Species of Greatest Conservation Need

**Species of Greatest Conservation Need** (Updated: 06/16/2025)
Scientifc Name	Common Name	Taxonomic Group	SGCN Status	Federal Status	State Status	Global Rank	State Rank	Endemic	General Habitat Type(s)
Tantilla cucullata	Trans-Pecos black-headed snake	Reptiles	Yes	Not Listed	T 03/01/1987	G3	S3	Yes	Terrestrial: Found rocky canyons or hillsides in mesquite-creosote and pinyon-juniper-oak forests, as well as grasslands.
Terrapene carolina	eastern box turtle	Reptiles	Yes	Not Listed	Not Listed	G5	S3	No	Terrestrial: Eastern box turtles inhabit forests, fields, forest-brush, and forest-field ecotones. In some areas they move seasonally from fields in spring to forest in summer. They commonly enters pools of shallow water in summer. For shelter, they burrow into loose soil, debris, mud, old stump holes, or under leaf litter. They can successfully hibernate in sites that may experience subfreezing temperatures.
Terrapene ornata	western box turtle	Reptiles	Yes	Not Listed	Not Listed	G4G5	S3	No	Terrestrial: Ornate or western box trutles inhabit prairie grassland, pasture, fields, sandhills, and open woodland. They are essentially terrestrial but sometimes enter slow, shallow streams and creek pools. For shelter, they burrow into soil (e.g., under plants such as yucca) (Converse et al. 2002) or enter burrows made by other species.
Thamnophis sirtalis	common garter snake	Reptiles	Yes	Not Listed	Not Listed	G5	S2	No	Terrestrial and aquatic: Habitats used include the grasslands and modified open areas in the vicinity of aquatic features, such as ponds, streams or marshes. Damp soils and debris for cover are thought to be critical.
Trachemys gaigeae	Big Bend slider	Reptiles	Yes	Not Listed	Not Listed	G3	S2	No	Aquatic: Rivers with permanent water; ponds, impoundments, and stock tanks along the Rio Grande; basks on shore, emergent rocks, logs, vegetation mats, or at water surface.
Caretta caretta	loggerhead sea turtle	Reptiles Marine	Yes	T 07/28/1978	T 01/30/1997	G2G4	S4	No	Inhabits tropical, subtropical, and temperate waters worldwide, including the Gulf of Mexico. They migrate from feeding grounds to nesting beaches/barrier islands and some nesting does occur in Texas (April to September). Beaches that are narrow, steeply sloped, with coarse-grain sand are preffered for nesting. Newly hatched individuals depend on floating alage/seaweed for protection and foraging, which eventually transport them offshore and into open ocean. Juveniles and young adults spend their lives in open ocean, offshore before migrating to coastal areas to breed and nest. Foraging areas for adults include shallow continental shelf waters.
Chelonia mydas	green sea turtle	Reptiles Marine	Yes	T 07/28/1978	T 07/18/1977	G3	S3B,S3N	No	Inhabits tropical, subtropical, and temperate waters worldwide, including the Gulf of Mexico. Adults and juveniles occupy inshore and nearshore areas, including bays and lagoons with reefs and seagrass. They migrate from feeding grounds (open ocean) to nesting grounds (beaches/barrier islands) and some nesting does occur in Texas (April to September). Adults are herbivorous feeding on sea grass and seaweed; juveniles are omnivorous feeding initially on marine invertebrates, then increasingly on sea grasses and seaweeds.
Dermochelys coriacea	leatherback sea turtle	Reptiles Marine	Yes	E 06/02/1970	E 05/15/1975	G2	S1S2	No	Inhabit tropical, subtropical, and temperate waters worldwide, including the Gulf of Mexico. Nesting is not common in Texas (March to July). Most pelagic of the seaturtles with the longest migration (>10,000 miles) between nesting and foraging sites. Are able to dive to depths of 4,000 feet. They are omnivorous, showing a preference for jellyfish.
