occur in large rivers and are known from the Ohio, Elk, The bald eagles primary food is fish, so they are Randolph County. The Cheat Mountain salamander is or Kanawha rivers in West Virginia: pink mucket pearly most often seen in the vicinity of our larger rivers and restricted to cool, moist forests, usually in habitats con- mussel, Lampsilis abrupta; tuberculed-blossom pearly lakes. The WRS monitors the states six eagle nests taining red spruce in areas over 3,150 feet in elevation. mussel, Epioblasma torulosa torulosa; fanshell, and searches for additional nests with the hope that This salamander attains a length of four inches Cyprogenia stegaria; clubshell, Pleurobema clava; this magnificent bird will continue to expand its range andhas a dark back sprinkled with brassy or silvery flecks. Threatened and northern riffleshell, Epioblasma rangiana. The further into West Virginia. Sightings of eagle pairs, The belly and throat are a uniform dark gray. These small And clubshell has also been found in moderate-sized especially in spring and summer, should be reported to amphibians may live to be 10 years of age. Like all wood- streams.The James spinymussel, Pleurobema collina, the Nongame Wildlife and Natural Heritage Program. land salamanders, the Cheat Mountain salamander does shown left, occurs in small headwater tributaries of the not possess lungs, but must breathe through its skin James River. Freshwater mussels are important indica- and the lining of the mouth and throat. The food of these Endangered tors of water quality; most species cannot tolerate reduc- animals consist of mites, small insects and other small tions in dissolved oxygen or increases in pollutants, acid- woodland invertebrates. ity, or siltation. Healthy mussel populations are indica- tive of good water quality. PROTECTION Wildlife All threatened and endangered species are protected THREATENED SPECIES under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and violation of this act is a federal offense punishable by fines of up to A threatened species is one which is likely to become $20,000 and up to one year imprisonment. Bald eagles an endangered species within the foreseeable future are also protected under state eagle protection legisla- throughout all or a significant portion of its range if mea- tion. sures are not taken to improve their status. Three ani- CRAIG STIHLER PHOTO BY mal species in West Virginia are listed as threatened by ENDANGERED AND the federal government. Flat-spired Three-toothed Land Snail (Triodopsis THREATENED PLANTS platysayoides) Not all of the states threatened and endangered spe- This mollusk has a big name for such a little animal. cies are animals. Four federally endangered plants are Currently known from only 26 locations within a small found in the state: shale barren rock cress, Arabis area of Monongalia and Preston counties, this species is serotina; running buffalo clover, Trifolium stoloniferun; found nowhere else in the world. This extremely rare harperella, Ptilimnium nodosum; and northeastern bul- snail was not discovered until 1933. The WRS is cur- rush, Scirpus ancistrochaetus. There are two federally rently conducting studies to learn more about the life his- threatened species, Virginia spiraea, Spiraea virginiana PHOTO BY CRAIG STIHLER tory of this snail and to determine its distributional range. and small whorled pogonia, Isotria medeoloides. For more information on these species, contact the Nongame In Wildlife and Natural Heritage Program.
PHOTO BY CRAIG STIHLER PHOTO BY West Virginia Remember: DO SOMETHING WILD! Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) and Support the West Virginia Historically, the bald eagle was not known to nest in Nongame Wildlife and West Virginia, though migrants were frequently seen in Natural Heritage Program. Cecil H. Underwood Governor the spring and fall. In 1981, the first recorded nest for this bird, our National Symbol, was found in Hardy John B. Rader For more information contact: County. Bald eagles, like many birds of prey, declined CRAIG STIHLER PHOTO BY Director during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, but now are mount- Nongame Wildlife and Natural Heritage Program P.O. Box 67 Bernard F. Dowler ing a gradual comeback largely because of bans on the Cheat Mountain salamander (Plethodon nettingi) Chief, Wildlife Resources Section use of DDT and related pesticides and increased protec- Elkins, WV 26241 Known from just five counties in West Virginia, the (304) 637-0245 tion. Because bald eagle populations are recovering well, Cheat Mountain salamander is the only amphibian this species was recently downlisted from endangered inthe state to be listed as threatened or endangered. The to threatened status. species was first discovered on White Top Mountain in The Division of Natural Resources is an equal opportunity employer. 1/99 10M THREATENED AND ENDANGERED state and private wildlife agencies have made a good start gists monitor known exterminated by the late 1800s. The WRS receives doz- WILDLIFE in the reestablishment of peregrine falcons. populations and search ens of cougar reports each year from all over the state. In a cooperative project between the WRS and the for additional colonies. However, these may be likened to UFO sightings: some IN WEST VIRGINIA Monongahela National Forest, 53 young falcons were The picture on the right can be easily explained and disproved, while others seem Fifteen West Virginia animals are in need of atten- released in the Mountain State between 1987 and 1990. shows a biologist measur- to be reliable. Still, we have no indisputable proof that tion to increase critically low populations. The U.S. Fish Breeding pairs in the state produced