42 Snails
27 Mussels
Seventy-four animals with a historical range within Alabama have become extinct, while thirty-one have been extirpated, meaning lost within the state while populations remain elsewhere, in the last seventy-five years.
John James Audubon

11. Threatened and Endangered Species in Alabama
There are one-hundred seventeen species of plants and animals listed as either Threatened or Endangered for Alabama. Ninety-nine are animals and eighteen are plants. Those species that are listed within the 3rd Edition of the Threatened and Endangered Species of Alabama, A Guide to Assist with Forestry Activities published by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in partnership with others are described in the following slides. This list and description has no regulatory authority and is provided for information purposes only.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Speake, Dr. Dan, W.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pattavina, Pete

12. Species Accounts – Mammals Gray Bat – Myotis grisescens
The Gray Bat, Myotis grisescens, is one of the largest with a wingspan up to twelve inches yet weighing only one quarter to one half of one ounce. This bat primarily roosts in caves with a few exceptions of colonies observed in a barn, dam and storm drain. During the summer months, hundreds to thousands of individuals form colonies in large caves that often contain streams. Reproductive females form maternity colonies in caves that trap warm air between 57 and 79 degrees Fahrenheit. Females give birth between May and June. The young will begin to fly in three to four weeks after birth. Males and non-reproductive females will form bachelor colonies. Leading into the winter months, colonies will relocate up to 465 miles to deep vertical caves with large rooms. Approximately 95 percent of all Gray Bats hibernate in only nine caves, including Fern Cave on Nat Mountain in Jackson County. The Fern Cave colony is the largest in the United States with over one million Gray Bats and possibly another one million Indiana Bats hibernating there ( It has been estimated that less than one percent of available caves are suitable habitat for the Gray Bat species. This species feeds on night-flying insects like moths, beetles and mayflies near water. It can travel up to 30 miles per night to and from its’ feeding sites. Predators of the Gray Bat include snakes, owls, raccoons and opossums. The life span of this species can exceed 14 to 15 years of age. This species, now listed as endangered, has declined in numbers in the past due to vandalism, habitat loss, and pesticide pollution. Populations are considered stable if not increasing. Forestry considerations should include roost sites, travel corridors and buffer zones around cave entrances. The use of pesticides should be carefully monitored when using adjacent to feeding and roost sites.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

13. Species Accounts – Mammals Indiana Bat – Myotis sodalis
A second endangered bat found in Alabama is the Indiana Bat, Myotis sodalis. It is a medium sized bat with a 9.5 to 10.5 inch wingspan and is found in the northern one-third of the state. Breeding begins just before the bats begin to hibernate though fertilization does not occur until after the bats emerge in March and April. Sauta Cave, seven miles west of Scottsboro, in Jackson County is home to the largest hibernating population in Alabama. Two wintering populations were recently discovered in caves on the Bankhead National Forest. There have been only a few sightings of the Indiana Bat during the summer months and there are no known maternity sites, used for raising young, in Alabama. The Indiana Bat continues to experience a decline in population over most of its’ range. Principal causes of this decrease is considered to be human disturbance during hibernating months, causing the bats to use fat reserves needed for surviving the remainder of its’ hibernating period. Vandalism and loss of floodplain and riparian forest habitat are also listed as causes, although it has been shown that upland forests and disturbed forests have been utilized.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Andy King

14. Species Accounts – Mammals Alabama Beach Mouse and Perdido Key Beach Mouse
The Alabama Beach Mouse and the Perdido Key Beach Mouse are both listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Both species are brown to pale gray above with white undersurfaces. The Perdido Key Beach Mouse exhibits more white on the face and cheeks than the Alabama Beach Mouse. The present-day distribution of the Alabama Beach Mouse is on public lands at Fort Morgan and areas of Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge. The mouse has also been reintroduced to the Gulf State Park. The Perdido Key Beach Mouse is found only on the Johnson Beach and Perdido Key Recreation Areas. Its’ habitat is the primary, secondary and scrub dunes of the Baldwin County coast. The primary factor for these species status is the loss of habitat to commercial and residential developments. Forestry considerations include management of the pine areas adjacent to the dunes recognizing the importance these areas play as refuge from hurricanes and tropical storms.
Nick R. Holler

