Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Fragile Legacy
Endangered, Threatened & Rare Animals of South Dakota
Written by
Diane E. Ashton and Eileen M. Dowd
Originally Published by
South Dakota Department of Game, Fish & Parks
Wildlife Division
523 E. Capitol, Pierre, SD 57501
Introduction
The settlement of North America brought with it many land management practices
that altered or destroyed wildlife habitat. Such practices have included draining
of wetlands, damming of rivers and streams, cutting of woodlands, plowing of
native prairie, controlling natural fires and overgrazing, as well as introduction
of exotic species and chemical pollution. Commercial exploitation of species
for hides, pelts, medicinal or food purposes has also affected a number of species.
Although, as a society, we have become more aware of the sometimes fragile
balance of nature and of the repercussions of our actions and inactions, species
continue to decline, sometimes to the irreversible point of extinction.
This resource contains accounts of some of South Dakota's rarest animal
species. If we believe that our natural world is a reflection of our environment's
health and that this natural world is an important component of our "quality
of life", it is the responsibility of each of us to safeguard these rare animals,
not only during our lifetimes, but as a legacy for future South Dakotans.
NOTE: The material in this resource is based on information published
in 1991. For more current information about endangered and threatened species,
visit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Endangered
Species Program web site.
This resource is based on the following source:
Ashton, Diane E. and Eileen M. Dowd. 1991. Fragile legacy. Endangered,
threatened and rare animals of South Dakota. South Dakota Department of
Game, Fish and Parks, Report No. 91-04. 56pp.
This resource should be cited as:
Ashton, Diane E. and Eileen M. Dowd. 1991. Fragile legacy. Endangered,
threatened and rare animals of South Dakota. South Dakota Department of
Game, Fish and Parks, Report No. 91-04. Jamestown, ND: Northern Prairie
Wildlife Research Center Online.
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/wildlife/sdrare/index.htm
(Version 08DEC97).
- Protection of Rare Species in South Dakota
- The Fragile Legacy of South Dakota's Rare Species
- Birds
- Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)
- Whooping Crane (Grus americana)
- Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
- Eskimo Curlew (Numenius borealis)
- Interior Least Tern (Sterna antillarum
athalassos)
- Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus)
- Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
- Baird's Sparrow (Ammodramus bairdii)
- Fishes
- Pallid Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus
albus)
- Banded Killifish (Fundulus diaphanus)
- Pearl Dace (Semotilus margarita)
- Central Mudminnow (Umbra limi)
- Sturgeon Chub (Hybopsis gelida)
- Sicklefin Chub (Hybopsis meeki)
- Longnose Sucker (Catostomus catostomus)
- Plains Topminnow (Fundulus sciadicus)
- Trout-perch (Percopsis omiscomaycus)
- Northern Redbelly Dace (Phoxinus
eos)
- Finescale Dace (Phoxinus neogaeus)
- Paddlefish (Polyodon spathula)
- Insects
- American Burying Beetle (Nicrophorus
americanus)
- Dakota Skipper (Hesperia dacotae)
- Reptiles
- Blanding's Turtle (Emydoidea blandingii)
- Spiny Softshell (Apalone spinifera)
- False Map Turtle (Graptemys pseudogeographica)
- Eastern Hognose Snake (Heterodon
platirhinos)
- Northern Redbelly Snake (Storeria
occipitomaculata occipitomaculata)
- Lined Snake (Tropidoclonion lineatum)
- Short-horned Lizard (Phrynosoma
douglassii)
- Mammals
- Black-footed Ferret (Mustela nigripes)
- Mountain Lion (Felis concolor)
- River Otter (Lutra canadensis)
- Black Bear (Ursus americana)
- Swift Fox (Vulpes velox)
- Marten (Martes americana)
- Fringe-tailed Myotis (Myotis thysanodes
pahasapensis)
- Reporting Rare Species Sightings
- Appendix A -- The Endangered Species Act
- References
- Acknowledgments
Downloading Instructions -- Instructions
on downloading and extracting files from this site.
sdrare.zip
(791K) -- Fragile Legacy -- Endangered, Threatened and Rare Species
of South Dakota
Installation: Extract all files and open index.htm in a web browser.
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