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)
Trans-Pecos black-headed snake	Tantilla cucullata	Reptiles	Not Listed	T	G3	S3	True	Terrestrial: Found rocky canyons or hillsides in mesquite-creosote and pinyon-juniper-oak forests, as well as grasslands.
eastern box turtle	Terrapene carolina	Reptiles	Not Listed	Not Listed	G5	S3	False	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.
western box turtle	Terrapene ornata	Reptiles	Not Listed	Not Listed	G5	S3	False	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.
common garter snake	Thamnophis sirtalis	Reptiles	Not Listed	Not Listed	G5	S2	False	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.
Big Bend slider	Trachemys gaigeae	Reptiles	Not Listed	Not Listed	G3	S2	False	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.
loggerhead sea turtle	Caretta caretta	Reptiles - Marine	T	T	G3	S4	False	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.
green sea turtle	Chelonia mydas	Reptiles - Marine	T	T	G3	S3B,S3N	False	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.
leatherback sea turtle	Dermochelys coriacea	Reptiles - Marine	E	E	G2	S1S2	False	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.
Atlantic hawksbill sea turtle	Eretmochelys imbricata	Reptiles - Marine	E	E	G3	S2	False	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.
Kemp's Ridley sea turtle	Lepidochelys kempii	Reptiles - Marine	E	E	G1	S3	False	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.
blacknose shark	Carcharhinus acronotus	Sharks	Not Listed	Not Listed	GNR	S3	False	Gulf of Mexico
spinner shark	Carcharhinus brevipinna	Sharks	Not Listed	Not Listed	GNR	S3	False	Gulf of Mexico
silky shark	Carcharhinus falciformis	Sharks	Not Listed	Not Listed	G3	S3	False	Gulf of Mexico
Finetooth shark	Carcharhinus isodon	Sharks	Not Listed	Not Listed	GNR	SNR	False	Gulf of Mexico
Bull shark	Carcharhinus leucas	Sharks	Not Listed	Not Listed	G5	S5	False	Gulf of Mexico
oceanic whitetip shark	Carcharhinus longimanus	Sharks	T	T	GNR	S2	False	Habitat description is not available at this time.
dusky shark	Carcharhinus obscurus	Sharks	Not Listed	Not Listed	G3	S3	False	Gulf of Mexico
sandbar shark	Carcharhinus plumbeus	Sharks	Not Listed	Not Listed	G4	S3S4	False	Gulf of Mexico
smalltail shark	Carcharhinus porosus	Sharks	Not Listed	Not Listed	GNR	S3	False	Gulf of Mexico
shortfin mako shark	Isurus oxyrinchus	Sharks	Not Listed	T	GNR	S2	False	Habitat description is not available at this time.
lemon shark	Negaprion brevirostris	Sharks	Not Listed	Not Listed	G3G4	S1S3	False	Gulf of Mexico
Caribbean sharpnose shark	Rhizoprionodon porosus	Sharks	Not Listed	Not Listed	GNR	S3	False	Gulf of Mexico
scalloped hammerhead shark	Sphyrna lewini	Sharks	Not Listed	Not Listed	G4	SNR	False	Gulf of Mexico
great hammerhead	Sphyrna mokarran	Sharks	Not Listed	T	G3G4	S2	False	Gulf of Mexico