15. Species Accounts – Birds Bald Eagle - Haliaeetus leucocephalus
The bald eagle, listed as threatened, is a large raptor with a body length up to 32 inches and a wingspread up to 7 feet. The white head, neck and tail feathers are the most distinguishing characteristics but are not exhibited in juvenile specimens. Bald eagles typically feed near rivers and lakes and will nest in the tops of large trees near these water bodies. These birds can be found nesting in Alabama typically between October and May. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has provided voluntary guidelines for forestry practices in areas where bald eagles are known to nest. They include no logging or other felling of trees, no use of chemicals within 750 to 1500 feet of a nest, and no road building. There should also be restrictions placed on entry into nesting areas and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service should be notified if new nests are identified. These guidelines also recommend the same actions near roosting sites as well as nesting sites.
Terry Spivey, USDA Forest Service,

16. Species Accounts – Birds Red Cockaded Woodpecker – Picoides borealis
The Red Cockaded Woodpecker, listed as endangered, is a small bird between 7 and 8 inches in length. It has no red markings that are visible from a distance. The male bird does have a few red feathers located in the black cap near the ear. It is the only woodpecker in Alabama that lives in living pine trees. The bird excavates a cavity in mature pines that have been infected with a heart-rot fungus that makes the heartwood spongy. This condition is found in trees at least 65 to 80 years and older. Foraging of ants and beetles in the egg, larvae and adult stages occurs in open pine forests with a dense ground layer of herbaceous vegetation typically 200 to 1,000 acres maintained by frequent fires. Adults will abandon nests once a midstory canopy reaches the nest level, increasing the importance of frequent fires. Active cavity trees can be identified by the clear or amber color of resin secreted from the approximately 1 to 2 inch size wounds caused by the birds pecking. Logging or other activity near these sites may cause the bird to abandon the nest. Abandoned sites can be identified by the resin soaked trees turning a whitish, icing color.
Erich G. Vallery, USDA Forest Service,

17. Species Accounts – Birds Red Cockaded Woodpecker – Picoides borealis Downy Woodpecker – Picoides pubescens
To help distinguish the Red Cockaded Woodpecker from the similar sized and colored Downy Woodpecker notice the difference in the backs of the two birds. The Red Cockaded has a ladder back while the Downy Woodpecker has an obvious white patch on its’ back.
Erich G. Vallery, USDA Forest Service,
David Cappaert,

18. Species Accounts – Birds Wood Stork – Mycteria americana
The Wood Stork, listed as endangered, is the largest wading bird in the U.S. and stands at 3 and a half feet tall with a wing span over 5 feet. These birds are easily recognized by the white body with black wing tips and tail and a dark unfeathered head. The birds feed primarily in freshwater by submerging their opened bills in the water and swinging them side to side feeding on vegetation, crustaceans, fish, reptiles and amphibians. These birds nest primarily in the tops of bald cypress, mangroves or dead hardwoods over water in stick, platform nests. These birds will travel up to 40 miles when nesting to reach foraging areas. While populations in south Florida have decreased over the last 50 years due to loss of habitat, breeding pairs in north Florida, Georgia and South Carolina have increased. These birds are not known to breed in Alabama but do utilize Coastal Plain wetlands for feeding areas.

19. Species Accounts – Reptiles Gopher Tortoise – Gopherus polyphemus
The Gopher Tortoise is listed federally as threatened only for populations west of the Tombigbee and Mobile Rivers, including Mobile, Washington and Choctaw Counties. In Alabama, it is listed as a game species with no open season, protecting the animal with no protection of its habitat. The only indigenous tortoise in the Southeastern U.S. measures up to 15 inches in length. It is easily recognized by its elephant like rear feet and its shovel like forelimbs used for digging burrows in the sandy Coastal Plain soils. The preferred habitat is open canopy forests that allow enough sunlight to the floor to regulate body temperature and produce forage grasses and forbs. Populations are linked with the historic ranges of the Longleaf Pine ecosystem of the Coastal Plain. Individuals are found in recently planted plantations but relocate once the forest canopy closes. With few predators, individuals can live up to 40 years and can be aged by the concentric growth rings on each scute of the carapace.
Chris Evans, The University of Georgia,

20. Species Accounts – Reptiles Gopher Tortoise – Gopherus polyphemus
The burrow of the Gopher Tortoise can be up to 9 feet deep and 20 feet long. It is home to over 360 animals in the Longleaf community. Females usually deposit between 5 and 8 eggs on the apron of the burrow between May and June. Hatchlings will emerge in early September and are preyed upon by many mammals, birds and reptiles. Its population declines are associated with loss of habitat to agriculture, even-aged plantations and hardwood encroachment due to fire exclusion. Forestry considerations include avoiding of heavy equipment near dens to prevent collapsing them. Prescribed burning and herbicides can be used to promote more suitable habitat.
David J. Moorhead, The University of Georgia,