chicks in 1991 and ing a hibernating cluster eastern cougars exist in West Virginia. It is likely that and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has designated these spe- 1992. This was the first successful nesting of this spe- of Indiana bats during a western cougars illegally released in the state are the cies as Threatened or Endangered. These designa- cies in the state since the late 1940s. No breeding pairs biennial survey. source of many sightings. have been observed since 1992. Sightings of adult (shown tions stem from the provisions of the federal Endan- In winter, hibernating Northern Flying Squirrel on the cover) or juvenile (shown at left) peregrine fal- gered Species Act of 1973. The USFWS, U.S. Forest bats of all species greatly (Glaucomys sabrinus cons should be reported to the WRSs Nongame Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and Wildlife Resources reduce their heart and fuscus) and Natural Heritage Program at (304) 637-0245. Section (WRS) of the West Virginia Division of Natural respiratory rates to con- While many West Virgin- Resources are the agencies directly involved with the serve fat (stored energy) ians are familiar with flying protection and recovery of these species in West Virginia. reserves. Any distur- CRAIG STIHLER PHOTO BY squirrels, most are not aware West Virginia has no state endangered species legisla- bance which causes the that there are actually two tion, therefore the only species listed as threatened or bats to stir or fly about may deplete their energy reserves, species in the state: the com- endangered in the state are those listed as such by the and make them unable to survive the winter. For this mon southern flying squirrel federal government. reason, most of the caves which harbor colonies of en- and the very rare northern dangered bats have been gated or fenced to prohibit en- flying squirrel. Northern fly- ENDANGERED SPECIES try by humans during critical periods. A survey in 1991 ing squirrels may be distin- guished by their slightly An endangered species is one which is in danger of located the first endangered gray bat (Myotis grisencens) larger size and belly hairs NANCY WELLS PHOTO BY extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its in the Mountain State; however, no additional gray bats PHOTO BY CRAIG STIHLER PHOTO BY have been observed. which are gray at the base range. Its population level is so critically low and/or its and white at the tips. habitat is so degraded that immediate action must be All bats in West Virginia eat insects. This is why Although the northern flying squirrel is common and taken to avoid the loss of the species. Twelve West Vir- Virginia big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii they are most often seen at dusk, when flying insects are widespread in the northern states and Canada, it has ginia animals have been designated as Endangered. virginianus) most active. Thus, bats help control insect populations. become extremely scarce in the southern Appalachians This bat is a subspecies of the Townsends big-eared Like all mammals, bats sometimes carry rabies; and has been listed as endangered in West Virginia, Vir- bat, an inhabitant of the western United States. This occurences are uncommon and bites to humans are very disjunct subspecies is found in small, scattered popula- ginia, North Carolina and Tennessee. In West Virginia, rare. Bats are the only mammals that truly fly, and al- this squirrel is found only in the high mountains, gener- tions in Kentucky, North Carolina, West Virginia and Vir- though all bats have eyes, they can travel and locate in- ally above 3,300 feet in elevation. It prefers red spruce ginia, with over half the known population found in West sects in the dark by means of a sonar (echo-location) and mature northern hardwood (beech, birch, sugar Virginia. These bats require caves for rearing their young system. maple and cherry) forests and feeds primarily on lichens, in summer and for hibernation in winter. A hibernating fungi and seeds. cluster is shown above. Surveys conducted by WRS bi- ologists monitor known summer and winter populations and search for additional colonies. Eleven major sum- mer colonies, totaling about 6200 adult females of this
PHOTO BY CRAIG STIHLER PHOTO BY species have been found in West Virginia. Nearly 7500 Virginia big-eared bats of both sexes have been located Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) hibernating in the states caves. This bird once nested in West Virginia and through- out much of the United States and Canada. The Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) peregrines decline in the 1940s and 1950s and total The Indiana bat is found primarily in the Midwest, elimination in eastern North America was due prima- with major populations in Indiana, Missouri and Ken- rily to the widespread use of DDT and related tucky. West Virginias colonies total 11,600 Indiana bats. BILL TOLIN PHOTO BY PHOTO BY STEPHEN J. SHALUTA, JR. STEPHEN J. SHALUTA, PHOTO BY pesticides. These chemicals interfered with eggshell The Indiana bat rears its young outside caves in sum- production and severely reduced nesting success. Since mer--usually under the loose bark of trees. Like the big- Eastern cougar (Felis concolor couguar) Freshwater mussels the use of DDT was restricted in the early 1970s, captive eared bat, it hibernates in caves in the winter and must This subspecies, or race, of cougar was once found Six species of freshwater mussels which occur in breeding and reintroduction of peregrines by federal, not be disturbed during this critical period. WRS biolo- throughout the eastern United States, but was essentially West Virginia are listed as endangered. Five of these