RARE AND ENDANGERED VERTEBRATES OF ALABAMA RARE AND ENDANGERED VERTEBRATES OF ALABAMA
ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES
Claude D. Kelley Sidney B. Bledsoe Commissioner Assistant Commissioner
Published by
DIVISION OF GAME AND FISH
Charles D. Kelley Archie D. Hooper Director Assistant Director
June 1972 TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ...... 1
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ...... 5
MAMMALS ...... 8
BIRDS 18
AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES ...... 37
FISHES ...... 57
INDEX TO COMMON NAMES ...... 87
INDEX TO LATIN NAMES ...... 90
ii INTRODUCTION
This publication presents the results of the first Symposium on Rare and Endangered Vertebrates of Alabama., It is the product of the combined efforts of numerous individuals who study, teach
and conduct research and management on the various classes of ver-
tebrate animals.
It is obvious that the public is becoming more aware of
environmental deterioration and its effects on the various life forms.
More and more requests are received by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources asking for a list of the rare and endangered
species of this state. These requests stem not only from the public
but from various governmental agencies, educational institutions and,
in a few cases, from industry.
The symposium was considered very successful, and in fact, the results provided even more information than was anticipated. The
Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources now has an
index of rare and endangered vertebrates and the information will be
useful to the Department and other agencies to aid in the protection
and preservation of the species and their habitat. The species
noted in the category, Status Undetermined, for the first time pro-
vides teachers, students and professional biologists with a list
in which to begin concentrated research in an attempt to learn more
about them. The entire list will also be useful by providing a list
-1- of rare and endangered vertebrates that needs to be protected by laws and regulations.
The symposium concept was a result of a meeting to determine the status of the various species of birds of Alabama. During this meeting it was obvious that to compile a list of rare and endangered birds was a difficult task. There were no concise set of definitions for status classifications for birds. They had to be classified either as rare or endangered and according to one or two person's opinion who might or might not be thoroughly familiar with the pres- ent status of each species. It was then decided that perhaps a symposium should be held where the status of all vertebrate animals could be considered by recognized experts in each class of vertebrates.
DEFINITIONS
The terms rare and endanged presented a problem since few people agree completely with any set of definitions. Both indicate that the population of a certain species or subspecies of animal should probably be afforded some means of protection.
RARE
After considerable thought, it was decided that the rare cate- gory should be divided into two separate components. These were designated as Rare-1 and Rare-2. The definitions for Rare-1 is the same as that used by the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife
-2- and is defined as follows: Rare-1: "a rare species or subspecies is one that, although not presently threatened with extinction, is in such small numbers that it may be endangered if its environment worsens." This includes any species or subspecies considered rare throughout its range. The Rare-2 category is defined as: "a species or subspecies that may be quite abundant where it does occur but is known in only a few localities or in a restricted habitat within
Alabama." Since Alabama comprises only a small portion of the entire continent, the latter definition was deemed necessary to provide a true picture of the status of vertebrate animals found within the state.
ENDANGERED
Endangered was defined as, "Any species or subspecies occurring in Alabama threatened with extinction through: (a) the destruction, drastic modification, or severe curtailment or the threatened destruction, drastic modification or severe curtailment, of its habitat, or (b) its over-utilization for commercial or sporting purposes, or (c) the effect on it of disease or predation, or
(d) other natural or man-made factors affecting its continued existence."
STATUS UNDETERMINED
The populations and ranges of certain species of vertebrates are not well enough known to be included in either the rare or
-3- endangered category. These were grouped into a separate category called Status Undetermined which is defined as follows: "a species or subspecies that has been suggested as possibly rare or endangered but about which there is not enough information to determine its status. More information is needed."
For the reader's convenience, all mammals are listed on green pages; birds on blue; reptiles and amphibians on red and fishes on yellow, A brief write-up of each species is included presenting its known range in Alabama along with other pertinent information such as the known or probable cause of the decline in the population.
Range maps are also included.
James E. Keeler Chief, Game Research
-4- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The success of the Symposium on Rare and Endangered Vertebrates was due to the efforts of a number of individuals in various walks of life.
The orginal idea for the symposium stemmed from a meeting com- posed of Dr. Dan C. Holliman, Mr. Thomas A. Imhof, James E. Keeler and Mrs. H. K. Kittinger when an attempt was made to produce a list of rare and endangered birds.
Special mention should be extended to Dr. Ralph M. Tanner,
President and Dr. Paul C. Bailey, Dean, Birmingham-Southern College for providing the use of the campus facilities and hosting the symposium.
Mr. Claude D. Kelley, Commissioner, Alabama Department of
Conservation and Natural Resources and Mr. Charles D. Kelley,
Director, Game and Fish Division, deserve special thanks for their interest, cooperation and participation with matters pertaining to the symposium.
The panel members certainly deserve honorable mention since they were the "work horses" for the entire session. Not only did they present valuable and informative speeches but have continued to combine their thoughts and abilities in compiling the actual list of rare and endangered vertebrates. These individuals are listed as follows.
-5- Mammals:
Dr. Julian L. Dusi, Dept. of Zoology-Entomology, Auburn University
Dr. Dan C. Holliman, Dept. of Biology, Birmingham-Southern College
Dr. Donald W. Lindsey, Dept. of Biological Sciences, University
of South Alabama
Mr. Francis X. Lueth, Game and Fish Division, Alabama Dept. of
Conservation and Natural Resources
Birds:
Dr. Julian L. Dusi, Dept. of Zoology-Entomology, Auburn University
Mr. Thomas A. Imhof, Tennessee Coal and Iron Company, Birmingham
Mr. James E. Keeler, Game and Fish Division, Alabama Dept. of
Conservation and Natural Resources
Dr. Henry M. Stevenson, Dept. of Zoology, Florida State University
Herptiles:
Dr. Jack S. Brown, Science Dept., Florence State University
Dr. Robert Mount, Dept. of Zoology-Entomology, Auburn University
Dr Dan Speake, Leader, Alabama Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit,
Auburn University
Mr. James Peavy, Jimmy Morgan Zoo, Birmingham
Fishes:
Dr. Herbert T. Boschung, Dept. of Biology, University of Alabama
Dr. W. Mike Howell, Dept. of Biology, Samford University
Dr , John S. Ramsey, Leader, Alabama Cooperative Fisheries Unit,
Auburn University
-6- The moderator for the entire session was Dr. George Folkerts,
Department of Zoology-Entomology, Auburn University. His untiring efforts and ability in chairing the entire session was certainly appreciated.
Mr. Frank Temple, cartographer for the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, deserves special mention for his excellent pro- duction of the range maps.
-7- RARE AND ENDANGERED SPECIES OF MAMMALS
Dr. Julian L. Dusi
Most mammals are small, secretive and nocturnal. Of those that are not, the large predators which in Alabama are the black bear, red wolf and cougar, have been persecuted by man to the degree that they have been extirpated from most of their original range and now occupy very small present day ranges, if they are present. The large herbivors: bison, white-tailed deer and beavers, have been persecuted also. Game management has returned the beavers and deer to abundance.
The small mammals have been variously affected. Bats that use caves have been greatly affected by man's disturbances and destruction of their roosting sites. The arboreal mammals have been affected by the cutting of trees that are fruit bearing, or hollow, or deciduous and replacing them with pine trees, open fields or man-made structures. Agricultural practices on a large scale have introduced much habitat change and pesticides. All of these activities in conjunction with inherently poor soils have resulted in many low population densities culminating in endangered and rare species.
The mammal panel used the categories as given in the Introduction.
Judgement on the panelist's part and their knowledge of the mammals in Alabama were used to arrive at the classification that resulted.
-8- Rare-1
1. Southeastern Shrew. Sorex lonqirostris lonqirostris.
None of the shrews is abundant in Alabama and this species
is the least abundant. Although distribution is probably
almost statewide, it is found only in small numbers. Man
probably has had little effect on its present position.
2. Florida Yellow Bat. Lasiurus floridanus (formerly Dasypterus).
Distribution is apparently along the lower tier of counties.
3. Meadow Jumping Mouse. Zapus hudsonius americanus.
Known in Alabama only from one locality in Lee County. Man's
activities could easily destroy the small population.
-9- Rare-2
1. Southeastern Myotis. Myotis austroriparius austroriparius.
A cave bat, probably distributed statewide in suitable habitat,
but in small numbers. Man's collecting and disturbance in
caves affect its abundance.
2. Hoary Bat. Lasiurus cinearous cinearous.
Statewide distribution but in small numbers.
3. Common Black Bear. Ursus americanus americanus.
Once present in the northern two-thirds of the state, it is
now practically extinct.
4. Florida Black Bear. Ursus americanus floridanus.
Once present throughout the southern counties, it is now present
in the large isolated swamps in small numbers.
-10- Endangered
1. Indiana Myotis. Myotis sodalis.
A cave bat probably statewide in distribution, in suitable
habitat. It is listed as endangered in the federal publica-
tion.
2. White-fronted Beach Mouse. Peromyscus polionotus ammobates.
This small mouse is distributed only on the gulf beaches in
Baldwin County. It is an endemic subspecies with limited
habitat and endangered by land development.