21. Species Accounts – Reptiles Eastern Indigo Snake - Drymarchon corais couperi
The threatened Eastern Indigo Snake is much more stout than the similar Black Racer and Black Pine Snake. This blue-black snake with a creamy chin averages 6 feet in length. Known for its immunity to all other snake venoms of North America, the Indigo displays a preference toward snakes in its diet though it also feeds on mammals, birds and other reptiles. Its habitat preference apparently changes with the seasons, favoring dry, sandy ridges in the winter and moist bottomland forests in the summer. It is known to utilize the burrows of the Gopher Tortoise for shelter and nesting sites. An average of 9 eggs are deposited around December which hatch and emerge around March and April. Population declines are contributed to by loss of habitat and human collection and killing. Permanent forestland conversion and loss of Gopher Tortoise habitat are the primary concerns threatening the Eastern Indigo Snake.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pete Pattavina

22. Species Accounts – Reptiles Flattened Musk Turtle – Sternotherus depressus
The Flattened Musk Turtle, listed as threatened, is endemic to Alabama and found in the Black Warrior River system. Its habitat includes creeks, streams and impoundments. It prefers alternating pools and riffles with clean water and low siltation and a high population of mollusks and aquatic insects. Nesting occurs in areas adjacent to riparian areas and in high sandy banks from May through July. Females will lay up to two clutches a year averaging around 4 eggs per clutch. Juveniles are preyed upon by fish, snapping turtles, and wading birds while raccoons are the primary predator for adults. Individuals can live up to 40 years of age. Declines in populations can be considered due to high sedimentation to streams. Forestry practices following Best Management Practices should not affect populations.
David J. Moorhead, The University of Georgia,

23. Species Accounts – Reptiles Alabama Red-Bellied Turtle – Pseudemys alabamensis
The Alabama Red Bellied Turtle is listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and is recognized as the state reptile by the Alabama Legislature. Its upper shell or carapace reaches up to 15 inches in length in females. It is named however by the intense red color of its lower shell or plastron which fades to a faint yellow in mature females. This species is found in vegetated freshwater rivers, streams, bayous and bays near the Mobile Bay. It feeds almost exclusively on aquatic vegetation including hydrilla, pondweed, eel-grass, arrowhead and mud plantain. Nesting occurs most frequently on the shores or near the water from April to August. The young will emerge either in the fall or will overwinter until March or April. Fish crows, raccoons and fires ants destroy nests while the primary predators of young include, wading birds, fish, snakes and mammals. Adults are preyed upon by alligators and humans. Any practice affecting the water quality including the aquatic vegetation fed on by this species should be a concern for forestry practices. Adherence to BMPs should prevent any negative impacts though.
Threatened and Endangered Species of Alabama: 3rd Edition, A Guide to Assist with Forestry Activities, Rhett Johnson, 2005

24. Species Accounts – Amphibians Flatwoods Salamander – Ambystoma cingulatum
The Flatwoods Salamander, listed as threatened, is found in the Pine flatwoods of the Southern tier of counties in Alabama. This species can be distinguished by the black color with white or gray net-like markings. Adults will travel to pondcypress, blackgum or pasture ponds in the Fall to breed. Females lay eggs either directly in water or on vegetation soon to be submerged. Larvae will remain submerged for three months before metamorphosis occurs. Distinguishing characteristics of the larvae are the external gills and longitudinal stripes. The salamander reaches adult size within one year. Loss of habitat is described as a cause of decline in population numbers. Prescribed burning is considered a beneficial tool for maintaining optimum habitat particularly when avoidance of the breeding season is taken into consideration. Herbicides and fertilizers should be avoided in areas where breeding occurs. Mechanical site preparation should also be avoided in areas where the Flatwoods Salamander occurs.
David J. Moorhead, The University of Georgia,

25. Species Accounts – Amphibians Red Hills Salamander – Phaeognathus hubrichti
The Red Hills Salamander is listed as threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and recognized as the State Amphibian of Alabama by the Alabama Legislature. This dark brown to gray salamander is approximately 10 inches in length and its tail is nearly as long as its body. It can be found on steep slopes of bluffs in mature hardwood forests between the Tallahatta and Hatchetigbee formations in Crenshaw, Butler, Covington, Conecuh and Monroe counties. It spends most of its life in burrows on these bluffs coming to the entrance at night presumably to feed on arthropods. 4 to 8 eggs are laid in the burrows from June to July and hatch in August. The hatchlings are born with gills, even though they are terrestrial, that disappear in 10 days. Forestry operations that would disturb the soil should be avoided as well as removing the canopy that provides shade and maintains moist conditions should also remain intact.
David J. Moorhead, The University of Georgia,

