However, 17 amphibian species and 9 reptile species are likely to remain without
COSEWIC reports. These are the more common species in Canada which, by any accounting,
appear not to be in any imminent danger of disappearing altogether. This does not
mean, however, that they may not have suffered population declines or are not
susceptible to pollutants or disease. Against all the many potentially imperiled
species of plants and animals for which COSEWIC has, and will, commission status
reports, these species do not rate a high enough priority for them to be assessed
any time soon. But it would be extremely valuable nonetheless if all of Canada's
amphibian and reptile species could be investigated and assessed. This would be
the first complete and thorough status assessment of any country's herpetofauna
and the first completed for any major taxon in Canada as well. With 64 of 90 species
either already assessed or in line, the job is virtually 2/3 done.
Therefore, we ask for volunteers to write COSEWIC-style species status reports
for the remaining 17 amphibian species and 9 reptile species in Canada. When
completed in conformity to the prescribed format they can be brought forward to
COSEWIC for an official assessment (Not at Risk, we hope) and can be incorporated
into the proposed book.
| Species | Population | Status |
|---|
| Salamanders |
Ambystoma gracile
(Northwestern Salamander) |
BC | Not at Risk |
Ambystoma jeffersonianum
(Jefferson Salamander) |
ON | Threatened |
Ambystoma macrodactylum
(Long-toed Salamander)
| BC AB | Not at Risk |
Ambystoma mavortium melanostictum
(Blotched Tiger Salamander) |
BC
AB |
Endangered
Not at risk |
Ambystoma mavortium diaboli
(Gray Tiger Salamander) |
SK MB | Not at Risk |
Ambystoma texanum
(Small-mouthed Salamander) |
ON | Endangered |
Ambystoma tigrinum
(Eastern Tiger Salamander) |
ON | Extirpated |
Desmognathus fuscus
(Northern Dusky Salamander) |
ON QC NB | Not at risk |
Desmognathus ochrophaeus
(Allegheny Mountain Dusky Salamander) |
ON
QC |
Endangered
Threatened |
Dicamptodon tenebrosus
(Coastal Giant Salamander) |
BC | Threatened |
Ensatina eschscholtzii oregonensis
(Oregon Ensatina) |
BC | Not at risk |
Gyrinophilus porphyriticus porphyriticus
(Northern Spring Salamander) |
ON, QC | Special concern |
Hemidactylium scutatum
(Four-toed Salamander) |
ON QC NB NS | Not at risk |
Necturus maculosus maculosus
(Common Mudpuppy) |
MB ON QC | Not at risk |
Plethodon idahoensis
(Coeur d'Alene Salamander) |
BC | Special concern |
Plethodon vehiculum
(Western Red-backed Salamander) |
BC | Not at risk |
| Anurans |
Acris blanchardi
(Blanchard's Cricket frog) |
ON | Endangered |
Ascaphus montanus
(Rocky Mountain Tailed Frog) |
BC | Endangered |
Ascaphus truei
(Coastal Tailed Frog) |
BC | Special Concern |
Anaxyrus boreas boreas
(Boreal Toad) |
YT NT BC AB | Special concern |
Anaxyrus cognatus
(Great Plains Toad) |
AB SK MB | Special concern |
Anaxyrus fowleri
(Fowler's Toad) |
ON | Threatened |
Anaxyrus hemiophrys
(Canadian Toad) |
NT AB SK MB | Not at risk |
Hyla chrysoscelis
(Diploid or Cope's Gray Treefrog) |
MB | Not at risk |
Lithobates palustris
(Pickerel frog) |
ON QC NB NS | Not at risk |
Lithobates pipiens
(Northern Leopard frog) |
BC
NT AB SK MB
ON QC NB NS NL | Endangered
Special concern
Not at risk |
Pseudacris triseriata
(Western Chorus frog) |
ON QC (Great Lakes / St. Lawrence)
ON (Carolinian) |
Threatened
Not at risk |
Rana aurora
(Red-legged frog) |
BC | Special concern |
Rana luteiventris
(Columbia spotted frog) |
YT BC AB | Not at risk |
Rana pretiosa
(Oregon Spotted Frog) |
BC | Endangered |
Spea bombifrons
(Plains spadefoot) |
AB SK MB | Not at risk |
Spea intermontana
(Great Basin Spadefoot) |
BC | Threatened |
| Turtles |
Apalone spinifera spinifera
(Spiny Softshell) |
ON QC | Threatened |
