Archived: COSEWIC wildlife species assessments (detailed version), April 2016
Assessment Results (April 2016 Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) Wildlife Species Assessment Meeting)1
Results are grouped by taxon and then by status category. The range of occurrence in Canada (by province, territory or ocean) and history of status designation are provided for each wildlife species.
Mammals
Pacific Water Shrew
- Common Name:
- Pacific Water Shrew
- Scientific Name:
- Sorex bendirii
- Status:
- Endangered
- Assessment Criteria:
- B2ab(iii,iv)
- Reason for Designation
- This shrew is restricted to British Columbia’s Lower Mainland and adjacent low valleys. It is rare there, associated with freshwater streams and adjacent wet habitats. Urban development, agriculture, and forestry have reduced the amount and quality of habitat. There is an inferred and projected ongoing decline in habitat and subpopulations in much of its range in Canada.
- Range
- BC
- Status History
- Designated Threatened in April 1994 and in May 2000. Status re-examined and designated Endangered in April 2006. Status re-examined and confirmed in April 2016.
Harbour Porpoise Pacific Ocean population
- Common Name:
- Harbour Porpoise Pacific Ocean population
- Scientific Name:
- Phocoenaphocoenavomerina
- Status:
- Special Concern
- Assessment Criteria
- not applicable
- Reason for Designation
- This species is found in the coastal waters of the eastern North Pacific Ocean and uses British Columbian waters year-round. It is highly susceptible to mortality by entanglement in fishing gear, and particularly sensitive to noise. Although surveys are too infrequent to determine population trends, there is ongoing deterioration of habitat quality due to coastal developments, increasing noise, and other factors which are unlikely to be reversed.
- Range
- BC Pacific Ocean Arctic Ocean
- Status History
- Species considered in April 1991 and placed in the Data Deficient category. Re-examined in November 2003 and designated Special Concern. Status re-examined and confirmed in April 2016.
Birds
McCown's Longspur
- Common Name:
- McCown's Longspur
- Scientific Name:
- Rhynchophanesmccownii
- Status:
- Threatened
- Assessment Criteria
- A2bc+3bc+4bc
- Reason for Designation
- This grassland bird has experienced a severe population decline since at least the late 1960s, and there is evidence of a substantial, continuing decline. The species is primarily threatened by continuing loss and degradation of grassland habitats within both its breeding and wintering grounds.
- Range
- AB SK
- Status History
- Designated Special Concern in April 2006. Status re-examined and designated Threatened April 2016.
Red Crossbill percna subspecies
- Common Name:
- Red Crossbill percna subspecies
- Scientific Name:
- Loxiacurvirostrapercna
- Status:
- Threatened
- Assessment Criteria
- C2a(ii)
- Reason for Designation
- This subspecies is a distinctive taxonomic group endemic to Canada. Previously known to breed only on the island of Newfoundland, it has within the past five years also been documented nesting on Anticosti Island. While the Canadian population is thought to be greater than was understood previously due to the recent discovery of a breeding population component on Anticosti Island, there is no evidence of an increasing trend. On the contrary, this taxon has experienced a substantial long-term decline. Further population decrease is expected based on identified threats, most notably competition and predation from introduced squirrels in Newfoundland, habitat loss due to logging, and a fungal disease affecting Red Pine.
- Range
- QC NL
- Status History
- Designated Endangered in May 2004. Status re-examined and designated Threatened April 2016.
Reptiles
Spiny Softshell
- Common Name:
- Spiny Softshell
- Scientific Name:
- Apalone spinifera
- Status:
- Endangered
- Assessment Criteria
- A2bcd+3bcd+4bcd
- Reason for Designation
- The continuing decline of this species in Ontario and Québec is attributed to very low recruitment that has resulted from loss of nesting habitat. Suitable nesting and basking sites have been lost and/or degraded by development, altered water regimes (e.g., dams, floods, erosion of river banks), invasive plants, recreational use, and illegal harvest of individuals. Without nest protection, few eggs survive predation by an increased abundance of mammals.
- Range
- ON QC
- Status History
- Designated Threatened in April 1991. Status re-examined and confirmed in May 2002. Status re-examined and designated Endangered in April 2016.