26. Species Accounts – Fishes Alabama Sturgeon – Scaphirhynchus suttkusi
The Alabama Sturgeon was listed as endangered in Adults reach up to 2.6 feet in length and has a distinguishing light tan to golden yellow color with brownish orange fins and a creamy white belly. This fish is found in the main channels of large flowing rivers with gravel and sand substrates. Since 1985, specimens have only been found in the Alabama River below Miller’s Ferry and Claiborne Locks and Dams. Spawning apparently occurs from March to May, though little is known about it. Its diet includes larval stages of aquatic insects and mollusks. The basis for its current condition is considered to be the from blockage of upstream migratory routes by dams, poor spawning habitat from channel modification and poor water quality from sedimentation.
Fishes of Alabama and the Mobile Basin; O’Neil, Pierson and Mettee

27. Species Accounts – Fishes Gulf Sturgeon – Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi
The Gulf Sturgeon, listed as threatened, reaches up to 14 feet in length and is dark brown on its back fading into a creamy belly. This long lived species, up to 42 years, is anadromous, meaning that it spends time in salt water while spawning in fresh water. The sturgeon feeds on shrimp, crabs, midges, amphipods and isopods while in the estuaries and bays of the Gulf of Mexico, never venturing into waters deeper than 33 feet. From March to May the fish begins migrating back into its native river system to spawn and ceases to feed for the next six to eight months. Mature females, over 8 to 17 years old, will lay eggs every 3 to 5 years on average producing 400,000 eggs while the male spawns annually. Populations have significantly been reduced due to over-fishing and loss of habitat from dams and channel modification.
Fishes of Alabama and the Mobile Basin; O’Neil, Pierson and Mettee

28. Species Accounts – Fishes Boulder Darter – Etheostoma wapiti
The Boulder Darter, listed as endangered, can be found in a 60 mile stretch of the Elk River going as far north as Fayetteville. They are also found in the lower ends of the Indian and Richland Creeks that feed into the Elk River. This species is associated with limestone rubble near dams and bridges. Females will attach eggs to the underside of a rock on the downstream side. This territory is guarded by the male who will mate with many different females. Population declines are attributed to the loss of and alteration of habitat associated with dams and channel modification. Several tons of rock has been added in various locations on the Elk River to improve its habitat.
Fishes of Alabama and the Mobile Basin; O’Neil, Pierson and Mettee

29. Species Accounts – Fishes Slackwater Darter – Etheostoma boschungi
The Slackwater Darter was listed as threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in It is approximately 2 and a half inches in length and has been found in tributaries of the Buffalo and Flint Rivers and Cypress, Swamp and Shoal Creeks, though recent efforts have not located any populations. This fish has distinct breeding and no-breeding habitats. They are typically found in in slow moving streams with leaves and detritus. During late winter though, the fish migrates upstream to flooded seepage areas where spawning takes place. Eggs are attached to vegetation and adults do not provide prenatal care. Adults will leave these spawning areas in April to return to the slow moving waters.
Fishes of Alabama and the Mobile Basin; O’Neil, Pierson and Mettee

30. Species Accounts – Fishes Pygmy Sculpin – Cottus Paulus
The Pygmy Sculpin was listed as threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in It is an exceptionally small fish at 1 and a half inches in length. Individuals are capable of changing colors seen during courting, aggressive and defensive behaviors. This fish is only found in the 1 and 3 quarter acres of the Coldwater Spring and its run in Coldwater, Alabama. Populations have ranged from 8,000 to 24,000. There have been concerns recently that the toxic compound trichloroethylene is entering the spring from the nearby Army Depot.
Fishes of Alabama and the Mobile Basin; O’Neil, Pierson and Mettee

31. Species Accounts – Fishes Watercress Darter – Etheostoma nuchale
The Watercress Darter was listed as endangered in It is approximately 2.2 inches in length and lives in springs and their runs as well as spring fed creeks and ponds. This fish prefers little to no current and is associated with aquatic vegetation including watercress, water milfoil, mosses and algae. Population declines appear to be more attributed to urban development and water consumption in the Bessemer and Birmingham areas than anything else.
Fishes of Alabama and the Mobile Basin; O’Neil, Pierson and Mettee

32. Species Accounts – Fishes Cahaba Shiner – Notropis cahabae
The Cahaba Shiner was listed as endangered in It is found in the main channels of the Cahaba River and Locust Fork. Concerns of urban development on the Cahaba River populations include wastewater treatment and sedimentation from construction. Agricultural practices leading to sedimentation and eutrophication as well as coal surface mining are the primary concern affecting the Locust Fork populations.
Fishes of Alabama and the Mobile Basin; O’Neil, Pierson and Mettee

