Species of Greatest Conservation Need

1279 species
Taxonomic Group
Federal Status
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Species of Greatest Conservation Need (Updated: 01/31/2024)
Common Name Scientifc Name Taxonomic Group Federal Status State Status Global Rank State Rank Endemic General Habitat Type(s)
Bewick's Wren Thryomanes bewickii Birds Not Listed Not Listed G5 S5B False Year-round: red-backed form only, brushpiles and dense deadfall thickets
Buff-breasted Sandpiper Tryngites subruficollis Birds Not Listed Not Listed G4 S2S3 False Migrant: Short-grass pastures, sod farms, agricultural fields with emerging crops (corn, soybeans, rice), dry to moist ponds, recently planted rice fields, cemetaries, hayfields, ball fields, airports, lawns, grass-covered sandbars preferred open areas free from human obstructions (such as farm buildings, cities, hedgerows) and areas that had historically high densities of wetlands
Greater Prairie-chicken Tympanuchus cupido Birds Not Listed Not Listed G4 S1B False Open prairies of mostly thick grass one to three feet tall; sandhill country with bunch grass, sage, and shinnery oak.
Attwater's greater prairie-chicken Tympanuchus cupido attwateri Birds LE E G4T1 S1 False Open prairies of mostly thick grass one to three feet tall; sandhill country with bunch grass, sage, and shinnery oak. From near sea level to 200 feet along coastal plain on upper two-thirds of Texas coast; males form communal display flocks during late winter-early spring; booming grounds important; breeding February-July
lesser prairie-chicken Tympanuchus pallidicinctus Birds Not Listed Not Listed G3 S1 False Arid grasslands, generally interspersed with shrubs such as sand sagebrush, sand plum, skunkbush sumac, and shinnery oak shrubs, but dominated by sand dropseed, sideoats grama, sand bluestem, and little bluestem grasses; nests in a scrape lined with grasses
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus Birds Not Listed Not Listed G5 S3B False Breeding: Native savanna throughout the grassland and savanna regions; may also be found in open agricultural, rangeland, pasture and urban areas as long as there are perches available
Colima Warbler Vermivora crissalis Birds Not Listed Not Listed G3G4 S3B False Breeding: Chisos Mountains (TX) and Sierra Madre Occidental (northeastern Mexico); oak- and pine-dominated stands with a grassy ground cover, between 1500m and 3600m in elevation. Nests on the ground in leaf litter, grass, or hillside cavities, and is concealed from above by overhanging vegetation or rocks
black-capped vireo Vireo atricapilla Birds Not Listed Not Listed G5 S3B False Oak-juniper woodlands with distinctive patchy, two-layered aspect; shrub and tree layer with open, grassy spaces; requires foliage reaching to ground level for nesting cover; return to same territory, or one nearby, year after year; deciduous and broad-leaved shrubs and trees provide insects for feeding; species composition less important than presence of adequate broad-leaved shrubs, foliage to ground level, and required structure; nesting season March-late summer
Bell's Vireo Vireo bellii Birds Not Listed Not Listed G5 S3B False Breeding: Dense, lowland shrub, second-growth forests and mesquite brushlands with proximity to water, including riparian areas; willow, hackberry, huisache, and other dense thicketizing shrubs near water may be key to nesting success
Harris' Sparrow Zonotrichia querula Birds Not Listed Not Listed G5 S4 False Winter: thickets/brush bordering streams, edges of low woodlands; forested, woodlands, and brush thickets in swales and ravines; hedgerows and brush piles
river goby Awaous banana Fish - Bays and Estuaries Not Listed T G5 S1 False Formerly occupied the mainstream of the Rio Grande in Texas (northern most portion of their range). Generally occupies clear, well oxygenated streams and rivers with slow to moderate current (dependent on flowing water), sandy, muddy, or hard bottom, and little or no vegetation; also enters brackish and marine waters. Shaded areas of streams/rivers may be preferred. Spawning takes place in freshwater and eggs drift downstream to brackish or salt water where they hatch. Larvae migrate back into streams as they develop, but have a higher salinity tolerance than adults. Feeds mainly on filamentous algae.
fat snook Centropomus parallelus Fish - Bays and Estuaries Not Listed Not Listed G5 S3? False Occupies freshwater, estuarine, and marine areas near mangroves, rocky overhangs or protected riverbanks, but is most commonly found inshore (freshwater). Spawning occurs from March-August in freshwater. After hatching, larvae disperse with the currents to estuarine areas (Gilmore et al. 1983, McMichael and Parsons 1989). Juveniles migrate from freshwater to estuarine areas based on flow and salinity regimes.
snook Centropomus undecimalis Fish - Bays and Estuaries Not Listed Not Listed G5 S3? False Juvenile common snook are generally restricted to the protection of riverine, salt marshes, seagrass beds, and estuary environments. These environments offer shallow water and an overhanging vegetative shoreline. Juvenile common snook can survive in waters with lower oxygen levels than adults. Adult common snook inhabit many fresh, estuarine, and marine environments including mangrove forests, beaches, river mouths, nearshore reefs, salt marshes, sea grass meadows, and near structure (pilings, artificial reefs, etc.). Adult common snook appear to be less sensitive to cold water temperatures than larvae or small juveniles. The lower lethal limit of water temperature is 48.2�-57.2� F (9�-14� C) for juveniles and 42.8�-53.6� F (6�-12� C) for adults (Hill 2005, Press 2010).