Northern Rubber Boa
- Common Name:
- Northern Rubber Boa
- Scientific Name:
- Charina bottae
- Status:
- Special Concern
- Assessment Criteria
- not applicable
- Reason for Designation
- This species is patchily distributed within the southern half of British Columbia with concentrations in arid river valleys in the southern interior of the province. The species’ life history traits, including low reproductive rate, delayed age at maturity, and longevity, and specific habitat requirements for hibernation and thermoregulation make it sensitive to human activities. There are inferred declines in mature individuals based on habitat trends, and some subpopulations continue to be threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation mainly from housing developments, roads, and transport corridors. The overall threat impact on the Canadian population is deemed to be low; however, the species could become Threatened if threats to local populations are not sufficiently managed and mitigated.
- Range
- BC
- Status History
- Designated Special Concern in May 2003. Status re-examined and confirmed in April 2016.
Amphibians
Unisexual Ambystoma Small-mouthed Salamander dependent population
- Common Name:
- Unisexual Ambystoma Small-mouthed Salamander dependent population
- Scientific Name:
- Ambystoma laterale - texanum
- Status:
- Endangered
- Assessment Criteria
- B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv)+2ab(i,ii,iii,iv)
- Reason for Designation
- These unusual unisexual salamanders exist only on one isolated island in Canada (Pelee Island in Lake Erie) and depend on an endangered sperm donor species, Small-mouthed Salamander (Ambystoma texanum), for recruitment. The salamander faces numerous threats that make its continued existence precarious. These include predation and habitat modification by introduced wild turkeys, drainage activities that can cause premature drying of breeding ponds, road mortality during seasonal migrations, urban development, and recreational activities.
- Range
- ON
- Status History
- Designated Endangered in April 2016.
Unisexual Ambystoma Jefferson Salamander dependent population
- Common Name:
- Unisexual Ambystoma Jefferson Salamander dependent population
- Scientific Name:
- Ambystoma laterale - (2) jeffersonianum
- Status:
- Endangered
- Assessment Criteria:
- A2bc+3c+4bc; B2ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v)
- Reason for Designation
- These unusual unisexual salamanders occupy restricted areas within populated and highly modified areas of Ontario and depend on an endangered sperm donor species, Jefferson Salamander (Ambystoma jeffersonianum), for recruitment. The salamander faces numerous threats from human activities, leading to habitat loss and fragmentation, making its continued existence precarious.
- Range
- ON
- Status History
- Designated Endangered in April 2016.
Unisexual Ambystoma Blue-spotted Salamander dependent population
- Common Name:
- Unisexual Ambystoma Blue-spotted Salamander dependent population
- Scientific Name:
- Ambystoma (2) laterale - jeffersonianum
- Status:
- Not at Risk
- Assessment Criteria:
- not applicable
- Reason for Designation
- These unusual unisexual salamanders depend on a sperm-donor species, Blue-spotted Salamander (Ambystoma laterale), that has an extensive distribution in Canada. It is found from Nova Scotia to Manitoba and from the Great Lakes to James Bay and Northern Quebec. Unisexuals that depend on this species have been identified in sites across this range and likely exist in many other sites that have not been subjected to genetic analyses. While declines have been observed and are expected for the Blue-spotted Salamander and unisexuals that depend on it in southwestern Ontario, threats are localized and expected to have little effect on the entire Canadian population.
- Range
- ON QC NB NS
- Status History
- Designated Not at Risk in April 2016.
Fishes
River Darter Great Lakes - Upper St. Lawrence populations
- Common Name:
- River Darter Great Lakes - Upper St. Lawrence populations
- Scientific Name:
- Percina shumardi
- Status:
- Endangered
- Assessment Criteria:
- B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv)+2ab(i,ii,iii,iv)
- Reason for Designation
- This is a small-bodied species that inhabits medium to large rivers and shorelines of larger lakes. It has a very restricted distribution, occurs at few locations, and is exposed to high risk of threats from shoreline hardening, exotic species such as Round Goby, dams and water management, dredging, nutrients and effluents from urban waste, spills, and agriculture.
- Range
- ON
- Status History
- The species was considered a single unit and designated Not at Risk in April 1989. When the species was split into three separate units in April 2016, the "Great Lakes - Upper St. Lawrence populations" unit was designated Endangered.
Sockeye Salmon Sakinaw population
- Common Name:
- Sockeye Salmon Sakinaw population
- Scientific Name:
- Oncorhynchus nerka
- Status:
- Endangered
- Assessment Criteria:
- A2a; B2ab(ii,iii); D1
- Reason for Designation
- This population experienced a very large decline in the 1980s and 1990s because of low ocean survival and over-fishing. Brood stock from Sakinaw Lake were maintained in a captive-breeding program that produced fry and smolts released into the lake beginning in 2000. Despite these introductions, almost no adults returned to the lake in 2006-2009. Smolts from the captive-breeding program continued to be introduced and adults returned to the lake in 2010 through 2014. Some of these fish spawned successfully on historical spawning beaches, demonstrating that the program was having some success in re-establishing the population. However, the number of wild-hatched fish is very small. Threats from development around the lake, low ocean survival, and the fishery continue.