33. Species Accounts – Fishes Blue Shiner – Cyprinella caerulea
The Blue Shiner was listed as threatened in It is found in the Little River and its tributary Spring Creek in Cherokee County, Choccolocco Creek in Calhoun County and the Weogufka Creek in Coosa County. It is found in clear streams with slow currents over sand or gravel. It feeds primarily on terrestrial insects and secondarily on aquatic insects. Concerns include population isolation from dams leading to decreased genetic diversity and water quality degradation.
Fishes of Alabama and the Mobile Basin; O’Neil, Pierson and Mettee

34. Species Accounts – Fishes Goldline Darter – Percina aurolineata
The Goldline Darter, listed as threatened in 1992 is found in the Cahaba River and the Little Cahaba River and Schultz Creek. It is also found in the Coosawattee River system in north Georgia. It lives in moderate to swift currents with gravel, cobble and boulder substrates. Concerns include urban development, waster water treatment discharges, sedimentation and toxic runoff.
Fishes of Alabama and the Mobile Basin; O’Neil, Pierson and Mettee

35. Species Accounts – Fishes Palezone Shiner – Notropis albizonatus
The Palezone Shiner, listed as endangered in 1993, is found in Kentucky, Tennessee and a 17 mile stretch of the Paint Rock River system. Fish typically live to 2 years of age, rarely 3 years. Concerns for populations include sedimentation, toxic runoff, and increased nutrient loads.
Fishes of Alabama and the Mobile Basin; O’Neil, Pierson and Mettee

36. Species Accounts – Fishes Vermillion Darter – Etheostoma chermocki
The Vermillion Darter was listed as endangered in It is found in a 7 mile stretch of Turkey Creek, a tributary of Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River. It is also found where Turkey Creek intersects with Dry and Beaver Creeks. The most favorable habitat appears to be transition zones from riffles to pools where watercress and pondweed vegetation occurs. Current population estimates of this Darter indicate less than 3,300 remain. The primary concerns are sedimentation and toxic events from a rapidly developing area of Jefferson County.
Fishes of Alabama and the Mobile Basin; O’Neil, Pierson and Mettee

37. Species Accounts – Fishes Alabama Cavefish – Speoplatyrhinus poulsoni
The Alabama Cavefish was listed as endangered in It is found only in Key Cave and estimates list there being less than 100 individuals remaining. The colorless fish is blind but feeds on copepods, isopods and amphipods. The pools within the cave reach depths of 16 feet and remain at or near 59 degrees Fahrenheit. A major source of nutrients comes from the guano of the Gray Bat. Concerns include the reduced water flow from Key Cave due to the impoundment of the Tennessee River and increased urbanization.
Fishes of Alabama and the Mobile Basin; O’Neil, Pierson and Mettee

38. Species Accounts – Fishes Snail Darter – Percina tanasi
The Snail Darter was downgraded from endangered to threatened in The only known population in Alabama is in the Paint Rock River. Other populations occur in the Little Tennessee and Tennessee Rivers as well as others but the possibility of extirpation from Alabama is considered great because of the small Paint Rock River population.
Fishes of Alabama and the Mobile Basin; O’Neil, Pierson and Mettee

39. Species Accounts – Invertebrates Freshwater Mussels
There have been 175 species of Freshwater mussels identified in Alabama. Twenty seven species historically found in Alabama have become extinct while 18 species have been extirpated. Thirty four species found in Alabama are currently listed as either threatened or endangered. These creatures begin their life cycle of 70 years or more as a fertilized egg , known as a glochidia, that must attach and parasitize the gills, fins or body of a fish. Within a few weeks the glochidia detaches from the fish and begins it life as a juvenile mussel. Recommendations specific to forestry practices that can improve the current status of freshwater mussel habitat includes: meet or exceed forestry best management practices, allow the natural succession of stream bank vegetation to occur and minimize the use of fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides near rivers.
Gary Peeples, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,

40. Species Accounts – Invertebrates Freshwater Snails
There have been 174 species of snails reported in Alabama with 42 being extinct and 4 species extirpated. There are currently 10 species listed on the threatened and endangered list. The life cycle of a snail does not include a parasitic stage like the mussel. They bear both life young and deposit eggs. Populations are affected much the same as mussels from impoundments, channelization, sedimentation and other pollutants.
Gary Peeples, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,

