New Mexico Ecological Services Field Office

Featured Species

New Mexico Meadow Jumping Mouse

This endangered species is found in New Mexico, eastern Arizona, and southern Colorado, where it relies on habitat areas along rivers to make its home. It is very sensitive to changes in the riparian riparian
Definition of riparian habitat or riparian areas.

Learn more about riparian (along rivers or stream edges) vegetation conditions it needs, and requires perennial flowing streams. Our office is leading the development of a plan to guide the recovery efforts necessary to protect this species from further decline. This will include significant habitat protection and recovery actions on degraded critical habitat on both public and, where possible, private lands with willing landowners. The recovery planning process involves multiple partners from the U.S. Forest Service, State game and fish agencies, academics, and Tribes, along with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists. We anticipate having a final recovery plan published by January 2023.

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Black-footed Ferret

The black-footed ferret is a specialized member of the weasel family native to the open prairie habitat found in the interior parts of North America. It is entirely dependent upon prairie dogs and their colonies for food and shelter. Our office has been actively supporting an ongoing and successful reintroduction effort in Mora County, New Mexico, on a private ranch. 2022 will be the fourth active year for this project, which includes three releases of black-footed ferrets from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center in Colorado. Annual surveys have detected active breeding females with kits each of the past three years for this project, making this a successful endeavor to date. This is one of the few black-footed ferret recovery actions being done on private land in the United States.

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Sacramento Mountains Checkerspot Butterfly

The Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly lives only in mountain meadows near Cloudcroft, New Mexico. They are pollinators for local wildflowers and lay their eggs on New Mexico beardtongue. In recent years, this butterfly has declined in abundance due, in part, to drought and heavy browsing by large herbivores. We are currently collaborating with the U.S. Forest Service and some non-governmental organizations to conserve this scarce species. Currently, our conservation team is focusing on protecting meadow habitat, planting native plants to provide pollen, and captive breeding and raising of the checkerspot butterfly.

Office Species by Taxa

Taxa	The NMESFO functions as the “lead” office for the following listed, proposed, or candidate species.	The NMESFO also has responsibility to help conserve and protect the below listed, proposed, or candidate species.
Amphibians	Jemez Mountains salamander	Arizona toad Boreal toad Chiricahua leopard frog Northern leopard frog
Birds	None	Bald eagle Black-capped vireo California condor Golden eagle Interior least tern Lesser prairie-chicken Mexican spotted owl Mountain plover Northern aplomado falcon Piping plover Southwestern willow flycatcher Yellow-billed cuckoo
Fish	Beautiful shiner Chihuahua chub Gila trout Pecos bluntnose shiner Pecos pupfish Rio Grande chub Rio Grande cutthroat trout Rio Grande shiner Rio Grande silvery minnow Rio Grande sucker White Sands pupfish Zuni bluehead sucker	Arkansas River shiner Chihuahua catfish Colorado pikeminnow Gila chub Gila topminnow Headwater chub Loach minnow Pecos gambusia Peppered chub Razorback sucker Roundtail chub Spikedace
Invertebrates	Alamosa springsnail Chupadera springsnail Cooke's peak woodlandsnail Dona ana talussnail Koster's springsnail Mineral creek mountainsnail Noel's amphipod Pecos assiminea Pecos springsnail Roswell springsnail Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly Sangre de Cristo peaclam Socorro isopod Socorro springsnail	American bumble bee Monarch butterfly Silverspot Texas hornshell Western bumble bee
Mammals	New Mexico meadow jumping mouse Penasco least chipmunk	Black-footed ferret Black-tailed prairie dog Canada lynx Gunnison's prairie dog Jaguar Lesser long-nosed bat Mexican long-nosed bat Mexican wolf North American wolverine Tri-colored bat
Plants	Aztec gilia Chihuahua scurfpea Clover's cactus Gypsum wild-buckwheat Holy Ghost ipomopsis Knowlton's cactus Kuenzler's hedgehog cactus Lee's pincushion cactus Leoncita false-foxglove Mancos milk-vetch Mesa Verde cactus Navajo bladderpod Pecos sunflower Sacramento Mountains thistle Sacramento prickly poppy Sneed pincushion cactus Swale paintbrush Tharp's blue-star Todsen's pennyroyal Wright's marsh thistle Zuni fleabane	American hart's-tongue fern
Reptiles	Bolson tortoise Dunes sagebrush lizard New Mexico ridge-nosed rattlesnake	Desert massasauga Narrow-headed gartersnake Northern Mexican gartersnake Rio Grande cooter