- Range
- BC Pacific Ocean
- Status History
- Designated Endangered in an emergency assessment on 20 October 2002. Status re-examined and confirmed in May 2003. Status re-examined in an emergency reassessment on 20 April 2006 and confirmed Endangered. Status re-examined and confirmed in April 2016.
Northern Sunfish Great Lakes - Upper St. Lawrence populations
- Common Name:
- Northern Sunfish Great Lakes - Upper St. Lawrence populations
- Scientific Name:
- Lepomis peltastes
- Status:
- Special Concern
- Assessment Criteria:
- not applicable
- Reason for Designation
- This is a small-bodied member of the sunfish family that inhabits shallow vegetated areas of warm lakes, ponds, and slow-flowing rivers. Its spatial distribution is relatively small and likely patchy. It is suspected that the index of area of occupancy and abundance of the species has declined. Threats are variable across its range with some areas of declining habitat quality and other areas with improving habitat quality. Overall, the threats of siltation, contaminants, and invasive species were assessed as high. The species is likely to become Threatened unless these threats are effectively ameliorated.
- Range
- ON QC
- Status History
- The species was considered a single unit and designated Not at Risk in April 1987. When the species was split into two separate units in April 2016, the "Great Lakes - Upper St. Lawrence populations " unit was designated Special Concern.
Northern Sunfish Saskatchewan - Nelson River populations
- Common Name:
- Northern Sunfish Saskatchewan - Nelson River populations
- Scientific Name:
- Lepomis peltastes
- Status:
- Not at Risk
- Assessment Criteria:
- not applicable
- Reason for Designation
- This is a small-bodied member of the sunfish family that inhabits shallow vegetated areas of warm lakes, ponds, and slow-flowing rivers. Though relatively rare, it is broadly distributed, and is subject to low threats.
- Range
- ON
- Status History
- The species was considered a single unit and designated Not at Risk in April 1987. When the species was split into two separate units in April 2016, the "Saskatchewan - Nelson River populations" unit was designated Not at Risk.
River Darter Saskatchewan - Nelson River populations
- Common Name:
- River Darter Saskatchewan - Nelson River populations
- Scientific Name:
- Percina shumardi
- Status:
- Not at Risk
- Assessment Criteria:
- not applicable
- Reason for Designation
- This is a broadly distributed species that is inferred to be stable in abundance and distribution. Potential threats include water management practices and urban and agricultural effluents but these are assessed as having a low overall impact.
- Range
- SK MB ON
- Status History
- The species was considered a single unit and designated Not at Risk in April 1989. When the species was split into three separate units in April 2016, the "Saskatchewan - Nelson River populations" unit was designated Not at Risk.
River Darter Southern Hudson Bay - James Bay populations
- Common Name:
- River Darter Southern Hudson Bay - James Bay populations
- Scientific Name:
- Percina shumardi
- Status:
- Not at Risk
- Assessment Criteria:
- not applicable
- Reason for Designation
- This is a broadly distributed, but relatively uncommon, species that is inferred to be stable in abundance and distribution. Potential threats related to water management practices are assessed as low overall.
- Range
- MB ON
- Status History
- The species was considered a single unit and designated Not at Risk in April 1989. When the species was split into three separate units in April 2016, the "Southern Hudson Bay - James Bay populations" unit was designated Not at Risk.
Arthropods
Eastern persius Duskywing
- Common Name:
- Eastern persius Duskywing
- Scientific Name:
- Erynnispersiuspersius
- Status:
- Endangered
- Assessment Criteria:
- B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii)
- Reason for Designation
- This lupine-feeding butterfly has been confirmed from only two localities in Canada. It inhabits oak savannas in southern Ontario, a habitat that has undergone substantial declines and alterations. Larval host-plant populations have been greatly reduced. There have been no confirmed reports of this butterfly since 1987, but there have been no intensive surveys for the species since 2003. This, combined with its similarity with other duskywings, makes it possible that it still occurs but has been overlooked.
- Range
- ON
- Status History
- Designated Endangered in April 2006. Status re-examined and confirmed in April 2016.