41. Species Accounts – Invertebrates Mitchell’s Satyr Butterfly – Neonympha mitchellii mitchellii
Mitchell’s Satyr Butterfly is currently listed as endangered in its entire range published as Indiana, Michigan and New Jersey. Sightings have occurred in Alabama though. Its habitat in Alabama includes wet meadows and forest edges. Ideal habitat is a sedge dominated fen. This butterfly is approximately one and one half inches across and its forewings contains four to five eye spots encircled by two rows of orange bands. Primary concerns for this species is loss of preferred habitat from drainage. This species should be considered when utilizing pesticides for insects and grasses.
Gary Peeples, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,

42. Species Accounts – Plants Green Pitcher Plant – Sarraccenia oreophila
The Green Pitcher Plant is an endangered carnivorous herb with a yellow flower. Insects that are enticed into the tubes are prevented from leaving by fine hairs aligned in such a way that force insects further down. The dead and decaying insects are digested by the plant. While it was once documented in Elmore County, current populations in Alabama occur in the Coosa Valley area, and on Sand Mountain. Its habitat includes mixed oak or pine flatwoods, seepage bogs, and stream banks. Fire appears to play a major role in the maintenance of extant populations. Any other forestry practices which might alter the drainage patterns of its habitat should be carefully considered. Since its range is so limited and few specimens remain, collecting plants is a serious threat to this species.
James Henderson, Gulf South Research Corporation,

43. Species Accounts – Plants Alabama Canebrake Pitcher Plant Sarracenia rubra ssp. alabamensis
The Alabama Canebrake Pitcher Plant is listed as endangered and found only in the three county area of Chilton, Autauga and Elmore counties. The plant produces two distinctly different pitchers from the spring and the summer. The spring plants are smaller and curved while the summer pitcher is up to two feet tall and straight. Accompanying flowers appear from April to June and are maroon. As with the Green Pitcher Plant, fire is essential to release the plants from the shade of woody brush. Water table or drainage patterns should also be a major consideration when working near Pitcher Plant habitat.
Threatened and Endangered Species of Alabama: 3rd Edition, A Guide to Assist with Forestry Activities, Rhett Johnson, 2005

44. Species Accounts – Plants Relict Trillium Trillium reliquum
The Relict Trillium is an endangered perennial herb that grows low to the ground and requires moist, shady habitat. Its flower is sessile, resting just above the leaves. It flowers in early spring and is either green, purple or yellow. The plant dies back in the summer and doesn’t emerge again until the next spring. A total of four populations are known to occur in Alabama in Lee, Henry and Bullock Counties while seventeen other populations occur in Georgia and South Carolina. Forestry considerations should include maintaining shade and excluding fire which has an adverse affect on trilliums.
James Henderson, Gulf South Research Corporation,

45. Species Accounts – Plants American Hart’s-Tongue Fern Asplenium scolopendrium var. americanum
The threatened American Hart’s-Tongue Fern is found in Canada, Alabama, Tennessee, New York, and Michigan. All but one of these populations have seriously decline. The only vigorous population consisting of 97 plants is located in Morgan County Alabama. The last count of the Jackson County population consisted of only nine plants. The habitat for this plant is in shaded areas of limestone pits and sinkholes which should not affect forestry practices. Maintaining the shaded environment is essential however to keep temperature and moisture needs ideal.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Will Paddock

46. Species Accounts – Plants Mohr’s Barbara’s Buttons – Marshallia mohrii
The threatened Mohr’s Barbara’s Buttons is a one to two foot tall perennial herb. The buttons are white to pale pink tubular-shaped flowers which are produced in several heads in a branched arrangement. The plant flowers from mid-May through June and its fruit, an achene, is produced in July and August. There are four populations known to occur in Etowah County, nine population is Cherokee County and one population in Bibb County. The Walker County population is believed to be extirpated. Its habitat is moist prairie like openings in forests and many populations are found extending into right of ways. This plant could be sensitive to mechanical site prep and some herbicides. While it could tolerate thinning, clear cutting could be damaging.
©J.S. Peterson. USDA NRCS NPDC. USDA ARS National Arboretum, Washington, DC. June 27, 2003.