3. Perdido Bay Beach Mouse. Peromyscus polionotus trissylepsis.
This recently designated subspecies is endemic along the
Perdido Bay beaches in Baldwin County only.
4. Red Wolf. Canis nicier
This wolf once occurred throughout the state and was persecuted
to probably extinction. A recent hybrid, possibly wolf x
coyote, taken near Mobile suggests possible existance.
5. Cougar. Felis concolor coryi. Once statewide in distribution,
this large cat is rare and present in only isolated areas. Status Undetermined
1. Marsh Rabbit. Sylvilagus palustris.
Probably occurs through the southern tier of counties. No
recent work has clarified its position.
2. Bayou Gray Squirrel. Sciurus carolinensis fuliginosus.
This subspecies of the gray squirrel was originally listed for
Mobile and Baldwin counties. Recent work by L. G. Sanford has
shown it is questionable to clearly differentiate its inter-
grades in Alabama and that no unquestionable specimens were
taken by him or Roy Hurst in their studies.
3. White-footed Mouse. Peromyscus leucopus leucopus.
Listed from two localities by Howell, it has not been collected
by anyrecent workers. Therefore identity of the two specimens
is questioned, since it can easily be confused with Peromyscus
gossypinus.
4. Prairie Vole. Microtus ochrogaster.
This vole is not known by the panelists as from Alabama, how-
ever, it is reported present in Madison County.
-12- Rare-I i1 *v11 • • 1*.■. 4%"&.• SOUTHEASTERN SHREW FLORIDA YELLOW BAT Sorex longirostris longirostris 0.. . Lasiurus floridanus
MEADOW JUMPING MOUSE opus hudsonius americanus Lee County
--13- Rare-2 tgab...4fir,"1 rsatorit 041116ps SOUTHEASTERN MYOTIS HOARY BAT Myotis austroriparius Lasiurus cinearous cinearous austroriparius alwqr4 kaimot rel.4WA pl" 1111114014114 014111#*
COMMON I FLORIDA BLACK BEAR americana04N11BLAAICK 1americana BEAR Ursus americana floridanus trom7Possibly extirpated 1 -14- Rare-2
SOUTHEASTERN MYOTIS HOARY BAT Myotis austroriparius Lasiurus cinearous cinearous austroriparius
10111641pa riatairrat
COMMON BLACK BEAR Ursus americana americana Ursus americana floridanus r FLORIDA BLACK BEAR Possibly extirpated -14- Endangered
WHITE-FRONTED BEACH MOUSE Peromyscus pollonotue ammobates (Endemic)
PERDIDO BAY BEACH RED WOLF MOUSE Canis niger niger Peromyscus polionotus Former range-statewide trissyllepsis (Endemic) —15— Endangered
COUGAR Fells concolor coryi Former range-statewide
-16- Status Undetermined
MARSH RABBIT BAYOU GRAY SQUIRREL Sylvilagus palustris palustris Sclurus carolinensis fuliginosus
WHITE FOOTED MOUSE PRAIRIE VOLE Peromyscus leucopus Microtus ochrogaster
Know only from Madison County -17- RARE AND ENDANGERED BIRDS OF ALABAMA
James E. Keeler
Approximately 380 species of birds have been recorded in
Alabama since the advent of the white man. A few of these have become extinct such as the Carolina Parakeet and the Passenger
Pigeon while a few, like the American Flamingo have not existed in Alabama for over a century. The Barn Swallow, Brown-headed
Cowbird and Robin have actually extended their breeding range and appear to adapt to slight changes in their habitat.
The various species of birds have had time to adapt to the various types of habitat since the group as a whole has been on earth for about 130 million years. The House Sparrow and the
Starling are good examples of extreme adaptability. They are capable of adapting to various kinds of food, habitat, weather and human activities especially.
Other species of birds experience difficulty in their attempt to adapt to environmental changes. These are the spe- cialists---and strict specialization can lead to extinction.
These species possess at least one weak link in their life cycle which may be related to obtaining food, reproduction or other activities. A drastic change in their food or habitat may bring on extinction very quickly.
Like other forms of life, bird populations are not stable.
But neither is the environment. Birds are good indicators of
-18- environmental change. When their habitat, whether nesting, feed- ing or loafing, is changed, an immediate response will be noted, especially among birds in restricted ranges. Acts of nature such as plant succession, tornados, hurricanes, flooding and fire are constantly changing the habitat. Add man as another ingredient and the habitat is certain to change often extensively.
Large scale man-made changes in the environment are notice- able to most people. River impoundments, clear-cutting, strip mining and highway building are good examples. Not so noticeable are such changes as small stream channelization and clean farming, which have an impact on the eco-system. The misuse of pesticides and certain chemical pollutants are an invisible force that definitely effect the eco-system. These are just some of the man- made factors that result in changes in bird populations.
Certain species of birds that sometimes occur in Alabama were not considered for inclusion on the rare and endangered list of
Alabama. These are the species that pass through the state on their migratory flights. Although they may spend as much as three months in Alabama, they establish no type of territory and most of them simply pass through the state to get from one place to another. Also not considered were the following birds that occur in Alabama accidentally (recorded only once every 25 years).
-19- Red-necked Grebe Ruff
Greater Shearwater Pomarine Jaeger
Wilson's Petrel Sabine's Gull
White-tailed Tropicbird Roseate Tern
Scarlet Ibis Bridled Tern
Brant Band-tailed Pigeon
Barnacle Goose Groove-billed Ani
Bahama Duck Snowy Owl
Cinnamon Teal Saw-whet Owl
European Widgeon Rufous Hummingbird
Harlequin Duck Tropical Kingbird
King Eider Stolid Flycatcher
White-tailed Kite Say's Phoebe
Goshawk Rock Wren
Short-tailed Hawk Sage Thrasher
Curlew Sandpiper Green-tailed Towhee
Hudsonian Godwit
-20- ILare-1 1. Great White Heron. Ardea occidentalis.
The Great White Heron occurs in coastal Alabama about every
year. The species, nowhere abundant, breeds in Yucatan,
Cuba and the Everglades. Alabama is near the northwestern
limit of its occasional wanderings.
-21- Rate-2
1. Swallow-tailed Kite. Elanoides forficatus forficatus.
The Swallow-tailed Kite is a rare summer resident in the coastal
plain of Alabama. Breeding data for Alabama are few, but this
hawk probably nests wherever it occurs in late May and June. It
inhabits river swamps and spends much of its time on the wing
just over the treetops or over fields near the rivers. Because
it eats live insects and lizards, it is little affected by pesti-
cides; however, its numbers are limited by available river swamps
which are constantly being encroached upon.
2. Sharp-shinned Hawk. Accipiter striatus velox.
The Sharp-shinned Hawk was a locally common, permanent resident
in the northern half of Alabama. It winters throughout the stat
and on migration it is sometimes locally common. As a predator
near the top of the food chain, the probable reason for its
decline is excessive use of pesticides.
3. Cooper's Hawk. Accipiler cooperii.
This species was a common, breeding, permanent resident through-
out the state. Although not numerous, it was widespread and
wide-ranging, and was recorded commonly, especially in moderately
wooded areas. It is more common in winter, when northern birds
augment the local population. The Cooper's Hawk population
appears to be decreasing more rapidly than the Sharp-shinned
Hawk population and probably for the same reason.
-22- Rare-2
4. Golden Eagle. Aquila chrysaetos canadensis.
The Golden Eagle is rare in winter in Alabama, and although it
occurs annually, it does not breed here. It is a bird of the
country... and occurs particularly in mountains, deserts and
heavily wooded areas. In winter occasional birds occur in more
settled areas where livestock is raised or where waterfowl and
game animals, such as deer and turkey, concentrate. The bird
Is a powerful flyer and is most to be admired when maneuvering
over wild country. Illegal hunting can be attributed to its
rarity.
5. Sadhill Crane. Grus canadensis.
Thl Sandhill Crane is rare and local in winter in Baldwin County.
Inland it is a casual transient. It frequents the open pine
flats, especially boggy openings with small ponds and marshes.
Although it is very shy and avoids man as much as possible, it
sometimes forages in cornfields. Human disturbance, habitat
destruction and illegal shooting are probably factors in its
rar ity.
6. Ame4can Oystercatcher. Haematopus palliatus palliatus.
Thie large shorebird frequents sand flats and beaches, especially
near oyster reefs. Its distribution along the coast is spotty,
and little explanation can be given for the low numbers in
Alabama in the last 60 years. In Alabama, it is a rare, breeding,
-23- Rare-2
permanent resident in Mobile County. Its rarity can be
partially attributed to human disturbance.
7. Bewick's Wren. Thrvomanes bewickii.
This wren formerly bred in the Tennessee Valley, Mountain Region
and locally in the Piedmont and Upper Coastal Plains of
Alabama. In both winter and summer it frequents the vicinity of
houses, especially liking dilapidated outbuildings, woodpiles
hedgerows and brush piles. In 1958 its numbers in the southeast
declined drastically and it has never recovered. Although com-
petition with the House Wren, which is now invading Alabama as
a breeder, has complicated the recovery of Bewick's Wren, the
cause of its original demise is poorly understood.