Nine-spotted Lady Beetle
- Common Name:
- Nine-spotted Lady Beetle
- Scientific Name:
- Coccinellanovemnotata
- Status:
- Endangered
- Assessment Criteria:
- A2bce
- Reason for Designation
- This species was once common and broadly distributed through southern Canada, from Vancouver Island through the prairies to southern Québec. It has since declined significantly and is now rarely seen. Despite targeted search efforts over the last decade, the species has decreased in abundance relative to other lady beetle species. Specific causes of the decline are unknown. Possible threats include introduction of non-native lady beetles, which could affect this native species through competition, intraguild predation, or introduction of pathogens. Other possible threats include decline in habitat quality through indirect effects of pesticide/chemical use associated with agriculture to control their prey species, urban expansion, and, abandonment and subsequent natural succession of farmland.
- Range
- BC AB SK MB ON QC
- Status History
- Designated Endangered in April 2016.
Molluscs
Shortface Lanx
- Common Name:
- Shortface Lanx
- Scientific Name:
- Fisherola nuttallii
- Status:
- Endangered
- Assessment Criteria:
- B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii)
- Reason for Designation
- This limpet-like freshwater snail is globally confined to the Columbia River basin. Historically known from the 1800s, the first recent evidence of the species in Canada was the discovery of a broken shell in the Columbia River near Trail, British Columbia, followed by live individuals being found in the same area in 2009 and 2010. Searches in 2014 confirm the species still exists in this short, free flowing section of the Columbia River. It requires flowing, clean, well-oxygenated, cold water, but the numerous dams on the Columbia River and its major tributaries have converted much of this habitat into reservoirs. The species is exposed to a variety of threats from natural system modifications caused by the dams, pollution from urban and industrial sources, invasive and problematic native species, and climate change.
- Range
- BC
- Status History
- Designated Endangered in April 2016.
Blue-grey Taildropper
- Common Name:
- Blue-grey Taildropper
- Scientific Name:
- Prophysaon coeruleum
- Status:
- Threatened
- Assessment Criteria:
- B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii)
- Reason for Designation
- This small, slender blue-coloured slug is only found in western North America where it lives in the moist layer of fallen leaves and mosses in mixed-wood forest. In Canada, it is confined to the southeastern tip of Vancouver Island within the Coastal Douglas-fir biogeoclimatic zone and where it transitions into the Coastal Western Hemlock biogeoclimatic zone. These habitats are declining in extent and what remains is becoming increasingly fragmented. Fifteen subpopulations are currently known, an increase that has resulted in a change of status. A continuing decline in habitat quality is expected due to natural ecosystem modification and competition with invasive species as well as droughts and severe weather events from climate change.
- Range
- BC
- Status History
- Designated Endangered in April 2006. Status re-examined and designated Threatened April 2016.
Pygmy Slug
- Common Name:
- Pygmy Slug
- Scientific Name:
- Kootenaia burkei
- Status:
- Special Concern
- Assessment Criteria:
- not applicable
- Reason for Designation
- In Canada, this small slug is confined to the moist forests of the northern Columbia basin of British Columbia. It is found in moist mixed-wood and coniferous forests and commonly associated with riparian habitats along small creeks. Key habitat requirements include high substrate moisture with abundant woody debris and leaf litter for shelter. Threats include: existing and new roads resulting in fragmentation, increased edge effects, and barriers to dispersal; predation and competition from invasive species; damage to riparian areas associated with livestock grazing; habitat loss and degradation associated with logging activities; and, projected consequences of climate change, including an increase in drought conditions and an increase in both the number and severity of wildfires.
- Range
- BC
- Status History
- Designated Special Concern in April 2016.
Sheathed Slug
- Common Name:
- Sheathed Slug
- Scientific Name:
- Zacoleus idahoensis
- Status:
- Special Concern
- Assessment Criteria:
- not applicable
- Reason for Designation
- In Canada, this slug is confined to a small area in the Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia, generally within 25 km of the Canada-U.S. border. Most records are from older shady coniferous forest stands ranging from approximately 50 to >200 years. The species often inhabits riparian areas and other very moist microsites. Threats include logging and wood harvesting, and projected consequences of climate change including an increase in drought condition and wildfires. A decline is projected in the area, extent, and quality of habitat. The low number of scattered subpopulations makes the species vulnerable to both natural and human disturbances.
- Range
- BC
- Status History
- Designated Special Concern in April 2016.
