Today is Endangered Species Day
There are many endangered species inhabiting Pennsylvania. Some of them are found in NWPA. French Creek and the Allegheny River are home to endangered mussels like the snuffbox, rabbitsfoot, clubshell and northern riffleshell. There are also several darter species found in NWPA that are endangered. The tippecanoe darter, spotted darter, eastern sand darter, and bluebreast darter. Also endangered, there is the pugnose minnow, spotted gar, northern brook lamprey, paddlefish, and lake sturgeon found in NWPA.
The piping plover is a bird species not seen since the 1950’s on Presque Isle, until colonization attempts have been reported recently. The eastern massasauga rattlesnake found in Butler, Mercer, Venango, and Crawford counties makes the list as an endangered reptile species.
There are bats, salamanders, turtles, birds, and even plant species listed endangered in Pennsylvania. Large predatory mammals like the wolf and mountain lion have been extirpated from PA for a long time. Coyotes are found in the state but mostly because they feed mostly on carrion and don’t bother humans as much by feeding on larger livestock.
Northern flying squirrels are interesting animals found in NWPA. These creatures stretch out their limbs and use the flaps of skin between them to glide through the air from tree to tree. It is an endangered mammal species that is threatened by habitat loss due to human development and invasive insects.
I have had the opportunity to see a northern flying squirrel in action while studying biology on a NWPA hike a few years ago. These fascinating creatures are mostly nocturnal, so it was by chance I was able to see one. We watched it closely while it hugged a tree for a short time before gliding out of sight.
Another interesting creature I have come across recently for the first time was the brook lamprey. I do not know if it was the endangered northern brook lamprey or the threatened mountain brook lamprey as they appear quite similar in the water. This time of year brook lampreys will spawn in groups around shallow riffles in small streams. This group of squirming lamprey caught my attention while crossing a small stream on a Spring gobbler hunt.
This is not a complete list of endangered species found in NWPA. It is just a few examples of the rare natural treasures found in our region. If you would like to try and see a northern flying squirrel for yourself, there is an endangered species event at Chapman State Park tomorrow.
Please call Jen Moore at (814) 723-0259 for questions on the Wild Things in Your Woodlands event featuring nest checks of northern flying squirrels. This event will be at Chapman State Park tomorrow between 10am and 12pm. Participants will meet at the Park Amphitheater. This event is free and open to the public.
For more information on threatened and endangered species please visit the PFBC website at https://www.fish.state.pa.us/endngre.htm or the PGC website at http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=621014&mode=2
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