-24- Endangered
1. Brown Pelican. Pelecanus occidentalis carolinensis.
The Brown Pelican was considered abundant along the Alabama
Gulf Coast until 1957. Since that time, the local population
has beerr—di tmated by the widespread use of chloriEated hydro-
carbon pesticides, especially DDT. The population has also
been drastically reduced throughout its continental range. It
does not breed along the Alabama coast and the population has
been reduced from about 1,800 in 1956 to about 60 in 1971.
2. Mottled Duck. Anas fulviqula maculosa.
The Mottled Duck is a local and uncommon permanent resident on
the Gulf Coast of Alabama. In summer it nests on the outer
islands and peninsulas and their sheltered bays. During the
remainder of the year it is more widespread, and it often winters
at the head of Mobile Bay. In these places it frequents salt
and brackish water areas, especially marshes. Its numbers are
decreasing due to nesting habitat destruction.
3. Bald Eagle. Haliaeetus 121122222halus leucocephalus.
This bird was once locally common during the winter months on the
Gulf Coast and in the Tennessee Valley and uncommon in the winter
in the remainder of the state. It occurs near rivers and lakes.
They formerly nested along the Gulf Coast and in the Tennessee
Valley but no recent nesting records are known in Alabama. The
Bald Eagle is also listed as endangered by the United States
-25- Endangered
Department of the Interior. Reasons for its decline include
human disturbance at nesting sites, illegal shooting and pesti-
cides.
4. Osprey. Pandion haliaetus carolfnensis.
The Osprey was formerly common on migration in spring and
uncommon in fall throughout Alabama. On the Gulf Coast, in
the Tennessee Valley, and possibly in the intervening area, it
was a fairly common, breeding, summer resident. It frequents
the vicinity of water, either rivers, ponds, lakes, bays or the
Gulf. This species feeds exclusively on fish and the reasons
for its decline is similar to that of the Bald Eagle, mainly
pesticides, illegal shooting and human disturbance at the nest-
ing sites.
5_ American Peregrine Falcon. Falco peregrinus anatum.
In Alabama this falcon is rare and local in winter and on migra-
tion. On the Gulf Coast and in the Tennessee Valley, particularly
in fall, it is sometimes fairly common. It was known to breed
in the tall cliff areas of north Alabama. This subspecies is
also included on the endangered list by the United States
Department of the Interior. Reason for its decline is pesticides.
Note: It is encouraging to report that a substantial increase
in this subspecies was noted in the eastern half of the United
States during the 1971 fall migration.
-26- Endangered
6. Ruffed Grouse. Bonasa umbellus monticola.
The Ruffed Grouse was formerly a permanent resident in the
mountainous country of northeastern Alabama. This bird lives
in the wilder, brush, hilly woodlands, on mountain sides, ridge
tops and in gulches; it often frequents dense laurel thickets.
At present a small remnant population of the Ruffed Grouse can
be found on the Skyline Wildlife Management Area in Jackson
County, Alabama. A few grouse can be found in the Bankhead
National Forest in Winston County. These are the progeny of
sixty wild-trapped birds obtained from Ohio and released in
1958. Ruffed Grouse were never numerous or widespread in Alabama
and the reason for their decline could be attributed to this mar-
ginal range.
7. Snowy Plover. Charadrius alexandrinus tenuirostris.
This small plover was formerly a local but regular permanent
resident only on the outer beaches and sandbars in Baldwin and
Mobile counties. It occasionally breeds on the more deserted
sand islands. Human disturbance can be attributed to its
decline.
8. Red-cockaded Woodpecker. Dendrocopos borealis borealis.
The Red-cockaded Woodpecker is a local, permanent resident in
piney woods in most of Alabama south of the Tennessee Valley.
It usually lives and nests in woods in which about one-quarter
or more of the trees are pines. This species nests about thirty
-27- Endangered
feet from the ground, almost invariably in a living pine that
has a dead heart. They are listed as endangered by the United
States Department of the Interior. The reason for their decline
is due to the elimination of good breeding habitat.
9. Ivory-billed Woodpecker. Campephilus principalis.
It is highly doubtful if any Ivory-billed Woodpeckers occur in
Alabama. It was last reported in Alabama in 1907 and may be
extinct in the United States. It is listed here primarily
because it is on the endangered list by the United States
Department of the Interior.
10. Bachman's Warbler. Vermivora bachmanii.
This small warbler was last reported in Alabama in 1959. It
was considered common throughout its range in the early 1900's
but was considered quite rare by the 1920's. Small numbers
frequented swamps near Tuscaloosa and Montgomery until 1940.
By 1950 the species appeared to be nearing extinction and none
have been reported in the United States since 1965. The rapid
decrease of Bachman's Warbler defies explanation. It is also
listed as endangered by the United States Department of the
Interior.
-28- Status Undetermined
1. Reddish Egret. Dichromanassa rufescens rufescens.
On the Gulf Coast, the Reddish Egret was formerly common on
migration, and it occasionally lingered into winter. It only
occasionally occurs inland. It is not known to breed in Alabama.
It is found most commonly on the bay side of the outer islands
and peninsulas and is less common to the east. It prefers to
stay near salt water, and it feeds in shallow bays or on mud-
flats with shorebirds. Habitat destruction is probably causing
the decrease in the Reddish Egret population.
2. Gray Kingbird. Tyrannus dominicensis dominicensis.
The range of the Gray Kingbird in Alabama is considered marginal.
It is a tropical and semi-tropical bird and its northward limit
is the coastal section of Alabama. It lives within sight of
salt water, preferring the outer islands and peninsulas. It
breeds in the state, and has been noted in summer at Fort Morgan
since 1950 and Dauphin Island since 1956.
-29- Rare-1
GREAT WHITE HERON Ardea occidental's
-30- Rare-2 kikafig 11,2"1 .PSI" *tee*u9n, reolgro Oa MO SWALLOW-TAILED KITE SHARP-SHINNED HAWK Elanoldss forficatus Accipiter striatus forficatus velox
COOPER'S HAWK GOLDEN EAGLE Accipiter cooperi I Aquila chrysaetos canadensis
7 31- Rare-2 A»POT4 FYTOLL%IKVI, ARIIMPI SANDHILL CRANE $AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER Grus canadonsis Hasmatopus palliatus palliatus
-J2- Endangered
1111 IF W. 011INV ilrA 1.site,6141 rforepidi1111 BROWN PELICAN MOTTLED DUCK Palecanus occidentalis Ana, fulvigula carollnensis maculosa
BALD EAGLE OSPREY Ha!Impetus leucocephalus Pandion haliaetus leucocephalus, carolinensis
-33-- •0
a 0
0 a Endangered
1St& SOMPI IrrOptitoor 1 111111 IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER BACHMAN'S WARBLER /11 Campephilus principalis Vermivora bachmanii (No records since 1907 probably extinct) ( No records since 1 959 probably extinct)
-35- Status Undetermined LIAR mih tian firgapo Irijsiort6
REDDISH EGRET A GRAY1 KINGBIRD Dichromanassa rufescens Tyrannus dominicensis rufescens $ dominicensis
-36- RARE AND ENDANGERED AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES OF ALABAMA Dr. Robert H. Mount
Alabama's one hundred and forty-two species of reptiles and
amphibians constitute an important component of the state's natural heritage. Of this total, only six, all of them snakes, are venomous.
The remainder are harmless, and most are distinctly beneficial.
Our state's turtle fauna, representing 23 species, is rivaled only by Mississippi's. At least one, the flattened musk turtle, is confined to Alabama. The endemic Red Hills Salamander, undiscovered until 1959, is the only living member of its genus and is in many respects our most remarkable vertebrate animal. Because of the scarcity of information relative to the former range and abundance of most of Alabama's reptiles and amphibians and because accurate sampling techniques are generally lacking, attempts to determine their current status must be largely subjective. Nev- ertheless, our knowledge of the ecological requirements and life history of many of the forms, together with recent distributional data, or absence thereof, permit us to make certain inferences as to the current status of these species and their prospects for the future.
The pressures of increasing population growth and industrial development are placing severe strains on many of our wild animals, including reptiles and amphibians. Every effort should be made to insure that these wild creatures are protected, if for no other rea- son than, as Archie Carr has admonished, to "help keep up the fading color of our land."
-37- POSSIBLE FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO SCARCITY AND POTENTIAL THREATS ON REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS
1. Increasing population, urbanization and associated factors.
All Species and Subspecies listed in this Report.
2. Stream channelization and other drastic alterations of natural
waterways and drainage of wetlands.
Flatwoods salamander
Sipsey Waterdog
Least tree frog
River frog
Greater siren
Northern Florida black swamp snake
Pine woods snake
Seepage salamander
Tennessee cave salamander
Flattened musk turtle
Alligator
Gulf salt marsh watersnake
Rainbow snake
Hellbender
3. Extensive clearing of forest land for replanting to pine, soy-
beans or other "row crops."
