Species of Greatest Conservation Need

**Species of Greatest Conservation Need** (Updated: 02/18/2025)
Common Name	Scientifc Name	Taxonomic Group	Federal Status	State Status	Global Rank	State Rank	Endemic	General Habitat Type(s)
eastern tiger salamander	Ambystoma tigrinum	Amphibians	Not Listed	Not Listed	G5	S3	False	Terrestrial adults generally occur under cover objects or in burrows surrounding a variety of lentic freshwater habitats, such as ponds, lakes, bottomland wetlands, or upland ephemeral pools. The specific terrestrial habitats are also varied and the occurrence of this species seems to be more closely associated with sandy, loamy or other soils which have easy burrowing properties, rather than any particular ecological system type. Requires fishless breeding pools for successful reproduction.
Houston toad	Anaxyrus houstonensis	Amphibians	E	E	G1	S1	True	Terrestrial and aquatic: Primary terrestrial habitat is forests with deep sandy soils. Juveniles and adults are presumed to move through areas of less suitable soils using riparian corridors. Aquatic habitats can include any water body from a tire rut to a large lake.
Woodhouse's toad	Anaxyrus woodhousii	Amphibians	Not Listed	Not Listed	G5	S5	False	Terrestrial and aquatic: A wide variety of terrestrial habitats are used by this species, including forests, grasslands, and barrier island sand dunes. Aquatic habitats are equally varied.
spotted dusky salamander	Desmognathus conanti	Amphibians	Not Listed	Not Listed	G5	S1	False	This species occurs in association with aquatic habitats in forested areas. Small, clear, spring fed streams with sandy substrate bordered with ferns and moss as well as murky, stagnant water bodies in cypress swamps, baygalls, and flood plains in bottomland forests support populations of this species.
Salado Springs salamander	Eurycea chisholmensis	Amphibians	T	T	G1	S1	True	Aquatic; springs, streams and caves with rocky or cobble beds.
Cascade Caverns salamander	Eurycea latitans	Amphibians	Not Listed	T	G3	S2	True	Aquatic; springs, streams and caves with rocky or cobble beds.
San Marcos salamander	Eurycea nana	Amphibians	T	T	G1	S1	True	Aquatic; springs and associated water.
Georgetown salamander	Eurycea naufragia	Amphibians	T	T	G1	S1	True	Aquatic; springs, streams and caves with rocky or cobble beds.
Texas salamander	Eurycea neotenes	Amphibians	Not Listed	T	G1G2	S1S2	True	Aquatic; springs, streams and caves with rocky or cobble beds.
Blanco River Springs salamander	Eurycea pterophila	Amphibians	Not Listed	Not Listed	G3	S3	True	Aquatic; springs, streams and caves with rocky or cobble beds.
Texas blind salamander	Eurycea rathbuni	Amphibians	E	E	G1	S1	True	Aquatic and subterranean; streams and caves.
Blanco blind salamander	Eurycea robusta	Amphibians	Not Listed	T	G1	S1	True	Aquatic and subterranean; streams and caves.
Barton Springs salamander	Eurycea sosorum	Amphibians	E	E	G1	S1	True	Aquatic; springs, streams and caves with rocky or cobble beds.
Jollyville Plateau salamander	Eurycea tonkawae	Amphibians	T	T	G2	S2	True	Aquatic; springs, streams and caves with rocky or cobble beds.
Valdina Farms sinkhole salamander	Eurycea troglodytes	Amphibians	Not Listed	Not Listed	G3	S3S4	True	Aquatic; springs, streams and caves with rocky or cobble beds.
Austin blind salamander	Eurycea waterlooensis	Amphibians	E	E	G1	S1	True	Aquatic and subterranean; streams and caves.
white-lipped frog	Leptodactylus fragilis	Amphibians	Not Listed	T	G5	S3	False	Terrestrial and aquatic: Lowlands, grasslands, cultivated fields, roadside ditches, and a wide variety of other habitats; often hides under rocks or in burrows under clumps of grass.
southern crawfish frog	Lithobates areolatus areolatus	Amphibians	Not Listed	Not Listed	G4T4	S3	False	Terrestrial and aquatic: The terrestial habitat is primarily grassland and can vary from pasture to intact prairie; it can also include small prairies in the middle of large forested areas. Aquatic habitat is any body of water but preferred habitat is ephemeral wetlands.
Gulf Coast waterdog	Necturus beyeri	Amphibians	Not Listed	Not Listed	GNR	S3	False	This species is associated with permanent flowing water within forested habitats, from small streams to large rivers. The are frequently associated with slow moving, sandy bottomed spring fed streams with lots of aquatic habitat such as log jams and leaf litter beds.
black-spotted newt	Notophthalmus meridionalis	Amphibians	Not Listed	T	G3	S3	False	Terrestrial and aquatic: Terrestrial habitats used by adults are typically poorly drained clay soils that allow for the formation of ephemeral wetlands. A wide variety of vegetation associations are known to be used, such as thorn scrub and pasture. Aquatic habitats used for reprodution are a variety of ephemeral and permanent water bodies.
Strecker's chorus frog	Pseudacris streckeri	Amphibians	Not Listed	Not Listed	G5	S3	False	Terrestrial and aquatic: Wooded floodplains and flats, prairies, cultivated fields and marshes. Likes sandy substrates.
Mexican burrowing toad	Rhinophrynus dorsalis	Amphibians	Not Listed	T	G5	S3	False	Terrestrial and aquatic: Low, rolling hills of sand, gravel or thin soil drained by ravines and gullies. Prefers moderate to dense vegetation cover of cactus and thornscrub. Roadside ditches, temporary ponds, arroyos, or wherever loose friable soils are present in which to burrow.
Mexican treefrog	Smilisca baudinii	Amphibians	Not Listed	T	G5	S3	False	Terrestrial and aquatic: Terrestrial habitas used include forested and brush around water bodies. Aquatic habitast used can any any body of water but preferred breeding sites are small, ephemeral wetlands.
red-crowned parrot	Amazona viridigenalis	Birds	Not Listed	T	G2	S2	False	Starting in the late 1980s to early 1990s, this species has increased in numbers in urban settings in Cameron and Hidalgo counties. This cavity-nesting species prefers dead palm trees, including non-native Washingtonian palms, with abandoned cavities excavated by Golden-fronted Woodpeckers. Grooming of palms (i.e., trimming the dead, drooping fronds) does not appear to directly impact this species; however removal of dead palms with or without cavities should be avoided.
Grasshopper Sparrow	Ammodramus savannarum	Birds	Not Listed	Not Listed	G5	S3B	False	Grasshopper Sparrows occur in grasslands, prairies, hayfields, and open pastures with little to no scrub cover and often with some bare ground. Birds in the western part of the range can tolerate some brushy habitat but avoid areas that are too overgrown. Winters primarily in grass-dominated fields.