What species are still endangered in Ohio, and why some could be off the list quickly

( WKBN) – – The Ohio Division of Wildlife is acting to maintain the population of undersea wildlife.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources notes that 125 types in Ohio are endangered. Out of all the species that are endangered, mollusks (24) and fishes (22) have the most private threatened types in Ohio.

The objective of ODNR is to increase the population of some threatened species like mussels. An endangered species is defined by ODNR as a native types or subspecies threatened with extirpation from the state. The risk might arise from one or more causes, such as habitat loss, pollution, predation, interspecific competition, or disease.

ODNR Program Administrator John Navarro said the company is dealing with the Columbus Zoo to give the mussels population a possibility to grow. Because they have a hard time to discover intermediary host fish to assist them complete their life cycle, Navarro stated some mussels are threatened.

" They'll connect those to a host, generally a fish, and it doesn't harm the fish. You have to have the right host fish. If fish aren't around, it isn't great for the mussels," Navarro stated.

As an outcome, ODNR is working with the Columbus Zoo and The Ohio State University to expand an exhibition that is predicated on mussel research and proliferation. They are hoping that they can assist the mussels species bypass the mussel host fish process, and in turn, increase the population.

Credit: Ohio Division of Wildlife- Mussels

" In the laboratory, we can develop thousands of mussels in the laboratory for putting them out in places where they utilized to be, so type of we're kind of providing a dive start," Navarro said.

Navarro said that fish, on the other hand, have seen their populations grow due to tidy water efforts over the past number of years. The burning of the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland up till the late 1960s impeded the growth of the fish population, however it likewise helped usher in the Clean Water Act. Wastewater treatment plants were likewise carried out.

" Now all of our waste is tidy, in some cases cleaner than the water it's entering into. That truly turned things around for aquatic life," he said.

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Navarro stated the flow of clean water has actually triggered specific fish types like the Blue breast darter to no longer be endangered. He said he hopes that ultimately the Tippecanoe darter types will no longer be threatened. Navarro said these advancements are due to the fact that of water quality improvements.

Credit: Ohio Division of Wildlife- Blue breast darter

" It's nothing we did; we didn't put fish out there. We didn't stock fish. Water quality was simply better and fish broadened on their own," Navarro stated.

Navarro said one fish species that he would like to see lose its endangered status is the Native Brook Trout. The Native Brook Trout is in an isolated location in Northeast Ohio where there are small streams. When a great deal of rain falls, it impacts this coldwater types, hindering its capability to grow.

Navarro stated other agencies are dealing with ODNR to try to stabilize the population.

Navarro expressed his desire to keep soil on the landscape. Activities like farming can cause sedimentation, where soil blankets the bottom of the river. This impacts the species' living conditions.

Navarro credited Ohio Governor Mike DeWine for starting an initiative to attempt to bring wetlands back to Ohio to enhance water quality. Navarro described wetlands as nature's kidneys and stated that this is a natural method to filter water into streams.

Navarro encouraged the general public to continue to protect our streams so that undersea wildlife populations can continue to grow.

The stuff in ephemeral streams, the streams that are periodic are crucial. If you destroy your headwater streams, you're actually damaging the whole system. We've made a lot of gains," he said.

The Ohio Division of Wildlife records data relating to numerous species in the state of Ohio. ODNR carries out professional reviews by taking a look at the population status of the types. The agency will determine what to classify it as if the population of a species looks dire.

The agency reports that nearly 400 types are listed in classification categories. There are six category categories: Endangered, Threatened, Species of Concern, Special Interest, Extripated, and Extinct.

Bald eagles were endangered from 1978 till they were eliminated from the list in 2007.

Here is the total list of Endangered Species in Ohio as of July 2022:

Amphibians (5 )

• Blue-spotted salamander-Ambystoma laterale




Cave salamander-Eurycea lucifuga




Eastern hellbender-Cryptobranchus alleganiensis




Eastern spadefoot-Scaphiopus holbrookii



• Green salamander-Aneides aeneus

Bees (1 )

Rusty patched bumblebee * E- Bombus affinis

Beetles (3 )

• American burying beetle * E- Nicrophorus americanus




Ohio cave beetle- Pseudanophthalmus ohioensis



• Water penny beetle- Dicranopselaphus variegatus

Birds (12 )

• American bittern- Botaurus lentiginosus




Black tern- Chlidonias niger




Cattle egret- Bubulcus ibis




Common tern- Sterna hirundo




King rail- Rallus elegans




Kirtland's warbler * E- Setophaga kirtlandii




Lark sparrow – – Chondestes grammacus




Loggerhead shrike- Lanius ludovicianus




Northern harrier- Circus hudsonius




Piping plover * E- Charadrius melodus




Snowy egret- Egretta thula



• Upland sandpiper- Bartramia longicauda

Butterflies (8 )