Dusky gopher frog
Black pine snake
-38- Pine woods snake
Red Hills salamander
Seepage salamander
Florida pine snake
Eastern indigo snake
Gopher tortoise
4. Water pollution, including siltation.
Barbour's map turtle
Flattened musk turtle
Alabama red-bellied turtle (?)
Three-toed amphiuma (?)
Mississippi diamondback terrapin
Rainbow snake
Sipsey waterdog
Hellbender
5. Strip mining.
Any species or subspecies residing within the affected area.
6. Dredging-and-filling of salt marshes and other disturbances of
coastal habitats
Atlantic loggerhead
Mississippi diamondback terrapin
Gulf salt marsh watersnake
-39- 7. Deliberate persecution, including activities associated with
"Rattlesnake Rodeos."
Dusky gopher frog
Black pine snake
Barbour's map turtle
Red milk snake (?)
Alabama red-bellied turtle
Florida pine snake
Eastern indigo snake
Alligator
-40- Rare-1
1. Dusky Gopher Frog. Rana areolata sevosa.
A rare form throughout its Gulf Coastal Plain range, this
frog lives in the holes of gopher tortoises. It is known to
occur in Barbour and Escambia counties and has been reported
from Mobile and Baldwin counties. A Shelby County report has
not been confirmed by a.J.ditional collections. Destruction of
gopher tortoises and their habitats and drainage of their
shallow-pond breeding sites are threats to the continued sur-
vival of this form.
2. Flatwoods Salamander. Ambystoma cingulatum.
Earlier records of this form are from Baldwin and Mobile
counties. A small breeding population has been discovered
recently in lower Covington County. Low, damp pine woods with
cypress heads and other depressions constitute its habitat.
Though fairly common in some parts of its range, it is one of
Alabama's rarest salamanders.
3. Black Pine Snake. Pituophis melanoleucus lodingi.
The range of this large, conspicuous snake is confined to a
small portion of southwestern Alabama and southeastern
Mississippi. Known in Alabama from Washington, Mobile and
Clarke counties, its numbers appear to be declining, probably
because of habitat destruction and deliberate persecution.
-4i- Rare-2
1. Least Tree Frog. Hyla ocularis.
Found in Alabama only in southern Houston County, the least
tree frog prefers the edges of swamps and wet meadows in pine
woods. Although locally common eastward and southeastward,
this smallest of North American terrestrial vertebrates could
be exterminated from its small range in Alabama by land-clearing
and drainage in the area.
2. River Frog. Rana hecksheri.
The range of this frog barely extends into southern Alabama
from the southeast. Recorded from Baldwin, Covington and
Escambia counties, it occurs in flood plains and titi swamps.
It is locally common in parts of Georgia and Florida.
3. Greater Siren. Siren lacertina.
Locally common in parts of Florida and Georgia, this amphibian,
the largest in North America, is known in Alabama only from a
single locality in Henry County. Other populations doubtless
occur in southeastern Alabama, however, although the scarcity
of the form is obvious.
4. Red-backed Salamander. Plethodon cinereus ssp.
Recorded in Alabama only from Calhoun County, which apparently
is the terminus of the range of a predominately Georgian popu-
lation of the species.
-42- Rare-2
5. Midland Mud Salamander. Pseudotriton montanus diastictus.
Known in Alabama only from Calhoun County, this salamander
is unaccountably rare in many parts of its range.
6. Barbour's Map Turtle. Graptemys barbouri.
The range of this turtle is confined to the Apalachicola River
System. In Alabama it extends into the lower reaches of the
Chattahoochee River up to around Gordon in Houston County. The
turtle is common in the Flint River in Georgia.
7. Florida Softshell Turtle. Trionyx ferox.
Extreme southern Alabama is the northwestern terminus of the
range of this turtle. It inhabits shallow ponds, lakes and
sloughs.
8. Florida Green Water Snake. Natrix cyclopion floridana.
Common in portions of Georgia and Florida, this snake has been
found only in ponds and along the eastern shores of Mobile Bay
in southern Baldwin County.
9. Northern Florida Black Swamp Snake. Seminatrix pygaea pygaea.
An inhabitant of swamps and shallow, weedy lakes and ponds, this
small secretive species barely ranges into extreme southern
Alabama. Recorded from lower Houston and Covington counties.
10. Pinewoods Snake. Rhadinaea flavilata.
A small, secretive snake of the coastal flatwoods district.
Known in Alabama from a few specimens from Mobile and Baldwin
counties.
-43- Rare-2
11. Red Milk Snake. Lampropeltis doliata syspila.
This attractive snake, fairly common in some parts of the
midwest, is known fron Alabama on the basis of three specimens,
one from Jackson County and two from the Bankhead National
Forest. The reasons for its scarcity in Alabama, the south-
eastern terminus of the range, apparently have little to do
with man's activities.
-44- Endangered
1. Sipsey Waterdog. Necturus maculosus ssp.
This animal is being proposed for subspecific recognition by
Dr. William Brode of Weslyan College, who discovered it in 1969,
He proposes to give it the subspecific name "walkeri." Known
from only two localities, it is thought to be limited to the
West Sipsey Fork of the Warrior River in Winston County. Any
alteration of this stream or any serious disturbance of the
watershed, most of which lies within the proposed Sipsey
Wilderness, could threaten the salamander's existence.
2. Alabama Red Hills Salamander.* Phaeognathus hubrichti.
This salamander, undiscovered until 1959, is found only in the
Red Hills province in Alabama. Its range is confined to a few
geological formations between the Alabama and Conecuh rivers,
where it lives in burrows on the slopes of moist, hardwood
ravines. Records are from Butler, Monroe, Conecuh, Crenshaw
and Covington counties. The possibility that much of the remain-
ing habitat of this salamander may be clear-cut raises doubts as
to its continued survival.
3. Seepage Salamander. Desmoqnathus aeneus.
Reported in Alabama from Calhoun, Cleburne, Clay, Talladega,
Hale, Tuscaloosa and Fayette counties, this small species can
survive only in damp, hardwood ravine habitat. Clear-cutting
and channelization are threats to its welfare.
*Endemic to Alabama
-45- Endangered a Tennessee Cave Salamander. Gyrinophilus palleucus ssp.
Found in underground pools in a few caves in Jackson, Madison
and Marshall counties. A questionable record from Colbert
County has not been verified. This species is threatened by
over-collecting and by practices which could lower the water
table or pollute its aquatic habitat.
5. Flattened Musk Turtle.* Sternothaerus depressus.
This turtle occurs only in streams of the Warrior River System
north of Tuscaloosa. Threats to its existence include pollu-
tion, strip-mining, impoundment and other destruction of its
stream habitats.
6. Alabama Red-bellied Turtle. Pseudemys alabamensis.
This turtle is known from the lower Mobile Bay drainage from
Mobile, Baldwin and Monroe counties. It may occur outside
Alabama but documented records are lacking. Any animals with
so small a range as this turtle's should be considered endang-
ered.
7. Florida Pine Snake. Pituophis melanoleucus muqitis.
This large, beneficial snake is found locally in the Coastal
Plain below the Black Belt, and extends its range northward
into Russell County in eastern Alabama. It appears to be
declining rapidly in number, not only in Alabama but in other
portions of its range. Part of the decline can perhaps be
*Endemic to Alabama
-46- Endangered
attributed to "gassing" gopher tortoise burrows, an activity
made popular by the "Rattlesnake Rodeos" held annually in sev-
eral places in Georgia, Florida and Alabama. The pine snake.
along with certain other animals that hibernate in gopher bur-
rows, may be killed by the gasoline fumes or killed or collected
by the person "gassing" the burrow.
8. Eastern Indigo Snake. Drymarchon corals couperi.
This large, conspicuous snake, declining throughout its range,
was once found in several localities in southern Alabama. It
was last recorded in our state from lower Covington County in
1954 and had been recorded previously from Baldwin and Mobile
counties. Like the pine snake, the indigo snake relies heavily
on gopher tortoise burrows for shelter and is highly susceptible
to the effects of gasoline.
9. Mississippi Alligator. Alligator mississippiensis.
The status of the alligator in Alabama appears to be improving,
although it is still absent from a majority of its former range.
A protected species, it will probably continue to increase in
number as its public image continues to improve. Habitat destruc-
tion by stream channelization is, however, a potential threat to
the alligator.
-47- Status Undetermined
1. Three-toed Amphiuma. Amphiuma tridactylum.
This large, eel-like aquatic salamander is known only from
Hale and Dallas counties. Its scarcity may be more apparent
than real, as there has been little intensive effort to collect
it.
2. Gopher Tortoise. Gopherus polyphemus.
The gopher, whose benefit to man and other animal life is well
known, is still fairly common in certain areas of the Alabama
Coastal Plain below the Black Belt. It is not nearly as abundant
as it once was, however, and it has been eliminated from much of
its previous range. Herpetologists are concerned over the pos-
sible adverse effects of new forest Management practices (clear-
cutting with intensive site preparation), repeated "gassing" of
its burrows by snake collectors, and by over-collecting on
gopher populations. Its nearest relative, the Texas gopher tor-
toise, is now being protected by the State of Texas.