47. Species Accounts – Plants Price’s Potato-Bean – Apios priceana
The threatened Price’s Potato-Bean gets its name from the potato-like tuber that produces the yellow green climbing vine that reaches lengths up to 15 feet long. The vine flowers from July to August and produces pink or yellow pea-like blooms that yield four to six inch long pods. This plant is found in mixed hardwood forest openings on ravines sloping into creek bottoms. Forestry practices to avoid where located include site prep with shears and rakes as well as some herbicides.
Thomas G. USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

48. Species Accounts – Plants American Chaffseed – Schwalbea americana
The endangered American Chaffseed is a single stemmed perennial herb that stands up to 2 feet tall. This plant produces purple to yellow flowers from April through June. It is a hemi-parasitic plant which means it derives a portion of its nutrients from neighboring plants. Its parasitism is not host specific though so its rarity is not due to this characteristic. It is generally found in habitats described as open, moist pine flatwoods, fire-maintained savannas, and other open grass-sedge systems. The most thriving populations are found in areas where fire is part of the management regime. Fire exclusion is considered the most significant threat. Other forestry practices that would affect this species include herbicides and insecticides that would reduce pollinators.
Jim USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

49. Species Accounts – Plants Tennessee Yellow-Eyed Grass – Xyris tennesseensis
The endangered Tennessee Yellow-Eyed Grass grows in clumps that can reach up to three feet in height. Its preferred habitat is open or lightly wooded with moist soils year round in seep-slopes, springy meadows, or on the banks or gravelly shallows of small streams . Populations in Franklin County have significantly declined from hundreds to less than 1OO due to disturbances and the use of herbicides in right-of-way maintenance. Site preparation, clear-cutting and some herbicides might be very damaging to this plant.
Threatened and Endangered Species of Alabama: 3rd Edition, A Guide to Assist with Forestry Activities, Rhett Johnson, 2005

50. Species Accounts – Plants Louisiana Quillwort – Isoetes louisianensis
The endangered Louisiana Quillwort is a grass-like aquatic plant that reproduces by spores. Its leaves reach lengths of 16 inches long. In Alabama it is found primarily on sand bars of small streams making forestry practices that affect sediment and water quality a concern in areas where this plant is known to exist.
Threatened and Endangered Species of Alabama: 3rd Edition, A Guide to Assist with Forestry Activities, Rhett Johnson, 2005

51. Species Accounts – Plants Leafy Prairie-Clover – Dalea foliosa
The endangered Leafy Prairie-Clover reaches up to one and one-half feet tall. It has one and one half inch pinnately compound leaves. It produces small purple flowers in July to August that yield seeds by early October. It is found in the cedar glades of northern Alabama. It requires full sun and could be damaged by herbicides.
Threatened and Endangered Species of Alabama: 3rd Edition, A Guide to Assist with Forestry Activities, Rhett Johnson, 2005

52. Species Accounts – Plants Lyrate Bladder-Pod – Lesquerella lyrata
The threatened Lyrate Bladder-Pod is an annual that reaches up to one foot in height and produces yellow flowers from March to April. Its habitat is found in the shallow soiled cedar glades in Northwest Alabama. Disturbance is required for this annual to compete with woody perennials however disturbance should be avoided before it seeds in April or May.
Threatened and Endangered Species of Alabama: 3rd Edition, A Guide to Assist with Forestry Activities, Rhett Johnson, 2005

53. Species Accounts – Plants Harperella – Ptilimnium nodosum
The annual herb Harperella is listed as endangered. It grows up to three feet tall and has leaves up to sixteen inches long that resemble quills. The small white flowers resemble Queen Ann’s Lace and appear in May through July. Its habitat includes rock gravel shoals and margins of clear, swift-flowing stream sections as well as the edges of coastal plain pineland ponds. This species is limited due to a very specific and unusual water regime, which includes moderately intensive spring floods, which may reduce or eliminate competing vegetation. If best management practices are followed, forestry practices should not affect this species. Extra care can be followed with streamside management zone widths and herbicide applications in areas where this plant occurs.
Threatened and Endangered Species of Alabama: 3rd Edition, A Guide to Assist with Forestry Activities, Rhett Johnson, 2005

54. Species Accounts – Plants Kral’s Water Plantain – Saittaria secundifolia
Kral’s Water Plantain is a threatened aquatic perennial herb that reaches up to four inches in length. It grows both above water and submerged along rocky creek beds with moderate to swift flowing water. Alabama populations are located in the Little River drainage in DeKalb and Cherokee Counties, the Town Creek drainage in DeKalb County, and in the West Sipsey Fork in Winston County. It is adversely affected by the alteration of its limited habitat from siltation caused by development and eutrophication from garbage dumping and sewage leakage.
Threatened and Endangered Species of Alabama: 3rd Edition, A Guide to Assist with Forestry Activities, Rhett Johnson, 2005