Office Species Leads

Species Common Name	NMESFO Species Lead	Contact Information
Alamosa springsnail	Elizabeth Bainbridge	elizabeth_bainbridge@fws.gov
American bumble bee	Janelle Alleman	janelle_alleman@fws.gov
American hart's-tongue fern	Charles Hayes	charles_hayes@fws.gov
Arizona toad	Clinton Smith	clinton_smith@fws.gov
Arkansas River shiner	Mark Horner	mark_horner@fws.gov
Aztec gilia	Lauren Rangel	lauren_rangel@fws.gov
Bald eagle	Charles Hayes	charles_hayes@fws.gov
Beautiful shiner	Janelle Alleman	janelle_alleman@fws.gov
Black-capped vireo	Charles Hayes	charles_hayes@fws.gov
Black-footed ferret	Mark Brennan	mark_brennan@fws.gov
Black-tailed prairie dog	Mark Brennan	mark_brennan@fws.gov
Bolson tortoise	Vance Wolf	vance_wolf@fws.gov
Boreal toad	Clinton Smith	clinton_smith@fws.gov
California condor	Mark Brennan	mark_brennan@fws.gov
Canada lynx	Elizabeth Bainbridge	elizabeth_bainbridge@fws.gov
Chihuahua catfish	Lauren Rangel	lauren_rangel@fws.gov
Chihuahua chub	Chad Baumler	chad_baumler@fws.gov
Chihuahua scurfpea	Mark Horner	mark_horner@fws.gov
Chiricahua leopard frog	Clinton Smith	clinton_smith@fws.gov
Chupadera springsnail	Elizabeth Bainbridge	elizabeth_bainbridge@fws.gov
Clover's cactus	Adriano Tsinigine	adriano_tsinigine@fws.gov
Colorado pikeminnow	Scott Durst	scott_durst@fws.gov
Cooke's peak woodlandsnail	Jodie Mamuscia	jodie_mamuscia@fws.gov
Dona ana talussnail	Jodie Mamuscia	jodie_mamuscia@fws.gov
Dunes sagebrush lizard	Tim Ludwick	timothy_ludwick@fws.gov
Gila chub	Nathan Franssen	nathan_franssen@fws.gov
Gila topminnow	Alana Simmons	alana_simmons@fws.gov
Gila trout	Chad Baumler	chad_baumler@fws.gov
Golden eagle	Charles Hayes	charles_hayes@fws.gov
Gunnison's prairie dog	Charles Hayes	charles_hayes@fws.gov
Gypsum wild-buckwheat	Katie Sandbom	katie_sandbom@fws.gov
Headwater chub	Nathan Franssen	nathan_franssen@fws.gov
Holy Ghost ipomopsis	Janelle Alleman	janelle_alleman@fws.gov
Interior least tern	Melissa Fry	melissa_fry@fws.gov
Jaguar	Charles Hayes	charles_hayes@fws.gov
Jemez Mountains salamander	Clinton Smith	clinton_smith@fws.gov
Knowlton's cactus	Adriano Tsinigine	adriano_tsinigine@fws.gov
Koster's springsnail	Melissa Fry	melissa_fry@fws.gov
Kuenzler's hedgehog cactus	Melissa Fry	melissa_fry@fws.gov
Lee's pincushion cactus	Katie Sandbom	katie_sandbom@fws.gov
Leoncita false-foxglove	Melissa Fry	melissa_fry@fws.gov
Lesser long-nosed bat	Alana Simmons	alana_simmons@fws.gov
Lesser prairie-chicken	Lauren Rangel	lauren_rangel@fws.gov
Loach minnow	Chad Baumler	chad_baumler@fws.gov
Mancos milk-vetch	Adriano Tsinigine	adriano_tsinigine@fws.gov
Mesa Verde cactus	Lauren Rangel	lauren_rangel@fws.gov
Mexican long-nosed bat	Alana Simmons	alana_simmons@fws.gov
Mexican spotted owl	Janelle Alleman	janelle_alleman@fws.gov
Mexican wolf	Chad Baumler	chad_baumler@fws.gov
Mineral creek mountainsnail	Jodie Mamuscia	jodie_mamuscia@fws.gov