3. Atlantic Loggerhead. Caretta caretta caretta.
This sea turtle nests along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. The
extent to which nesting occurs along the Alabama coast is undeter-
mined.
4. Mississippi Diamondback Terrapin. Malaclemys terrapin pileata.
This turtle inhabits salt marsh habitats and can be found along
the Alabama coasts. The size of our population and the extent
-48- Status Undetermined
of its distribution are not known, although it can be stated
with certainty that it is adversely affected by pollution and
by dredging-and-filling operations.
5. Rainbow Snake. Farancia erytrogramma.
Primarily a stream-inhabiting snake, the rainbow is reported to
rely heavily on eels for food. It is recorded from several
localities in or near the Coastal Plain. Dams which prevent the
upstream migration of young eels could adversely affect this
snake, as could practices such as channelization which destroy
its stream habitats.
6. Gulf Salt Marsh Water Snake. Natrix fasciata clarki.
In Alabama this form is confined to the few remaining salt marsh
habitats in Baldwin and Mobile counties. Much of this habitat
was profoundly disrupted or destroyed by Hurricane Camille in
1969. This, along with increasing development of our coastal
area, constitute definite threats to the snake's continued exis-
tence in our state.
7. Hellbender. Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis.
Found in Alabama only in the Tennessee River drainage, this
large salamander breeds and spends much of its time in the
rocky tributaries of the river. Stream channelization destroys
the habitat of the hellbender, and pollution is also doubtless
an adverse factor. The size of the Alabama population is
unknown.
-49- Rare-I
FLAT WOODS DUSKY GOPHER FROG SALAMANDER Rana areolata sevoso Ambystoma cingulatum
BLACK PINE SNAKE Pituophis melanoleucus lodingi INTERGRADE ( Black X Florida Pine Snake) -50- Rare-2
Phi*11 ivhr iii .l.gioni 04 011im on 1111,44 Op6"Ili iti 14 1r EON i101 1,ll I At im A 'a GREATER SIREN RED-BACKED SALAMANDER Siren locertina Plethodon cinereus ssp. 310 MIDLAND MUD SALAMANDER Pseudotriton montanus diastictus
LEAST TREE FROG Hyla ocularis Rare-2 l f irrt.4 milk4INV 1 01 via 0,141 WorAt trik BARBOUR'S MAP TURTLE EIFLA.GREEN WATER SNAKE ? Graptemys barbouri Natrix cyclopion floridana 0 FLORIDA SOFTSHELL TURTLE NO.FLA.BLACK SWAMP SNAKE Trionyx ferox Seminatrix pygaea pygaea
O PINEWOODS SNAKE Rhadinaea flavilata RED MILK SNAKE Lampropeltis doliata syspila -52- Endangered
ALABAMA SEEPAGE SALAMANDER RED HILLS SALAMANDER Desmognathus aeneus Phaeognathus hubrichti E0 TEN N. CAVE SALAMANDER ( Endemic) Gyrinophilus palleucus
MISSISSIPPI ALLIGATOR E1 FLATTENED MUSK TURTLE Alligator mississippiensis Sternothaerus depressus ( Endemic) EJ ALA.RED-BELLIED TURTLE Pseudemys alabamensis -- 5 3 - ( Possibly Endemic) tnaangerea
EASTERN INDIGO SNAKE El FLORIDA PINE SNAKE Drymarchon corals couperi Pituophis melanoleucus mugi'rs INTERGRADE (Black X Florida Pine Snake)
SIPSEY WATERDOG Necturus maculosus ssp. (Endemic)
- 54 Status Undetermined
104141 101911M
HELLBENDERpg MISSISSIPPI DIAMONDBACK rCryptobranchus allega niensis alleganiensis TERRAPIN t Malaclemys terrapin pileata
GOPHER TCRTOISE RAINBOW SNAKE Gopherus polyphemus Farancia erytrogamma
-55- Status Undeterminea
1
THREE-TOED AMPH1UMA GULF SALT Amphiuma tridactylum MARSH WATER SNAKE Natrix fasciata clarki
56- RARE AND ENDANGERED FISHES OF ALABAMA
Drs. John S. Ramsey, W. Mike Howell and Herbert T. Boschung, Jr.
There are 250 species of freshwater fishes known from
Alabama, a wealth rivaled in few other regions of this size.
Fully 49 of these species -- about 20 percent of the state's freshwater fish fauna -- are endangered, rare or are becoming depleted at a rate faster than can be sustained. Included are
10 species that have disappeared where formerly captured in
Alabama, of which three already are totally extinct.
Eight fishes are entirely restricted to Alabama, of which two (whiteline topminnow and unnamed pygmy sunfish) already appear to be extinct. The welfare of the six surviving Alabama endemics (Cahaba shiner, skygazer shiner, unnamed cavefish, low- land banded sculpin, pygmy sculpin and watercress darter) clearly depends on practices in this state. While extinction results naturally from predation, competition and natural catastrophe, human activities have greatly accelerated the process. Since human consciousness can temper man's actions, the purpose of this discussion is to provide status and habitat information for
Alabama's less competitive freshwater fishes.
All the fishes listed on the following page are vulnerable to extinction in Alabama. Their vulnerability is due in most cases to restricted range and to fastidious habitat requirements. Some
-57- fishes are limited to large rivers where adquate current, flow
volume, dissolved oxygen and clean substrate are available. For
example, the frecklebelly madtom lives only on well-packed gravel
riffles in the Cahaba and upper Tombigbee Rivers. Impoundment,
industrial waterway development and pollution comprise the chief
modifications which have depleted Alabama's free-flowing rivers.
Although several species can survive as adults in impounded waters (e.g. blue sucker, lake sturgeon, Atlantic sturgeon), suit-
able spawning habitat usually has been inundated and the forms
languish and disappear over a period of years.
Ten species live only in caves, springs or spring runs. Two of Alabama's endemic fishes are known only from single springs,
both threatened by increasing suburban water supply demand. For
instance, the watercress darter is restricted to a small spring on the periphery of a large urban area in Jefferson County. The
total number of individuals of this beautiful fish is probably
less than 800. Lowering of the water table, or even widening an
adjacent road would exterminate this species. In some areas,
deep trans-drainage barge canal developments would incise water-
bearing rock strata, with unpredicted results on cave and spring, water supply. Many springs have been impounded as farm ponds and have been stocked with the standard bass-bluegill combination.
Spring-dwellers typically do well in simple spring impoundments.
-58- However, they cannot withstand predation or wild-fish control in spring-fed ponds managed for sport fishing, especially where rooted aquatic vegetation is discouraged.
Several of Alabama's rare and endangered fishes are known only from small watersheds, some of which have been proposed or scheduled for channelization. The ditching of streams results in higher turbidity and increased water temperature. Perhaps more importantly, the practice makes uniform what formerly was an assemblage of diverse habitat subdivisions, some of which may have supported short-lived rare fishes.
A number of species are farily common outside of Alabama, but enter the confines of this state only in limited areas where physiographic and habitat conditions are suitable. For example, the American brook lamprey and brindled madtom apparently reach their southeastern limit of range in Cedar Creek, northwestern
Alabama. In another instance, the least killifish and blue- spotted sunfish are common inhabitants of the lower Coastal Plain outside Alabama.
At least one species probably has entered the state within the past century -- the suckermouth minnow has invaded Cedar
Creek, northwestern Alabama, apparently in response to increased siltation in that area.
Alabama's less competitive fishes are placed in the follow- ing categories, some of which will need to be shifted about as new information becomes available. -59- Rare-1
1. Blue shiner. Notropis caeruleus.
The blue shiner is known in Alabama from the Coosa and Cahaba
river drainages where it lives only in clean flowing streams
of moderate to large size. It appears to have disappeared
from most of its range in Alabama, probably due to channeliza-
tion, siltation and pollution.
2. Bluestripe shiner. L2LE22i..E. callitaenia.
In Alabama the bluestripe shiner is limited to large tributaries
of the Chattahoochee River system. Extensive impoundment and
navigational modifications of the Chattahoochee River will cause
wide reduction of habitat suited to its success.
3. Skygazer shiner, Notropis uranosco us.
This shiner is limited to gravel bars of Cahaba River and large
streams of the lower Tallapoosa River system. Millers Ferry
impoundment has reduced its habitat in the Cahaba. It probably
has already disappeared from Tallapoosa River proper. An
Alabama endemic.
4. Lowland banded sculpin. Cottus carolinae infernatus.
This sculpin is distributed in the lower Cahaba and below the
Fall Line in the Tallapoosa and Alabama river drainages. Chan-
nelization and impoundment pose the greatest threats to this
riffle-dwelling subspecies. Only two out of many populations
are known to remain in the Tallapoosa drainage, one of which
is severely restricted by a gravel-washing operation.