• American bittern- Botaurus lentiginosus




Black tern- Chlidonias niger




Cattle egret- Bubulcus ibis




Common tern- Sterna hirundo




King rail- Rallus elegans




Kirtland's warbler * E- Setophaga kirtlandii




Lark sparrow- Chondestes grammacus




Loggerhead shrike- Lanius ludovicianus




Northern harrier- Circus hudsonius




Piping plover * E- Charadrius melodus




Snowy egret- Egretta thula



• Upland sandpiper- Bartramia longicauda

Caddisflies (3 )

• -Brachycentrus nigrosoma




-- Chimarra socia



• -- Oecetis eddlestoni

Damselflies (3 )

• Lilypad forktail- Ischnura kellicotti




River jewelwing- Calopteryx aequabilis



• Seepage dancer- Argia bipunctulata

Dragonflies (13 )

• American emerald- Cordulia shurtleffi




Blue corporal- Ladona deplanata




Brush-tipped emerald- Somatochlora walshii




Canada darner- Aeshna canadensis




Chalk-fronted corporal- Ladona julia




Elfin skimmer- Nannothemis bella




Frosted whiteface- Leucorrhinia frigida




Hine's emerald * E- Somatochlora hineana




Mottled darner- Aeshna clepsydra




Plains clubtail- Gomphus externus




Racket-tailed emerald- Dorocordulia libera




Uhler's sundragon- Helocordulia uhleri



• Yellow-sided skimmer- Libellula flavida

Fishes (22 )

• Bigeye black eye- Notropis boops




Cisco (or Lake herring)- Coregonus artedi




Gilt darter- Percina evides




Goldeye- Hiodon alosoides




Iowa darter- Etheostoma exile




Lake sturgeon- Acipenser fulvescens




Longnose sucker- Catostomus catostomus




Mountain brook lamprey- Ichthyomyzon greeleyi




Northern brook lamprey- Ichthyomyzon fossor




Northern madtom- Noturus stigmosus




Ohio lamprey- Ichthyomyzon bdellium




Pirate perch- Aphredoderus sayanus




Popeye shiner- Notropis ariommus




Pugnose minnow- Opsopoeodus emiliae




Scioto madtom * E- Noturus trautmani




Shoal chub- Macrhybopsis hyostoma




Shortnose gar- Lepisosteus platostomus




Shovelnose sturgeon- Scaphirhynchus platorynchus




Spotted darter- Etheostoma maculatum




Spotted gar- Lepisosteus oculatus




Tonguetied minnow- Exoglossum laurae



• Western banded killifish- Fundulus diaphanus menona

Isopods (2 )

• Fern cavern isopod- Caecidotea filicispeluncae



• Kindt's cavern isopod- Caecidotea insula

Mammals (6 )

• Allegheny woodrat- Neotoma magister




Black bear- Ursus americanus




Indiana myotis * E- Myotis sodalis




Little brown bat- Myotis lucifugus




Northern long-eared bat * T- Myotis septentrionalis



• Tri-colored bat- Perimyotis subflavus

Mayflies (2 )

- Rhithrogena pellucida
-- Litobrancha recurvata

Midges (1 )

-- Rheopelopia acra

Mollusks (24 )

• Butterfly- Ellipsaria lineolata




Clubshell * E- Pleurobema clava




Eastern pondmussel- Ligumia nasuta




Ebonyshell- Reginaia ebenas




Elephantear- Elliptio crassidens




Fanshell * E- Cyprogenia stegaria




Little spectaclecase- Villosa lienosa




Long-solid- Fusconaia subrotunda




Monkeyface- Theliderma metanevra




Northern riffleshell * E- Epioblasma rangiana




Ohio pigtoe- Pleurobema cordatum




Pink mucket * E- Lampsilis abrupta




Pocketbook- Lampsilis ovata




Purple catspaw * E- Epioblasma obliquata




Purple lilliput- Toxolasma lividum




Pyramid pigtoe- Pleurobema rubrum




Rabbitsfoot * T- Theliderma cylindrica




Rayed bean * E- Villosa fabalis




Sheepnose * E- Plethobasus cyphyus




Snuffbox * E- Epioblasma triquetra




Wartyback- Cyclonaias nodulata




Washboard- Megalonaias nervosa




White catspaw * E- Epioblasma perobliqua



• Yellow sandshell- Lampsilis tere
  

Moths (14 )

• Graceful underwin- Catocala gracilis




Hairy artesa moth- Sideridis artesta




Hebard's noctuid moth- Erythroecia hebardi




Pointed sallow- Epiglaea apiata




Unexpected cycnia- Cycnia inopinatus




-- Hypocoena enervata




-- Lithophane semiusta




-- Melanchra assimilis




-- Papaipema beeriana




-- Papaipema silphii




-- Spartiniphaga inops




-- Tricholita notata




-- Ufeus plicatus



• -- Ufeus satyricus

Psuedoscorpians (1 )

Buckskin cave pseudoscorpion- Apochthonius hobbsi

Reptiles (5 )

• Copperbelly watersnake * T- Nerodia erythrogaster neglecta




Massasauga * T- Sistrurus catenatus




Plains gartersnake- Thamnophis radix




Smooth greensnake- Opheodrys vernalis



• Timber rattlesnake- Crotalus horridus