Vascular Plants
Baikal Sedge
- Common Name:
- Baikal Sedge
- Scientific Name:
- Carex sabulosa
- Status:
- Special Concern
- Assessment Criteria:
- not applicable
- Reason for Designation
- In Canada, this species is restricted to 16 sites in 10 dune fields in the southwest Yukon. Since the last assessment, 11 new subpopulations have been found and two serious threats have been negated, which reduces the known risk to the Canadian population. However, natural succession is leading to habitat loss; this is exacerbated by fire suppression. Other threats driving recent declines include off-road recreational vehicle use and habitat loss through housing development. Exotic, invasive plants are a serious potential threat resulting in dune stabilization and competitive exclusion.
- Range
- YT
- Status History
- Designated Threatened in May 2005. Status re-examined and designated Special Concern in April 2016.
Mosses
Porter's Twisted Moss
- Common Name:
- Porter's Twisted Moss
- Scientific Name:
- Tortula porteri
- Status:
- Not at Risk
- Assessment Criteria:
- not applicable
- Reason for Designation
- This species occupies a small proportion of exposed, weathered limestone surfaces in southernmost Ontario on the Niagara Peninsula and on Pelee Island. It is a small pioneer species with poor competitive ability. The highly restricted potential habitat of the species falls within an intensively populated and developed region and is generally subject to ongoing threats (quarrying, recreational use, air pollution, climate change). It has been extirpated from Middle Island due to the effects of Double-crested Cormorant. However, it has persisted in some natural areas for over 100 years and the probability that the species risks extinction in the near future is believed to be low.
- Range
- ON
- Status History
- Designated Not at Risk in April 2016.
Pygmy Pocket Moss
- Common Name:
- Pygmy Pocket Moss
- Scientific Name:
- Fissidens exilis
- Status:
- Not at Risk
- Assessment Criteria:
- not applicable
- Reason for Designation
- This species has a very large extent of Canadian occurrence, occurring on both Pacific and Atlantic coasts, and in central Canada. Despite low detectability that confounds attempts to quantify population sizes and trends, the number of known occurrences has increased from 7 to 21 since 2005, and it is expected that more occurrences will be documented with ongoing search effort. Although it is found in some densely populated regions of Canada, including southern Ontario, no declines or direct imminent threats are known for this species. Localized soil disturbance is required for suitable habitat, such that some kinds of human disturbance may actually benefit the species. Although data are lacking in many aspects of its biology, ecology, distribution, and abundance, no evidence suggests that this species is at risk in Canada.
- Range
- BC ON QC NS
- Status History
- Designated Special Concern in May 2005. Status re-examined and designated Not at Risk in April 2016.
Lichens
Wrinkled Shingle Lichen
- Common Name:
- Wrinkled Shingle Lichen
- Scientific Name:
- Pannaria lurida
- Status:
- Threatened
- Assessment Criteria:
- A2b
- Reason for Designation
- This lichen colonizes mature deciduous trees, most often Red Maple, and is known from 56 occurrences in the Atlantic provinces. Surveys have failed to confirm the lichen is still present in Prince Edward Island, at one of two occurrences in Newfoundland, at two of four occurrences in New Brunswick, and at several of the 49 known occurrences in Nova Scotia. Threats to this species include continuing forest harvesting leading to the removal of host trees, and the impact of climate change, leading to a reduction in the amount of suitable moist climate.
- Range
- NB PE NS NL
- Status History
- Designated Threatened in April 2016.
Mountain Crab-eye
- Common Name:
- Mountain Crab-eye
- Scientific Name:
- Acroscyphussphaerophoroides
- Status:
- Special Concern
- Assessment Criteria:
- not applicable
- Reason for Designation
- This charismatic lichen forms pale gray to yellow gray coral-like cushions. It is globally rare and there are only eight known occurrences in Canada. All are within British Columbia in a very restricted climatic zone, which lies between the hyper-maritime conditions found on the outer coast and the continental climate of the interior. There is a low IAO of 32 km2 and the total estimated population for this lichen is less than 250 colonies. However, this lichen occurs in remote, inaccessible sites within the rugged Coast Mountains, and additional new occurrences are likely to be discovered. In Canada, it is found primarily on dead Mountain Hemlock snags in patterned fen or bog complexes. Development pressures (roads, pipeline, hydroelectricity, mining and forestry) and climate change threaten hydrological regime and microclimatic conditions required by this species at many of the known sites.
- Range
- BC
- Status History
- Designated Special Concern in April 2016.
29/04/2016
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