-60- Rare-1
5. Tuscumbia darter. Etheostoma tuscumbia.
The Tuscumbia darter, a spring-dwelling species, has been
eliminated in some places by the TVA impoundments. The
Tuscumbia Big Spring (Colbert County) population is greatly
disturbed when the City of Tuscumbia periodically removes the
dense beds of vegetation that are necessary for continued suc-
cess of the species. It still occurs in at least seven large
springs in Madison, Limestone and Lauderdale counties. As
northern Alabama is undergoing economic expansion, the welfare
of the Tuscumbia darter needs to be examined.
6. Unnamed snubnose darter. Etheostoma sp. (undescribed species).
This is another example of a species vulnerable to extinction
before being officially recognized in scientific literature.
It is known from Coosawattee and Conasauga river headwaters in
Georgia and Tennessee, but in Alabama it is restricted to a
single locality in the headwaters of Shoal Creek, Talladega
National Forest, Cleburne County. Portions of Shoal Creek are
scheduled for channelization, but to date no plans for head-
water alteration are known.
7. Blenny darter. Etheostoma blennius.
The Blenny darter is restricted in Alabama to the Tennessee
River drainage. It is fairly common in Cypress and Shoal
creeks in northwestern Alabama. Cypress Creek has been
scheduled for channelization.
-61- Rare-1
8. Freckled darter. Percina lenticula.
The freckled darter, like so many of our rare and endangered
fishes, lives only in main river channels. It is known only
in a few places in the Tombigbee, Coosa and Tallapoosa rivers.
The Cahaba is the only large river supporting the freckled
darter that is not immediately threatened by impoundment or
channel modification. However, increasing pollution remains
an ever present threat to its success.
-62- Rare-2
1. Atlantic sturgeon. Acipenser oxyrhynchus.
The Atlantic sturgeon is known presently from the Mobile-
Tensaw River system, Mobile Bay and Mississippi Sound. It
spawns in fresh water and in this lies the limiting factor
for its declining status. Modification of the large rivers
by the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway and the Alabama River
development will seriously limit the species in Alabama, and
perhaps will cause its extirpation here.
2. Streamline chub. Hybopsis dissimilis.
The only known Alabama specimens of the streamline chub were
reported in 1922 from Paint Rock River in the Tennessee River
drainage. This species is possibly extirpated in Alabama.
3. Popeye shiner. Notropis ariommus.
This species is restricted in Alabama to the Tennessee River
system. A recent study suggests it is becoming widely
reestablished due to decreasing siltation in parts of its
range. However, it still is rare in Alabama. The only pub-
lished record is from Cypress Creek (Lauderdale County), a
stream scheduled for channelization.
4. Bigeye shiner. Notropis boops.
The bigeye shiner is known from tributaries to the Tennessee
River in northwestern Alabama and is at the margin of its
range.
-63- Rare-2
5. Warpaint shiner. Notropis coccogenis.
This Tennessee River species will become very restricted in
Alabama when scheduled channelization plans are completed.
6. Dusky shiner. Notropis cummingsae.
This Coastal Plain species is limited to small weedy tribu-
taries of the Chattahoochee River Lee and Russell counties.
Its scarcity in Alabama is probably due to physiographic limita-
tion of its habitat.
7. Sawfin shiner. Notropis sp. (undescribed species).
This Tennessee River species is known in Alabama only from
specimens reported in 1891 from Big Nance Creek at Courtland.
It is possibly extirpated in Alabama.
8. Sand shiner. Notropis stramineus.
The only record of this species from Alabama is a Tennessee
drainage specimen reported in 1891 (Big Nance Creek at
Courtland). The sand shiner is possibly extirpated in Alabama.
9. Suckermouth minnow. Phenacobius mirabilis.
This species has been collected in Alabama only from Cedar
Creek, a Tennessee River tributary. It may have invaded
recently from more turbid waters to the west.
10. Southern redbelly dace. Phoxinus erythrogaster.
This beautiful minnow is restricted in Alabama to springs and
spring-fed streams in the Tennessee River drainage (Franklin,
-64- Rare-2
Colbert and Lauderdale counties). The modification of the
spring habitat, siltation and the reduction of forested areas
in northern Alabama have greatly reduced the numbers of this
species.
11. Spotted bullhead. Ictalurus serracanthus.
This catfish is known in Alabama only from Walter F. George
Reservoir, which is near the northern periphery of its natural
distribution. Several juveniles have been collected at the
northern limit of the lake.
12. Stonecat. Noturus flavus.
The stonecat is known in Alabama from a single specimen reported
in 1891 from Shoal Creek, a tributary of the Tennessee River,
near Florence. It is possibly extirpated in Alabama.
13. Brindled madtom. Noturus miurus.
This small catfish is known in Alabama from Cedar Creek a
Tennessee River tributary.
14. Southern cavefish. Typhlichthys subterraneus.
This blind, white cavefish is confined to underground waters
in the Tennessee and Coosa river systems. It is vulnerable
to lowering of the water table in these areas.
15. Pygmy killifish. Leptolucania ommata.
The only Alabama record of this coastal swamp killifish is
from Baldwin County, which is near the western periphery of
its range.
-65- Rare-2
16. Bluefin killifish. Lucania goodei.
The only Alabama record of this beautiful cyprinodontid is
from Houston County, which is at the northern periphery of
its preferred habitat.
17. Mottled sculpin. Cottus bairdi.
This sculpin is restricted largely to springs and spring-fed
streams in the Tennessee River drainage at the southern periphery
of its known range. It is known only from a single Alabama
spring (Jackson County).
18. Apalachicola redeye bass. Micropterus coosae.
This bass differs from the typical redeye bass partly in occupy-
ing only rapids of rivers and larger tributaries. In Alabama
its range includes a few streams of the Chattahoochee drainage.
Pollution and impoundments appear to have eliminated it in
Chattahoochee River proper.
19. Slenderhead darter. Percina phoxocephala.
This darter is restricted in Alabama to northwestern tributaries
of the Tennessee River system, where it is at the southeastern
periphery of its range.
-66- Endangered
1. Shovelnose sturgeon. Scaphirhynchus platorynchus.
This species is known in Alabama from the Alabama, Tombigbee,
Coosa and Cahaba rivers. The shovelnose sturgeon is habitat
specific, being adapted for feeding and spawning on current-
swept sand and gravel beds. Its only refugium in Alabama
will probably be Cahaba River if both the Tennessee-Tombigbee
Waterway and Alabama River development plans are completed.
Presently its habitat in the lower Cahaba is partly covered
by backwaters of Millers Ferry Lock and Dam. In addition,
strip mining between Birmingham and Centreville is beginning
to pollute the river with acid run-off and coal-washing sedi-
ments.
2. Frecklebelly madtom. Noturus munitus.
The frecklebelly madtom is known in Alabama from the Tombigbee,
Alabama and Cahaba river main channels. This small catfish is
restricted to undisturbed gravel bars in large rivers -- a
type of habitat much modified by siltation, dredging, pollu-
tion and impoundment. Construction of the Tennessee-Tombigbee
Waterway would cause its extirpation in the Tombigbee River.
3. Unnamed cavefish (undescribed genus and species).
This unnamed and undescribed fish is known only from a single
cave in Lauderdale County. The water table in this cave may
be disturbed by deep cutting for the proposed Tennessee-
Tombigbee Waterway. It occurs only in Alabama.
-67- Endangered
4. Cahaba shiner. Notropis (undescribed species).
This rare undescribed minnow is known only from the Cahaba
River in Shelby and Bibb counties where it occurs on gravel
bars in the main channel. Impoundment or increased pollution
of Cahaba River would exterminate the Cahaba shiner, an
Alabama endemic.
5. Pygmy sculpin. Cottus pygmaeus.
The pygmy sculpin is restricted to Coldwater Spring and about
200 yards of Coldwater Creek below the spring. The spring is
a source of municipal water supply for Anniston. As long as
the spring is left undisturbed, the pygmy sculpin should sur-
vive indefinitely. Further enclosure and aquatic vegetation
control measures should be avoided. At present, about half
of the daily flow of water normally is used for water supply
purposes, but there are tentative proposals to take all the
spring flow for water supply. As Anniston is to receive an
additional source of water with impoundment of a southern
tributary of Choccolocco Creek, Coldwater Spring should be
spared the burden of supplying 411 city water.
6. Crystal darter. Ammocrvpta asprella.
The Crystal darter, although widespread in the Mississippi
Valley, requires large creeks and rivers, swift currents
and sand or gravel bottom. Siltation and pollution has
-68- Endangered
caused this fish to become extirpated over much of its
range in eastern U. S. The Tombigbee and Cahaba rivers
still have strong populations on undisturbed gravel bars,
but it appears extinct in Choccolocco Creek (Talladega and
Calhoun counties), probably due to pollution. If completed,
the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway project would leave only
the Cahaba River population in Alabama.
7. Coldwater darter. Etheostoma ditrema.
The coldwater darter is known in Alabama only from three
springs in the Coosa River drainage, one of which is
Coldwater Spring, where it occurs with the pygmy sculpin.
Another locality, Martin Spring, also in Calhoun County, has
been impounded and stocked with sunfish, which has limited
the success of the coldwater darter there.