Mexican goby Ctenogobius claytonii Fish - Bays and Estuaries Not Listed T GNR S1 False Southern coastal area; brackish and freshwater coastal streams; tidal freshwater associated with silty sandbars and grass beds.
saltmarsh topminnow Fundulus jenkinsi Fish - Bays and Estuaries Not Listed Not Listed G3 S1 False Occupies estuaries and the edges of saltmarsh habitats along the Gulf coast in salinities of 4-20 ppt in Spartina dominated tidal creeks and wetlands (Peterson & Ross 1991; Peterson & Turner 1994; Lopez et al. 2010; and Griffith 1974). Requires access to small interconnected tidal creeks for feeding and reproduction. Spawning occurs from March to August during high tide events (Robertson Thesis, 2016). Non-migratory.
Texas silverside Menidia clarkhubbsi Fish - Bays and Estuaries Not Listed Not Listed G1 SNR True This coastal species inhabits ponds, shallow bays, and estuaries. It is an all-female species that relies on fertilization from males of Menidia beryllina or M. peninsulae. Identification is near impossible unless using genetic techniques (Chernoff 2002).
opossum pipefish Microphis brachyurus Fish - Bays and Estuaries Not Listed Not Listed G4G5 S3N False Adults are only found in low salinity waters of estuaries or freshwater tributaries within 30 miles of the coast (Gilmore 1992), where they also give birth. Young move or are carried into more saline waters off the coast after birth. Newly released larvae must have conditions near 18 ppt salinity for at least two weeks after birth to survive, indicating a physiology adapted for downstream transport to estuarine and marine environments (Frias-Torres 2002). Juvenile migration toward the ocean depends on water flow regimes, salinity, and vegetation for cover and capturing prey (Frias-Torres 2002). Seawalls, docks, and riprap construction destroy habitat and poor water quality and alteration of flow regimes may prevent migration (NMFS 2009).
southern flounder Paralichthys lethostigma Fish - Bays and Estuaries Not Listed Not Listed G5 S5 False This is an estuarine-dependent species that inhabits riverine, estuarine and coastal waters, and prefers muddy, sandy, or silty substrates (Reagan and Wingo 1985). Individuals can tolerate wide temperature (~5-35�C) and salinity ranges (0-60 ppt). Southern Flounder spawn in offshore waters of the Gulf of Mexico from October to February (Reagan and Wingo 1985). The oceanic larval stage is pelagic and lasts 30�60 days. Metamorphosing individuals enter estuaries and migrate towards low-salinity headwaters, where settlement occurs (Burke et al. 1991, Walsh et al. 1999). The young fish enter the bays during late winter and early spring, occupying seagrass; some may move further into coastal rivers and bayous. Juveniles remain in estuaries until the onset of sexual maturation (approximately two years), at which time they migrate out of estuaries to join adults on the inner continental shelf. Adult southern flounder leave the bays during the fall for spawning in the Gulf of Mexico. They spawn for the first time when two years old at depths of 50 to 100 feet. Although most of the adults leave the bays and enter the Gulf for spawning during the winter, some remain behind and spend winter in the bays. Those in the Gulf will reenter the bays in the spring. The spring influx is gradual and does not occur with large concentrations that characterize the fall emigration.
mountain mullet Agonostomus monticola Fish - Freshwater Not Listed Not Listed G5 S2 False Catadromous. Adults can be found great distances upstream. Potential to occur in all river systems in Texas from Rio Grande to Sabine River. Rheophilic, fast, strong swimmer often associated with swift currents and possibly near large boulders; found in abundance or at rest in deeper pools of stream below falls and rapids.
western sand darter Ammocrypta clara Fish - Freshwater Not Listed Not Listed G3 S3 False Neches, Sabine, and Red River basins. Associated with substrates of course sand and fine gravels in moderate current in medium to large streams. Habit of burrowing in sand may prevent direct observations.
american eel Anguilla rostrata Fish - Freshwater Not Listed Not Listed G4 S4 False Originally found in all river systems from the Red River to the Rio Grande. Aquatic habtiats include large rivers, streams, tributaries, coastal watersheds, estuaries, bays, and oceans. Spawns in Sargasso Sea, larva move to coastal waters, metamorphose, and begin upstream movements. Females tend to move further upstream than males (who are often found in brackish estuaries). American Eel are habitat generalists and may be found in a broad range of habitat conditions including slow- and fast-flowing waters over many substrate types. Extirpation in upstream drainages attributed to reservoirs that impede upstream migration.
alligator gar Atractosteus spatula Fish - Freshwater Not Listed Not Listed G3G4 S4 False From the Red River to the Rio Grande (Hubbs et al. 2008); occurs in the Trinity River upstream of Lake Livingston. Found in rivers, streams, lakes, swamps, bayous, bays and estuaries typically in pools and backwater habitats. Floodplains inundated with flood waters provide spawning and nursery habitats.
Mexican stoneroller Campostoma ornatum Fish - Freshwater Not Listed T G3G4 S1 False Occurs primarily in Mexico and ranges into Texas in Rio Grande tributaries in Brewster and Presidio counties (Big Bend region; Hubbs 1940; Hubbs 1954; Hubbs et al. 1991). Occurs in riffles, chutes, and pools of rivers and creeks, in warm, clear (sometimes slightly turbid) water over sand, pebble, gravel, rock, and bedrock substrates, at depths of 10 cm to 1 meter; prefers headwaters.
highland stoneroller Campostoma spadiceum Fish - Freshwater Not Listed Not Listed G4G5 SNR False Rare, restricted range in U.S; in Texas only found in Aiken Creek, a tributary of the Sulphur River. Bright red or red-orange coloration in median and paired fins. Found in small, stony-bottomed upland headwaters to small rivers with relatively clear water and substantial base flow and current velocities (Cashner et al. 2010).
Llano River carpsucker Carpiodes sp. 1 Fish - Freshwater Not Listed Not Listed GNR SNR False Llano River. Habitat unknown, but likely similar to River Carpsucker in affinity for quiet, silt-bottomed pools of rivers having low to moderate gradients.