Rationales for Animal Species Considered for Species of Conservation Concern Sierra National Forest Prepared by: Wildlife Biologists and Natural Resources Specialists Regional Office, Sierra National Forest and Washington Office Enterprise Program for: Sierra National Forest June 2019 In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). 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Animal Rationales Species of Conservation Concern Contents Rationales for Animal Species Considered for Species of Conservation Concern Sierra National Forest ............................................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 1 Species of Conservation Concern Compared to Forest Service Sensitive Species ................. 1 Procedure for Evaluation of Animal Species of Conservation Concern ................................. 2 Sierra National Forest Species of Conservation Concern ....................................................... 3 References ............................................................................................................................... 4 Chapter 1 – Rationale for Animal Species Meeting Criteria for Species of Conservation Concern ....................................................................................................................................... 5 Birds ........................................................................................................................................ 5 American peregrine falcon - Falco peregrinus anatum ..................................................... 5 Bald eagle - Haliaeetus leucocephalus ............................................................................... 9 California spotted owl - Strix occidentalis occidentalis ................................................... 16 Great Gray Owl - Strix nebulosa ...................................................................................... 27 Northern goshawk - Accipiter gentilis atricapillus .......................................................... 37 Willow Flycatcher - Empidonax traillii (includes: Empidonax traillii brewsteri and Empidonax traillii adastus) .............................................................................................. 54 Mammals ............................................................................................................................... 61 Fringed myotis - Myotis thysanodes ................................................................................. 61 Sierra marten - Martes caurina sierrae ............................................................................ 66 Townsend's big-eared bat - Corynorhinus townsendii ..................................................... 79 Amphibians ........................................................................................................................... 84 Foothill yellow-legged frog - Rana boylii ........................................................................ 84 Gregarious slender salamander - Batrachoseps gregarius ............................................... 90 Hell Hollow slender salamander - Batrachoseps diabolicus ............................................ 93 Kings River slender salamander – Batrachoseps regius .................................................. 96 Limestone salamander - Hydromantes brunus ................................................................. 99 Fish ...................................................................................................................................... 103 Central Valley hitch - Lavinia exilicauda exilicauda ..................................................... 103 Hardhead - Mylopharodon conocephalus ...................................................................... 107 Kern brook lamprey - Entosphenus hubbsi .................................................................... 110 Terrestrial Invertebrates ....................................................................................................... 116 Indian Yosemite snail - Monadenia yosemitensis .......................................................... 116 Merced Canyon Shoulderband - Helminthoglypta allynsmithi ...................................... 119 Aquatic Insects .................................................................................................................... 123 An isopod - Calasellus longus ........................................................................................ 123 Chapter 2 – Rationale for Animal Species Not Meeting Criteria for Species of Conservation Concern ................................................................................................................................... 126 Birds .................................................................................................................................... 126 Barrow's goldeneye - Bucephala islandica .................................................................... 126 Black-backed woodpecker - Picoides arcticus ............................................................... 127 Calliope hummingbird - Selasphorus calliope ............................................................... 139 Cassin's finch - Carpodacus cassinii .............................................................................. 140 Flammulated owl - Psiloscops flammeolus (Otus flammeolus) ...................................... 141 Golden eagle - Aquila chrysaetos ................................................................................... 144 Gray-crowned rosy finch - Leucosticte tephrocotis ....................................................... 147 Green-tailed towhee - Pipilo chlorurus .......................................................................... 148 Lewis' woodpecker - Melanerpes lewis .......................................................................... 149 i Animal Rationales Species of Conservation Concern Mount Pinos Sooty grouse - Dendragapus fuliginosus howardi .................................... 151 Olive-sided flycatcher - Contopus cooperi ..................................................................... 153 Summer tanager - Piranga rubra ................................................................................... 157 White-faced ibis - Plegadis chihi ................................................................................... 159 Williamson’s sapsucker - Sphyrapicus thyroideus ......................................................... 160 Mammals ............................................................................................................................. 161 American pika - Ochotona princeps, Ochotona princeps schisticeps ............................ 161 Mt. Lyell shrew - Sorex lyelli ......................................................................................... 164 Pallid bat - Antrozous pallidus ....................................................................................... 165 Sierra Nevada mountain beaver - Aplodontia rufa californica ...................................... 167 Spotted bat - Euderma maculatum ................................................................................. 170 Trowbridge's shrew - Sorex trowbridgii ......................................................................... 172 Western small-footed myotis - Myotis ciliolabrum ........................................................ 174 Reptiles ................................................................................................................................ 175 Sierra alligator lizard - Elgaria coerulea