Wyoming Ecological Services Field Office

Species of Wyoming 

The Wyoming Ecological Services Field Office is responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing species, including plants, mammals, fish, and reptiles, listed under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). Numerous other petitioned and conservation agreement species are considered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service). Protection under the ESA extends to endangered (E), threatened (T), experimental populations (EXP), proposed (P) and candidate (C) species.

ESA Listed Species in Wyoming include:

Wildlife

• Black-footed ferret - Mustela nigripes - Mustela nigripes (EXP)
• Canada lynx - Lynx canadensis - Lynx canadensis (T)
• Colorado River Fish
  • Bonytail - Gila elegans (E)
  • Colorado pikeminnow - Ptychocheilus lucius (E)
  • Humpback chub - Gila cypha (T)
  • Razorback sucker - Xyrauchen texanus (E))
• Grizzly bear - Ursus arctos horribilis (T)
• Kendall Warm Springs dace - Rhinichthys osculus thermalis (E)
• Monarch butterfly - Danaus plexippus (P)
• North American wolverine - Gulo gulo luscus (T)
• Northern long-eared bat - Myotis septentrionalis (T)
• Platte River Species
  • Pallid sturgeon - Scaphirhynchus albus (E)
  • Piping plover - Charadrius melodus (T)
  • Western prairie fringed orchid - Platanthera praeclara (T)
  • Whooping crane - Grus americana (E)
• Preble's meadow jumping mouse - Zapus hudsonius preblei (T)
• Suckley's cuckoo bumble bee - Bombus suckleyi (P)
• Tricolored bat - Perimyotis subflavus (P)
• Western glacier stonefly - Zapada glacier (T)
• Western regal fritillary - Argynnis idalia occidentalis (P)
• Wyoming toad - Bufo hemiophrys baxteri (E)
• Yellow-billed cuckoo - Coccyzus americanus (T)

Plants

• Blowout penstemon - Penstemon haydenii (E)
• Desert yellowhead - Yermo xanthocephalus (T)
• Ute ladies'-tresses - Spiranthes diluvialis (T)
• Whitebark pine - Pinus albicaulis (Proposed T)

Wyoming Species of Concern

In addition to addressing ESA listed species, the Wyoming Ecological Services Field Office Species supports the development and implementation of State wildlife action plans. State wildlife action plans outline the steps that are needed to conserve wildlife and its habitat before species become scarce and costly to protect. State agencies have the expertise to assist in conservation efforts, and the Wyoming Ecological Services Field Office recommends coordination with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department for wildlife and plant species outside of those addressed under the ESA.

Wildlife

• American bumble bee – Bombus pensylvanicus
• Bald Eagle - Haliaeetus leucocephalus
• Black-tailed Prairie Dog - Cynomys ludovicianus
• Gray Wolf - Canis lupus
• Greater Sage-grouse - Centrocercus urophasianus
• Iowa skipper - Atrytone arogos iowa
• Little brown bat - Myotis lucifugus
• Mountain Plover - Charadrius montanus
• Pinyon jay - Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus
• Pygmy Rabbit - Brachylagus idahoensis
• Southern plains bumble bee - Bombus fraternus
• Western bumble bee - Bombus occidentalis
• White-tailed Prairie Dog - Cynomys leucurus
• Yellowstone National Park Bison herd - Bison bison bison

Plants

• Colorado Butterfly Plant - Gaura neomexicana ssp. coloradensis
• Thick-leaf bladderpod - Physaria pachyphylla

Wyoming Ecological Services Field Office encourages steps to protect and conserve species of concern, especially the wildlife and plant species listed above, for one or more of the following reasons:

• They are currently, or have recently been, under review to determine whether they may warrant listing under the ESA.
• They were recently delisted and project planners may be unaware of what is needed to ensure the species continued recovery.
• They are protected under Federal laws and warrant additional attention in project planning.
• They are species that are considered likely to become candidate species or be proposed for listing in the near future and for which the Service has entered into conservation agreements.

Effective proactive planning can help ensure long-term conservation of these species and remove threats that may contribute to a future need for listing under the ESA.