8. Watercress darter. Etheostoma nuchale.
Known only from a single small spring in Bessemer (Jefferson
County). There appears to be a lowering trend in the water
table due to heavy well demand. During a severe drought
year, the entire habitat of the watercress darter may dry up.
It is advisable to establish an auxiliary population in a
nearby, larger spring in the Warrior system, one more removed
from potential disturbance and water level fluctuation.
9. Slackwater darter. Etheostoma sp. (undescribed species).
This undescribed darter is known in Alabama from Cypress Creek
-69- Endangered
(Lauderdale County), and from one locality in Tennessee.
A recent proposal to channelize Cypress Creek places the
existence of this darter in jeopardy.
10. Goldline darter. Percina aurolineata.
This small perchlike fish has an unusual distribution. It
is known only from two places: the Cahaba River main channel
between Helena (Shelby County) and Centreville (Bibb County),
and the Coosawattee River above Coosawattee Falls, Gilmer
County, Georgia. Because this riffle-dweller is a main
channel, gravel-inhabiting species, it is especially vulner-
able to effects of impoundment or pollution. The U. S. Corps
of Engineers Carters Dam Project will inundate much of its
range in Coosawattee River, so the Cahaba River remains the
only major refuge at present.
-70- Status Undetermined
. American brook lamprey. Lampetra lamottei.
This nonparasitic lamprey is known in Alabama only from
Cedar Creek, a Tennessee River tributary. This is the southern-
most record for the species.
2. Lake sturgeon. Acipenser fulvescens.
The lake sturgeon once was an important commercial fish in
eastern North America. Its rapid decline is probably due to
heavy fishing pressure in the 1800s. More recently impound-
ments and pollution have changed the spawning and feeding habitat
enough to eliminate the species in Alabama, where the last spec-
imens were captured in the early 1950's.
3. Alabama shad. Alosa alabamae.
This clupeid was once widely distributed in the lower Mobile
Basin and Apalachicola drainage. It appears to have declined
in recent years, possibly because its upstream migration has
been blocked by dams along the heavily impounded rivers.
4. Flame chub. Hemitremia flammea.
Known in Alabama from springs in the Tennessee River system
and from one spring in the Coosa River drainage. The flame
chub is one of the most beautiful of our native fishes. The
availability of undisturbed springs is rapidly being reduced.
5. Blue sucker. Cycleptus elonciatus.
The blue sucker, also called the black sucker or blackhorse,
is still widespread in Alabama in the Mobile River system.
-71- Status Undetermined
It prefers flowing rivers but can survive in diminished num-
bers in reservoirs. Spawning success is based on availability
of clean-swept substrates in larger rivers. The blue sucker
has been known to occur in the Tennessee, Tombigbee, Cahaba,
Alabama, Tallapoosa and Coosa rivers. All but the Cahaba are
modified or slated for modification.
6. Harelip sucker. Laqochila lacera.
The presumably extinct harelip sucker was once abundant in
the Tennessee River system and was common in Cypress Creek near
Florence, Lauderdale County, in 1884. Siltation resulting from
agricultural practices and deforestation may have extirpated
this form.
7. Whiteline topminnow. Fundulus albolineatus.
Formerly known in Alabama from specimens reported from Spring
Creek, Huntsville, Madison County, in 1891. The whiteline top-
minnow was restricted to clear, cold springs and spring runs.
Modification of spring habitat and deforestation may have
adversely affected it. However, it is not clear why this species
became extinct.
8. Least killifish. Heterandria formosa.
This small livebearer is restricted to undisturbed lowland
coastal streams of the state where its preferred habitat is
rather limited.
9. Unnamed pygmy sunfish. Elassoma sp. (undescribed species).
This undescribed pygmy sunfish appears to be extinct. An -72- Status Undetermined
apparent Alabama endemic, it was found only in Pryor Spring
(Limestone County) by TVA biologists performing preimpoundment
surveys.
10. Bluespotted sunfish. Enneacanthus qloriosus.
This sunfish is restricted in Alabama to a narrow strip of
coastal drainages.
11. Ashy darter. Etheostoma cinereum.
This darter is presumably extirpated in Alabama. The only
known record from the state is from the Tennessee River system
near Florence in 1845.
12. Trispot darter. Etheostoma trisella.
The trispot darter appears to be eliminated in Alabama. One
specimen was captured in Cowans Creek, Cherokee County, a
locality now inundatqd by backwaters of Weiss Reservoir. A
population has been discovered in Conasauga River headwaters
in the Chattachoochee National Forest in Georgia. Although
probably extirpated in Alabama, the future of the trispot
darter is secure as long as the U. S. Forest Service manages
its land to exclude stream siltation and other habitat dete-
rioration in its present range.
-77- Rare-I
BLUE SHINER BLUESTRIPE SHINER Notropis caeruleus Notropis callitaenia any populations extirpated )
SKYGAZER SHINER LOWLAND BANDED SCULPIN Notropis uranoscopus Cottus carolinae infernatus (Endemic) (Endemic, -74- extirpated in places within this range) Rare-I
TUSCUMBI A DARTER UNNAMED SNUBNOSE Etheostoma tuscumbla DARTER Etheostoma sp. Endemic to Alabama and Tennessee) Inundated localities not shown
BLENNY DARTER FRECKLED DARTER Etheostoma blennius PeroIna lenticula
(Endemic to Alabama and Tennessee) • Locality records. -75- . 4- Populations extirpated and threatened Rare-2
ATLANTIC STURGEON STREAMLINE CHUB Acipenser oxyrhynchus Hybapsis dissimills • Older newspaper record ossibly extirpated in Alabama Known range
POPEYE SHINER BIGEYE SHINER Notropls ariommus Notropis Poops
—76— — LL Dwocirtiv papdipa Amssod °Imply u! papd.ilge Alcossod eaSSallUal pup tquoqolv 04 o!wapu snoulwoJis alp:10)40N *cis fildo.noN 83NIHS aNvs 83NIHS NIAMVS
sosbuiwwno eicloioN 1;11,10)0,3O* sidoioN II3NIHS Anna 83NIHS INIVIdelVM
Z -8.11)11 Rare-2
SUCKERMOUTH MINNOW OUTHERN REDBELLY DACE
Phenacobius mirabilis PhoxInus erythrogaster
SPOTTED BULLHEAD STONECAT flavus lctalurus serracanthus Noturus" Known range ossibly extirpated in Alabama -71;1- Rare-2
BRINDLED MADTOM SOUTHERN CAVEFISH Noturus miurus Typhlichthys subterraneus
PYGMY KILLIFISH Leptolucania ommata Lucania goodei
- 7 9- Rare-2
MOTTED SCULPIN APALACHICOLA' Cottus balrdl REDEYE BASS micropt•rus co-0-$0.
SLENDERHEAD DARTER Porcine phoxocephala
-80- Endangered
SHOVELNOSE STURGEON FRECKLEBELLY MADTOM Scaphirhynchus platorynchus Noturus munitus
Modifications proposed ,threatened Modification proposed ,threatened No* Modifications effected, extirpated Modification effected, extirpated Known range Known range Restricted to large rivers Restricted to gravel bars of large streams
UNNAMED CAVEFISH CAHABA SHINER Undescribed genus and species Notropis sp.
Threatened by aquifer undermining Threatened by mining activities (Endemic) -81- (Endemic) Endangered
PYGMY SCULPIN CRYSTAL DARTER Cottus pygmaeus Ammocrypta asprel la Threatened by water supply demands Modifications proposed,threatened Modifications effected,extirpated
IIMIN1111111111 Known range A Restricted to gravel bars of large streams
COLDWATER DARTER WATERCRESS DARTER Etheostoma ditrema Etheostoma nuchale
Threatened by spring modification Threatened by water supply demands
—82— Endangered
.