Eretmochelys imbricata	Atlantic hawksbill sea turtle	Reptiles Marine	Yes	E 06/02/1970	E 05/15/1975	G3	S2	No	Inhabit tropical and subtropical waters worldwide, in the Gulf of Mexico, especially Texas. Hatchling and juveniles are found in open, pelagic ocean and closely associated with floating lgae/seagrass mats. Juveniles then migrate to shallower, coastal areas, mainly coral reefs and rocky areas, but also in bays and estuaries near mangroves when reefs are absent; seldom in water lmore than 65 feet deep. They feed on sponges, jellyfish, sea urchins, molluscs, and crustaceans. Nesting occurs from April to November high up on the beach where there is vegetation for cover and little or no sand. Some migrate, but others stay close to foraging areas - females are philopatric.
Lepidochelys kempii	Kemp's Ridley sea turtle	Reptiles Marine	Yes	E 12/02/1970	E 05/19/1974	G1	S3	No	Inhabits tropical, subtropical, and temperate waters of the northwestern Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. Adults are found in coastal waters with muddy or sandy bottoms. Some males migrate between feeding grounds and breeeding grounds, but some don't. Females migrate between feeding and nesting areas, often returning to the same destinations. Nesting in Texas occurs on a smaller scale compared to other areas (i.e. Mexico). Hatchlings are quickly swept out to open water and are rarely found nearshore. Similarly, juveniles often congregate near floating algae/seagrass mats offshore, and move into nearshore, coastal, neritic areas after 1-2 years and remain until they reach maturity. They feed primarily on crabs, but also snails, clams, other crustaceans and plants, juveniles feed on sargassum and its associated fauna; nests April through August.
Carcharhinus acronotus	blacknose shark	Sharks	Yes	Not Listed	Not Listed	GNR	S3	No	Habitat description is not available at this time.
Carcharhinus brevipinna	spinner shark	Sharks	Yes	Not Listed	Not Listed	GNR	S3	No	Habitat description is not available at this time.
Carcharhinus falciformis	silky shark	Sharks	Yes	Not Listed	Not Listed	G3	S3	No	Habitat description is not available at this time.
Carcharhinus isodon	finetooth shark	Sharks	Yes	Not Listed	Not Listed	GNR	S3S4	No	Habitat description is not available at this time.
Carcharhinus leucas	bull shark	Sharks	Yes	Not Listed	Not Listed	G5	S3S4	No	Habitat description is not available at this time.
Carcharhinus longimanus	oceanic whitetip shark	Sharks	Yes	T 01/30/2018	T 03/30/2020	GNR	S2	No	Habitat description is not available at this time.
Carcharhinus obscurus	dusky shark	Sharks	Yes	Not Listed	Not Listed	G3	S3	No	Habitat description is not available at this time.
Carcharhinus plumbeus	sandbar shark	Sharks	Yes	Not Listed	Not Listed	G4	S3S4	No	Habitat description is not available at this time.
Carcharhinus porosus	smalltail shark	Sharks	Yes	Not Listed	Not Listed	GNR	S3	No	Habitat description is not available at this time.
Isurus oxyrinchus	shortfin mako shark	Sharks	Yes	Not Listed	T 03/30/2020	GNR	S2	No	Habitat description is not available at this time.
Negaprion brevirostris	lemon shark	Sharks	Yes	Not Listed	Not Listed	G3G4	S1S3	No	Habitat description is not available at this time.
Rhizoprionodon porosus	Caribbean sharpnose shark	Sharks	Yes	Not Listed	Not Listed	GNR	S3	No	Habitat description is not available at this time.
Sphyrna lewini	scalloped hammerhead shark	Sharks	Yes	Not Listed	Not Listed	G4	S3	No	Habitat description is not available at this time.
Sphyrna mokarran	great hammerhead	Sharks	Yes	Not Listed	T 03/30/2020	G3G4	S2	No	Habitat description is not available at this time.