55. Species Accounts – Plants Alabama Streak Sorus Fern Thelypteris pilosa var. alabamensis
The threatened Alabama Streak Sorus Fern is an evergreen with fronds up to eight inches long and grows on Pottsville sandstone overhangs and cliff faces. It is often found in coves along the Sipsey Fork. Logging of woodlands above the occupied sites could adversely affect the microhabitat needed by the fern however if best management practices are followed forestry practices will unlikely affect populations.
Threatened and Endangered Species of Alabama: 3rd Edition, A Guide to Assist with Forestry Activities, Rhett Johnson, 2005

56. Species Accounts – Plants Morefield’s Leather Flower – Clematis morefieldii
The endangered Morefield’s Leather Flower is a hairy perennial vine up to 16 feet in height. Its compound leaves are up to eight inches long and have nine to eleven leaflets. This plant produces pink, urn shaped flowers from May through early July. Populations occur in the Huntsville – Monte Sano Mountain complex. It prefers the South and Southwest facing slopes of the mountains near seeps within a juniper-hardwoods community. Forestry practices likely to damage it would include mechanical site prep and clear cutting.
Threatened and Endangered Species of Alabama: 3rd Edition, A Guide to Assist with Forestry Activities, Rhett Johnson, 2005

57. Species Accounts – Plants Alabama Leather Flower – Clematis socialis
The endangered Alabama Leather Flower is an erect herb that stands approximately 7 to 12 inches tall and has a violet to blue colored, bell shaped flower. The plant is found adjacent to forest edges and on wet flats near streams. Care should be taken no to disturb soils or open too much of the protective canopy.
Threatened and Endangered Species of Alabama: 3rd Edition, A Guide to Assist with Forestry Activities, Rhett Johnson, 2005

58. Species Accounts – Plants Pondberry – Lindera melissifolia
The endangered Pondberry was recently rediscovered in Alabama in Covington County. The last known occurrence in Alabama was in the mid-1800’s. It is a deciduous shrub reaching nearly six feet in height and producing yellow flowers in the spring. These flowers yield a bright red fruit that matures in the fall. The leaves smell similar to Sassafras when crushed. Its habitat is primarily bottomland hardwoods and along the margins of sinks and ponds. It has been found in both shade and full sun. Care should be taken when using herbicides or not to alter soil moisture factors.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Sherry Morgan

59. Candidate Species Animals
Bean, Choctaw Villosa choctawensis
Darter, rush Etheostoma phytophilum
Ebonyshell, round Fusconaia (=Obovaria) rotulata
Hornsnail, rough Pleurocera foremani
Kidneyshell, fluted Ptychobranchus subtentum
Kidneyshell, southern Ptychobranchus jonesi
Pearlshell, Alabama Margaritifera marrianae
Pearlymussel, slabside Lexingtonia dolabelloides
Pigtoe, fuzzy Pleurobema strodeanum
Pigtoe, Georgia Pleurobema hanleyianum
Pigtoe, narrow Fusconaia escambia
Pigtoe, tapered Quincuncina burkei
Rocksnail, interrupted Leptoxis foremani
sandshell, Southern Hamiota (=Lampsilis) australis
Snake, black pine Pituophis melanoleucus lodingi
Spectaclecase Cumberlandia monodonta
Waterdog, black warrior Necturus alabamensis
The following lists are of candidate species found in Alabama for which the Service has sufficient information on their biological status and threats to propose them as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act, but for which development of a listing regulation is precluded by other higher priority listing activities.

60. Candidate Species Plants
Aster, Georgia Symphyotrichum georgianum
Gladecress, Leavenworthia crassa
Orchid, white fringeless Platanthera integrilabia
Rockcress, Georgia Arabis georgiana
Sunflower, whorled Helianthus verticillatus
The Candidate Conservation Program provides a means for conserving these species. Early, cooperative conservation may eliminate the need to list candidate and other at-risk species under the Endangered Species Act. Thus, proactive conservation of candidate species can maximize land use options and reduce the potential for regulatory requirements that often are necessary when species become listed.

61. Delisted Species American Alligator 1967 - 1987
Peregrine Falcon – 1999
Brown Pelican – 1985
Eggert’s Sunflower
These species have been found in Alabama and have been delisted from the Threatened and Endangered List. Delisting is the removal of a species from the Federal Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants. Down listing is the reclassification of a species from Endangered to Threatened. To delist a species, the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) must determine that the species is not threatened based on a number of factors, such as population size, recruitment, stability of habitat quality and quantity, and control or elimination of the threats.

62. Photo Credits
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Endangered Species Program on the Web at:
Fishes of Alabama and the Mobile Basin; Maurice Mettee, Patrick O’Neil, Malcolm Pierson
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