SLACKWATER DARTER GOLDLINE DARTER Etheostoma sp. Percina aurolineata
Threatened by proposed channelization Threatened by mining activities
—83— Status Undetermined
AMERICAN LAKE STURGEON BROOK "LAMPREY. AcIpenser fulvescens Lampetra lamottel ossibly extirpated in Alabama'
ALABAMA SHAD FLAME CHUB Alosa alabamae Hemitremia flammea — Known range -84- Status Undetermined
BLUE SUCKER HARELIP SUCKER Cycleptus elongatus Lagochila lacera Known range Probably extinct
WHITELINE TOPMINNOW LEAST KILLIFISH Fundulus albolineatus Heterandria formosa Endemic Probably extinct -85- Status Undetermined
PYGMY SUNFISH BLUESPOTTED SUNFISH Elossomo sp. Enneoconthus gloriosus Endemic ' Probably extinct
ASHY DARTER TRISPOT DARTER Etheostomo cinereum Etheostoma trisella Possibly extirpated in Alabama Possibly extirpated in Alabama
-86— INDEX
COMMON NAMES OF RARE AND ENDANGERED VERTEBRATES
Alligator Duck Mississippi 38, 40, 47, 53 Mottled 25, 33
Amphiuma Eagle Three-toed 39, 48, 56 Bald 25, 33 Golden 23, 31 Bass Apalachicola Redeye 66, 80 Egret Reddish 29, 36 Bat Florida Yellow 9, 13 Falcon Hoary 10, 14 American Peregrine 26, 34 Myotis - see Myotis Frog Bear Dusky Gopher 38, 40, 41, 50 Common Black 10, 14 Least Tree 38, 42, 51 Florida Black 10, 14 River 38, 42, 51
Bullhead Grouse Spotted 65, 78 Ruffed 27, 34
Cavefish Hawk Southern 65, 79 Cooper's 22, 31 Unnamed 57, 67, 81 Sharp-shinned 22, 31
Chub Hellbender 38, 39, 49, 55 Flame 71, 84 Streamline 63, 76 Heron Great White 21, 30 Cougar 8, 11, 16 Killifish Crane Bluefin 66, 79 Sandhill 23, 32 Least 59, 72, 85 Pygmy 65, 79 Dace Southern Redbelly 64, 78 Kingbird Gray 29, 36 Darter Ashy 73, 86 Kite Blenny 61, 75 Swallow-tailed 22, 31 Coldwater 69, 82 Crystal 68, 82 Lamprey Freckled 62, 75 American Brook 59, 71, 84 Goldline 70, 83 Slackwater 69, 83 Loggerhead Slenderhead 66, 80 Atlantic 39, 48 Trispot 73, 86 Tuscumbia 61, 75 Madtom Unnamed Snubnose 61, 75 Brindled 59, 65, 79 Watercress 57, 58, 69, 82 Frecklebelly 58, 67, 81
-87- Minnow Shrew Suckermouth 59, 64, 78 Southeastern 9, 13
Mouse Siren Meadow Jumping 9, 13 Greater 38, 42, 51 Perdido Bay Beach 11, 15 White-footed 12, 17 Snake White-fronted Beach 11, 15 Black Pine 38, 40, 41, 50 Eastern Indigo 39, 40, 47, 54 Myotis Florida Green Water 43, 52 Indiana 11, 15 Florida Pine 39, 40, 46, 54 Southeastern 10, 14 Gulf Salt Marsh Water 38, 39, 49, 56 No. Florida Black Swamp 38, 43, 52 Osprey 26, 33 Pinewoods 38, 39, 43, 52 Rainbow 38, 39, 49, 55 Oystercatcher Red Milk 40, 44, 52 American 23, 32 Squirrel Pelican Bayou Gray 12, 17 Brown 25, 33 Stonecat 65, 78 Plover Snowy 27, 34 Sturgeon Atlantic 58, 63, 76 Rabbit Lake 58, 71, 84 Marsh 12, 17 Shovelnose 67, 81
Salamander Sucker Alabama Red Hills 37, 39, 45, 53 Blue 58, 71, 85 Flatwoods 38, 41, 50 Harelip 72, 85 Midland Mud 43, 51 Red-backed 42, 51 Sunfish Seepage 38, 39, 45, 53 Bluespotted 59, 73, 86 Tennessee Cave 38, 46, 53 Unnamed Pygmy 57, 72, 86
Sculpin Terrapin Lowland Banded 57, 60, 74 Mississippi Diamondback 39, 48, 55 Mottled 66, 80 Pygmy 57, 68, 82 Topminnow Whiteline 57, 72, 85 Shad Alabama 71, 84 Tortoise Gopher 39, 48, 55 Shiner Bigeye 63, 76 Turtle Blue 60, 74 Alabama Red-bellied 39, 40, 46, 53 Bluestripe 60, 74 Harbour's Map 39, 40, 43, 52 Cahaba 57, 68, 81 Flattened Musk 37, 38, 39, 46, 53 Dusky 64, 77 Florida Softshell 43, 52 Popeye 63, 76 Sand 64, 77 Vole Sawfin 64, 77 Prairie 12, 17 Skygazer 57, 60, 74 Warpaint 64, 77 Warbler Bachman's 28, 35
-88- Waterdog Sipsey 38, 39, 45, 54
Wolf Red 8, 11, 15
Woodpecker Ivory-billed 28, 35 Red-cockaded 27, 34
Wren Bewick's 24, 32
-89- INDEX
LATIN NAMES OF RARE AND ENDANGERED VERTEBRATES
Accipiter Cottus cooperii 22, 31 bairdi 66, 80 striatus velox 22, 31 carolinae infernatus 57, 60, 74 pygmaeus 57, 68, 82 Acipenser fulvescens 58, 71, 84 Cryptobranchus oxyrhynchus 58, 63, 76 alleganiensis alleganiensis 38, 39, 49, 55 Alligator mississippiensis 38, 40, 47, 53 Cycleptus elongatus 58, 71, 85 Alosa alabamae 71, 84 Dendrocopos borealis borealis 27, 34 Ambystoma cingulatum 38, 41, 50 Desmognathus aeneus 38, 39, 45, 53 Ammocrypta asprella 68, 82 Dichromanassa rufescens rufescens 29, 36 Amphiuma tridactylum 39, 48, 56 Drymarchon corais couperi 39, 40, 47, 54 Anas fulvigula maculosa 25, 33 Elanoides forficatus forficatus 22, 31 Aquilia chrysaetos canadensis 23, 31 Elassoma sp. 57, 72, 86 Ardea occidentalis 21, 30 Enneacanthus gloriosus 59, 73, 86 Bonasa umbellus monticola 27, 34 Etheostoma blennius 61, 75 Campephilus cinereum 73, 86 principalis 28, 35 ditrema 69, 82 nuchale 57, 58, 69, 82 Canis sp. 61, 75 niger niger 8, 11, 15 sp. 69, 83 trisella 73, 86 Caretta tuscumbia 61, 75 caretta caretta 39, 48 Falco Charadrius peregrinus anatum 26, 34 alexandrinus tenuirostris 27, 34 Farancia erytrogramma 38, 39, 49,
-90- Felis Lasiurus concolor coryi 8, 11, 16 cinearous cinearous 10, 14 floridanus 9, 13 Fish undescribed genus and species Leptolucania 57, 67, 81 ommata 65, 79
Fundulus Lucania albolineatus 57, 72, 85 goodei 66, 79
Gopherus Malaclemys polyphemus 39, 48, 55 terrapin pileata 39, 48, 55
Graptemys Micropterus barbouri 39, 40, 43, 52 coosae 66, 80
Grus Microtus canadensis 23, 32 ochrogaster 12, 17
Gyrinophilus Myotis palleucus ssp. 38, 46, 53 austroriparius austroriparius 10, 14 Haematopus sodalis 11, 15 palliatus palliatus 23, 32 Natrix Haliaeetus cyclopion floridana 43, 52 leucocephalus leucocephalus fasciata clarki 38, 39, 49, 56 25, 33 Necturus Hemitremia maculosus ssp. 38, 39, 45, 54 flammea 71, 84 Notropis Heterandria ariommus 63, 76 formosa 59, 72, 85 boops 63, 76 caeruleus 60, 74 Hybopsis callitaenia 60, 74 dissimilis 63, 76 coccogenis 64, 77 cummingsae 64, 77 Hyla sp. 64, 77 ocularis 38, 42, 51 sp. 57, 68, 81 stramineus 64, 77 Ictalurus uranoscopus 57, 60, 74 serracanthus 65, 78 Noturus Lagochila flavus 65, 78 lacera 72, 85 miurus 59, 65, 79 munitus 58, 67, 81 Lampetra lamottei 59, 71, 84 Pandion haliaetus carolinensis 26, 33 Lampropeltis doliata syspila 40, 44, 52 Pelecanus occidentalis carolinensis 25, 33
-91- Percina Sorex aurolineata 70, 83 longirostris longirostris 9, 13 lenticula 62, 75 phoxocephala 66, 80 Sternothaerus depressus 37, 38, 39, 46, 53 Peromyscus leucopus leucopus 12, 17 Sylvilagus polionotus ammobates 11, 15 palustris 12, 17 polionotus trissylepsis 11, 15 Thryomanes Phaeognathus bewickii 24, 32 hubrichti 37, 39, 45, 53 Trionyx Phenacobiu ferox 43, 52 mirabilis 59, 64, 78 Typhlichthys Phoxinus subterraneus 65, 79 erythrogaster 64, 78 Tyrannus Pituophis dominicensis dominicensis 29, 36 melanoleucus lodingi 38, 40, 41, 50 Ursus melanoleucus mugitis 39, 40, 46, americanus americanus 8, 10, 14 54 americanus floridanus 8, 10, 14
Plethodon Vermivora cinereus ssip. 42, 51 bachmanii 28, 35
Pseudemys Zapus alabamensis 39, 40, 46, 53 hudsonius americanus 9, 13
Pseudotriton montanus diastictus 43, 51
Rana areolata sevosa 38, 40, 41, 50 hecksheri 38, 42, 51
Rhadinaea flavilata 38, 39, 43, 52
Scaphirhynchus platorynchus 67, 81
Sciurus carolinensis fuliginosus 12, 17
Seminatrix pygaea pygaea 38, 43, 52
Siren lacertina 38, 42, 51
-92-