Monarch butterfly	Charles Hayes	charles_hayes@fws.gov
Mountain plover	Vance Wolf	vance_wolf@fws.gov
Narrow-headed gartersnake	Clinton Smith	clinton_smith@fws.gov
Navajo bladderpod	Adriano Tsinigine	adriano_tsinigine@fws.gov
New Mexico meadow jumping mouse	Mark Brennan	mark_brennan@fws.gov
New Mexico ridge-nosed rattlesnake	Clinton Smith	clinton_smith@fws.gov
Noel's amphipod	Melissa Fry	melissa_fry@fws.gov
North American wolverine	Mark Brennan	mark_brennan@fws.gov
Northern aplomado falcon	Mark Brennan	mark_brennan@fws.gov
Northern leopard frog	Clinton Smith	clinton_smith@fws.gov
Northern Mexican gartersnake	Clinton Smith	clinton_smith@fws.gov
Pecos assiminea	Melissa Fry	melissa_fry@fws.gov
Pecos bluntnose shiner	Mark Horner	mark_horner@fws.gov
Pecos gambusia	Sarah Yates	sarah_d_yates@fws.gov
Pecos pupfish	Tim Ludwick	timothy_ludwick@fws.gov
Pecos springsnail	Sarah Yates	sarah_d_yates@fws.gov
Pecos sunflower	Sarah Yates	sarah_d_yates@fws.gov
Penasco least chipmunk	Mark Brennan	mark_brennan@fws.gov
Peppered chub	Eliza Gilbert	eliza_gilbert@fws.gov
Piping plover	Vance Wolf	vance_wolf@fws.gov
Razorback sucker	Scott Durst	scott_durst@fws.gov
Rio Grande chub	Andy Dean	andy_dean@fws.gov
Rio Grande cooter	Sarah Yates	sarah_d_yates@fws.gov
Rio Grande cutthroat trout	Chad Baumler	chad_baumler@fws.gov
Rio Grande shiner	Andy Dean	andy_dean@fws.gov
Rio Grande silvery minnow	Andy Dean	andy_dean@fws.gov
Rio Grande sucker	Andy Dean	andy_dean@fws.gov
Roswell springsnail	Melissa Fry	melissa_fry@fws.gov
Roundtail chub	Nathan Franssen	nathan_franssen@fws.gov
Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly	Janelle Alleman	janelle_alleman@fws.gov
Sacramento Mountains thistle	Jodie Mamuscia	jodie_mamuscia@fws.gov
Sacramento prickly poppy	Jodie Mamuscia	jodie_mamuscia@fws.gov
Sangre de Cristo peaclam	Mark Horner	mark_horner@fws.gov
Silverspot	Elizabeth Bainbridge	elizabeth_bainbridge@fws.gov
Sneed pincushion cactus	Katie Sandbom	katie_sandbom@fws.gov
Socorro isopod	Elizabeth Bainbridge	elizabeth_bainbridge@fws.gov
Socorro springsnail	Elizabeth Bainbridge	elizabeth_bainbridge@fws.gov
Southwestern willow flycatcher	Jennifer Davis	jennifer_l_davis@fws.gov
Spikedace	Chad Baumler	chad_baumler@fws.gov
Swale paintbrush	Katie Sandbom	katie_sandbom@fws.gov
Texas hornshell	Sarah Yates	sarah_d_yates@fws.gov
Tharp's blue-star	Katie Sandbom	katie_sandbom@fws.gov
Todsen's pennyroyal	Lauren Rangel	lauren_rangel@fws.gov
Tri-colored bat	Charles Hayes	charles_hayes@fws.gov
Western bumble bee	Adriano Tsinigine	adriano_tsinigine@fws.gov
White Sands pupfish	Melissa Mata	melissa_mata@fws.gov
Wright's marsh thistle	Janelle Alleman	janelle_alleman@fws.gov
Yellow-billed cuckoo	Jennifer Davis	jennifer_l_davis@fws.gov
Zuni bluehead sucker	Chad Baumler	chad_baumler@fws.gov
Zuni fleabane	Charles Hayes	charles_hayes@fws.gov