Species of Greatest Conservation Need

1279 species
Taxonomic Group
Federal Status
State Status
Endemic

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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)
Mexican vole Microtus mogollonensis Mammals Not Listed Not Listed G5 SNR False Forest; grassy habitats within coniferous (primarily ponderosa pine) forests at higher elevations.
prairie vole Microtus ochrogaster Mammals Not Listed Not Listed G5 S1 False Extreme northern Panhandle; colonial; upland herbaceous fields; grasslands, old agricultural lands and thickets; places where there is suitable cover for runways; floodplains of rivers serve as dispersal routes; railroad and highway right-of-ways may serve as corridors for dispersal; nests in burrows, under boards or logs, and above ground in grassy clumps; breeds year-round, esp. spring/fall; peaks depend on availability of moisture
ghost-faced bat Mormoops megalophylla Mammals Not Listed Not Listed G5 S2 False Winter roosts are in large limestone caves. Buildings and rock crevasses provide roosts, as well.
long-tailed weasel Mustela frenata Mammals Not Listed Not Listed G5 S5 False Includes brushlands, fence rows, upland woods and bottomland hardwoods, forest edges & rocky desert scrub. Usually live close to water.
black-footed ferret Mustela nigripes Mammals LE Not Listed G1 SX False Short-grass prairie with prairie dog towns. Inhabited prairie dog towns in the general area
southeastern myotis bat Myotis austroriparius Mammals Not Listed Not Listed G4 S3? False Caves are rare in Texas portion of range; buildings, hollow trees are probably important. Historically, lowland pine and hardwood forests with large hollow trees; associated with ecological communities near water. Roosts in cavity trees of bottomland hardwoods, concrete culverts, and abandoned man-made structures.
California myotis Myotis californicus Mammals Not Listed Not Listed G5 S3 False Often use buildings and mines as night roosts.
western small-footed myotis bat Myotis ciliolabrum Mammals Not Listed Not Listed G5 S3 False Mountainous regions of the Trans-Pecos, usually in wooded areas, also found in grassland and desert scrub habitats; roosts beneath slabs of rock, behind loose tree bark, and in buildings; maternity colonies often small and located in abandoned houses, barns, and other similar structures; apparently occurs in Texas only during spring and summer months; insectivorous
fringed myotis Myotis thysanodes Mammals Not Listed Not Listed G4 S3 False Higher elevations of the Trans-Pecos, cliffs, rock crevices.
cave myotis bat Myotis velifer Mammals Not Listed Not Listed G4G5 S2S3 False Colonial and cave-dwelling; also roosts in rock crevices, old buildings, carports, under bridges, and even in abandoned Cliff Swallow (Hirundo pyrrhonota) nests; roosts in clusters of up to thousands of individuals; hibernates in limestone caves of Edwards Plateau and gypsum cave of Panhandle during winter; opportunistic insectivore.
long-legged myotis bat Myotis volans Mammals Not Listed Not Listed G4G5 S1S2 False Found in pine-oak woodland to grassland ecotone, higher elevations of Trans-Pecos.High, open woods and mountainous terrain; nursery colonies (which may contain several hundred individuals) form in summer in buildings, crevices, and hollow trees; apparently does not use caves as day roosts, but may use such sites at night; single offspring born June-July.
Yuma myotis Myotis yumanensis Mammals Not Listed Not Listed G5 S3? False Caves, mines, tunnels and buildings in Trans-Pecos.
white-nosed coati Nasua narica Mammals Not Listed T G5 S1 False Woodlands, riparian corridors and canyons.Most individuals in Texas probably transients from Mexico; diurnal and crepuscular; very sociable; forages on ground and in trees; omnivorous; may be susceptible to hunting, trapping, and pet trade
Crawford's gray shrew Notiosorex crawfordi Mammals Not Listed Not Listed G4 S4 False Desert Scrub, Riparian, Woodland, Freshwater Wetland, Grassland
pocketed free-tailed bat Nyctinomops femorosaccus Mammals Not Listed Not Listed G5 S3 False Semiarid desert grasslands; roosts in caves cliff crevices under building roof tiles; feed on insects; females bear one pup per season Jul - Aug
big free-tailed bat Nyctinomops macrotis Mammals Not Listed Not Listed G5 S3 False Habitat data sparse but records indicate that species prefers to roost in crevices and cracks in high canyon walls, but will use buildings, as well; reproduction data sparse, gives birth to single offspring late June-early July; females gather in nursery colonies; winter habits undetermined, but may hibernate in the Trans-Pecos; opportunistic insectivore
muskrat Ondatra zibethicus Mammals Not Listed Not Listed G5 S5 False Found in fresh or brackish marshes, lakes, ponds, swamps, and other bodies of slow-moving water. Most abundant in areas with cattail. Dens in bank burrow or conical house of vegetation in shallow vegetated water. It is primarily found in the Rio Grande near El Paso and in SE Texas in the Houston area.
Coues' rice rat Oryzomys couesi aquaticus Mammals Not Listed T G5T2T4 S2 False Cattail-bulrush marsh with shallower zone of aquatic grasses near the shoreline; shade trees around the shoreline are important features; prefers salt and freshwater, as well as grassy areas near water; breeds April-August
jaguar Panthera onca Mammals LE E G3 SX False Extinct in Texas. Most recently seems to have occupied the brush country of South Texas. Also known from intermittent riparian areas of Arizona and may have had an established population along the lower Nueces River and northeastward to the Guadalupe River until the 1870's.
Western pipistrelle Parastrellus hesperus Mammals Not Listed Not Listed G5 S3S4 False Desert to pine-oak woodland. Cliffs and rock crevices provide roosts.
tricolored bat Perimyotis subflavus Mammals Not Listed Not Listed G3G4 S2 False Forest, woodland and riparian areas are important. Caves are very important to this species.
rock mouse Peromyscus nasutus Mammals Not Listed Not Listed G5 S4 False Rocky areas and talus slopes above 6000 feet. General vegetation associations include madrone, oak, maple, juniper, pinyon and ponderosa pine.
Palo Duro mouse Peromyscus truei comanche Mammals Not Listed T G5T2 S2 True Rocky, juniper-mesquite-covered slopes of steep-walled canyons on the eastern edge of the Llano Estacado. Also described as - escarpment of the Llano Estacado; rocky slopes with juniper, brush, and shortgrasses; primarily nocturnal.
mountain lion Puma concolor Mammals Not Listed Not Listed G5 S2S3 False Generalist; found in a wide range of habitats statewide. Found most frequently in rugged mountains & riparian zones.
Presidio mole Scalopus aquaticus texanus Mammals Not Listed Not Listed G5T1Q SH True Known from a single location near Presidio, Texas. Insufficient data to determine hatibat preferences in the state.