Endangered Species in the Great Lakes

The Great Lakes region is home to thousands of species and a wide range of ecosystems. Many species thrive, although a few are considered endangered. Those species with very specific habitat requirements are vulnerable to change, as are larger mammals who may have been historically hunted as pests and are yet to recover their population numbers.

  1. Mammals

    • Historically the gray wolf was listed as endangered in the Great Lakes area, but as of the end of 2010, they were removed from the list. The three mammal species currently listed as endangered are all bats. They have suffered population decline due to white-nose syndrome. The Indiana, Gray and Ozark big-eared bats are all at risk from a white fungus that has killed more than a million bats since 2006. Other factors that have impacted bat numbers are habitat loss and hibernation disturbance by humans.

    Birds

    • The Great Lakes region is home to four bird species that appear on the federal endangered list. Due to habitat loss caused by damming of rivers, the least tern has lost a great deal of habitat. Human interference in its habitat has impacted the Kirtland's warbler. Increases in beach development and recreation around the Great Lakes shores have impacted piping plover nesting habitat. North America's tallest bird, the whooping crane, is also endangered in the area due to habitat loss and hunting.

    Reptiles

    • As of April 2011, no reptile species are listed as endangered in the region, but three are being monitored and considered for the list. Due to drainage of swampland and deforestation, the copper belly water snake and Lake Erie water snake are listed as threatened in the area. The loss of habitat and lack of forest cover have left the snake at greater risk from predators. The venomous eastern massasauga rattlesnake is listed as threatened or endangered in every state in which it is found. Habitat loss and deliberate killing by humans have both had a huge impact on the species. Both species could become endangered at any time.

    Fish

    • The Great Lakes region is home to three species of endangered fish. The pallid sturgeon has lost a great deal of its river habitat due to the damming of waterways. It is not suited to surviving in lake habitats and has thus suffered population decline. The Scioto madtom is listed as endangered, although it may already be extinct; only 18 specimens have ever been seen and none have been recorded since 1957. The Topeka shiner is a small fish, found in streams, which has declined mainly due to redirection for crop irrigation and the introduction of predatory fish to their habitat.