Articles

All species important to wildlife diversity

Timothy A. Snyder
Ohio Division of Natural Areas and Preserves
From Urbana Daily Citizen, Sunday April 6, 2003

Every five years, ODNR's Division of Wildlife looks over its list of endangered animals and adjusts it based on the best information it can obtain.

The latest version of the list came out in May of 2002. In additon to those animals that are endangered, it also lists those that are threatened (that is, likely to become endangered), of concern (likely to become threatened), of special interest (at the edge of their range in Ohio), extirpated (here at the time of Euro-American settlement but since eliminated) and extinct (we all know what that means!).

One encouraging trend is the growing length of the list. That might sound odd; after all, the ultimate goal is to keep animals from ever having to be put on such a list, not to make it longer. But in this case the lengthening list shows a growing concern for all of Ohio's wildlife, not just the warm-and-fuzzy popular species.

The first list, issued in 1974, was heavily weighted with mammals, birds and fish. The latest list has broadened to include crayfish, dragonflies, moths and other species. There is even a pseudoscorpion listed!

The most distressing part of the list is, of course, the extinctions. These are animals that, barring a major scientific development, we will never see alive again. The usual suspects are here: Passenger Pigeon, Carolina Parakeet, Blue Pike.

The largest number of extinctions, however, lie in the less familiar mollusk group, often referred to as "freshwater clams." Destruction of the clear, riffle-strewn rivers they depend upon has been the most potent factor in their demise. The names of two of them --the Cincinnati Riffleshell and the Scioto Pigtoe - illustrate another problem they faced. Many mollusk species are extremely limited in their range, occupying only one watershed or even just a part of a single river. It doesn't take much to wipe out an entire species under such conditions.

The extirpated list offers a bit more hope. After all, at one time the White-tailed Deer, Beaver and Wild Turkey would all have been on this list, for all were wiped out in Ohio. Some animals on this list, such as the Timber Wolf, will probably never regain their place here. Others have reappeared I a more domestic guise; Elk (Wapiti) and Bison ("Buffalo") do not run wild in Ohio, but small herds of both animals roam fenced-in ranches around the state. A few other species might find their way back on their own. The Common Raven is a possibility and some researchers believe that Mountain Lions are working their way back east. Perhaps the most interesting member of the list is the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, a large bird thought by many to be extinct; tantalizing clues coming out of the bayous of Louisiana hint that notices of its demise might be premature. The Division of Wildlife is firmly in the camp of optimists on this one.

All-in-all, there are nine species on the Extinct list, 34 on the extirpated list, 41 species of special interest, 91 species of concern, 47 considered threatened and 127 in the endangered column. Some of the latter are familiar: Black Bear, Indiana Bat, Bobcat, Bald Eagle, Timber Rattlesnake. Others with names like Eastern Spadefoot,. Sheepsnose, Elephant Ear, Chalk-fronted Corporal and Lilypad Forktail you will probably never run into, and would not recognize if you did. But all are important in their own way, for each adds to the amazing diversity that is Ohio's wildlife.

You can request a copy of the latest list of "Wildlife That Are Considered To Be Endangered, Threatened, Species of Concern, Special Interest, Extirpated or Extinct in Ohio" from ODNR Division of Wildlife, 1840 Belcher Drive G-3, Columbus, OH 43224.