Actinemys marmorata
(Western Pond Turtle) |
BC | Extirpated |
Caretta caretta
(Loggerhead Sea Turtle) |
Atlantic & Pacific | Report in preparation (2009) |
Chelydra serpentina serpentina
(Eastern Snapping Turtle) |
SK MB ON QC NB | Special Concern |
Chrysemys picta belli
(Western Painted Turtle) |
BC (Pacific coast)
BC (Intermountain/Rocky Mountain)
AB SK MB ON |
Endangered
Special concern
Not at risk |
Clemmys guttata
(Spotted Turtle) |
ON QC | Endangered |
Dermochelys coriacea
(Leatherback Sea Turtle) |
Atlantic, Pacific Coasts | Endangered |
Emydoidea blandingi
(Blanding's Turtle) |
NS
ON QC |
Endangered
Threatened |
Glyptemys insculpta
(Wood Turtle) |
ON QC NB NS | Threatened |
Graptemys geographica
(Northern Map Turtle) |
ON QC | Special concern |
Sternotherus odoratus
(Eastern Musk Turtle) |
ON QC | Threatened |
Terrapene carolina carolina
(Eastern Box Turtle) |
ON | Data deficient |
| Lizards |
Elgaria coerulea principis
(Northwestern Alligator Lizard) |
BC | Not at risk |
Plestiodon fasciatus
(Common Five-lined Skink) |
ON (Carolinian)
ON (Great Lakes / St. Lawrence) |
Endangered
Special concern |
Plestiodon septentrionalis septentrionalis
(Northern Prairie Skink) |
MB | Endangered |
Plestiodon skiltonianus skiltonianus
(Skilton's Skink) |
BC | Special concern |
Phrynosoma hernandesi
(Greater Short-horned Lizard) |
AB SK | Endangered |
Phrynosoma douglasii
(Pygmy Short-horned Lizard) |
BC | Extirpated |
| Snakes |
Charina bottae
(Northern Rubber Boa) |
BC | Special concern |
Coluber constrictor foxii
(Blue Racer) | ON |
Endangered |
Coluber constrictor flaviventris
(Eastern Yellow-bellied Racer) |
SK | Threatened |
Coluber constrictor mormon
(Western Yellow-bellied Racer) |
BC | Special concern |
Contia tenuis
(Sharp-tailed Snake) |
BC | Endangered |
Crotalus horridus
(Timber Rattlesnake) |
ON | Extirpated |
Crotalus oregonus oreganus
(Northern Pacific Rattlesnake) |
BC | Threatened |
Crotalus viridis
(Prairie Rattlesnake) |
AB SK | Report in preparation (2009) |
Heterodon nasicus
(Plains Hognose Snake) |
AB SK MB | Report in preparation (2009) |
Heterodon platirhinos
(Eastern Hognose Snake) |
ON | Threatened |
Hypsiglena chlorophaea deserticola
(Northern Desert Nightsnake) |
BC | Endangered |
Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum
(Eastern Milksnake) |
ON QC | Special concern |
Nerodia sipedon sipedon
(Common Watersnake) | ON, QC |
Not at risk |
N. sipedon insularum
(Lake Erie Watersnake) |
ON | Endangered |
Pantherophis gloydi
(Eastern Foxsnake) |
ON | Endangered |
Pantherophis spiloides
(Gray Ratsnake) |
ON (Carolinian)
ON (Great Lakes/St. Lawrence) |
Endangered
Threatened |
Pituophis catenifer catenifer
(Pacific Gophersnake) |
BC | Extirpated |
Pituophis catenifer deserticola
(Great Basin Gophersnake) |
BC | Threatened |
Pituophis catenifer sayi
(Bullsnake) |
AB SK | Data Deficient |
Regina septemvittata
(Queensnake) |
ON | Threatened |
Sistrurus catenatus
(Eastern Massasauga) |
ON | Threatened |
Storeria dekayi dekayi
(Northern Brownsnake) |
ON QC | Not at Risk |
Thamnophis butleri
(Butler's Gartersnake) |
ON | Threatened |
Thamnophis ordinoides
(Northwestern Gartersnake) |
BC | Not at Risk |
Thamnophis sauritus septentrionalis
(Northern Ribbonsnake) |
NS
ON |
Threatened
Special Concern |
Bishop, C. A. and K.E. Pettit (Eds). 1992. Canadian Amphibian
Populations: Designing a National Monitoring Strategy. Canadian Wildlife Service,
Occasional Paper No. 76. 120 p. Abstracts in English and French.
Green, D. M. (Ed.) 1997. Amphibians in Decline: Canadian Studies of a
Global Problem. Herpetological Conservation Number One. Society for the Study of
Amphibians and Reptiles, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA. Abstracts in English and French.
Seburn, C.N.L. and C.A. Bishop (Eds). 2007.
