The List of Species Eligible for an Amendment to Schedule 1
Status of the recently assessed species and consultation paths
On October 15, 2014, COSEWIC submitted 27 assessments of species at risk to the Minister of the Environment for species that are eligible to be added to Schedule 1 of SARA. Nineteen of these are terrestrial species and 8 are aquatic species. COSEWIC also reviewed the classification of species already on Schedule 1, in some cases changing their status. Five terrestrial species are now being considered for down-listing on SARA (to a lower risk status) and 4 terrestrial species are now being considered for up-listing on SARA (to a higher risk status). In all, 25 terrestrial species that are eligible to be added to Schedule 1 or to have their current status on Schedule 1 changed are included in this consultation (Table 1).
The three other terrestrial species are bats for which COSEWIC submitted an emergency assessment in February 2012 and confirmed their status as Endangered in November 2013 (Table 2). Consultations for these bat species were conducted in July–August 2014 and all three species were added to Schedule 1 of SARA as announced on December 17, 2014. The three bat species are included in this document for your information but are not a part of the current consultation. See details on the SARA listing for the three bat species.
COSEWIC also submitted the reviews of species already on Schedule 1, confirming their classification. Thirteen of these reviews were for terrestrial species. These species are not included in the consultations because there is no regulatory change being proposed (Table 3).
For more information on the consultations for aquatic species, visit the Fisheries and Oceans Canada website.
Providing comments
The involvement of Canadians is integral to the process, as it is to the ultimate protection of Canadian wildlife. Your comments matter and are given serious consideration. Environment Canada reviews all comments it receives by the deadlines provided below.
Comments for terrestrial species undergoing normal consultations must be received by April 15, 2015.
Comments for terrestrial species undergoing extended consultations must be received by October 15, 2015.
Most species will be undergoing normal consultations. For the final consultation paths, please see the Species at Risk Public Registry website after January 13, 2015.
For more details on submitting comments, see "Comments solicited on the proposed amendment of Schedule 1."
Table 1: Terrestrial species recently assessed by COSEWIC eligible for addition to Schedule 1 or reclassification
Reclassification: Species eligible for addition to Schedule 1 (16)
Status: Endangered (4)
Taxon |
Species |
Scientific name |
Range |
Vascular Plants |
Tweedy's Lewisia |
Lewisiopsis tweedyi |
BC |
Arthropods |
Oregon Branded Skipper |
Hesperia colorado oregonia |
BC |
Arthropods |
Gypsy Cuckoo Bumble Bee |
Bombus bohemicus |
YT NT BC AB SK MB ON QC NB PE NS NL |
Amphibians |
Eastern Tiger Salamander (Prairie population) |
Ambystoma tigrinum |
MB |
Status: Threatened (5)
Taxon |
Species |
Scientific name |
Range |
Lichens |
Eastern Waterfan |
Peltigera hydrothyria |
QC NB NS |
Vascular Plants |
Hare-footed Locoweed |
Oxytropis lagopus |
AB |
Arthropods |
Audouin's Night-stalking Tiger Beetle |
Omus audouini |
BC |
Arthropods |
Western Bumble Bee occidentalis subspecies |
Bombus occidentalis occidentalis |
BC AB SK |
Mammals |
Plains Bison |
Bison bison bison |
BC AB SK |
Status: Special Concern (7)
Taxon |
Species |
Scientific name |
Range |
Lichens |
Western Waterfan |
Peltigera gowardii |
BC |
Vascular Plants |
Nahanni Aster |
Symphyotrichum nahanniense |
NT |
Arthropods |
Western Bumble Bee mckayi subspecies |
Bombus occidentalis mckayi |
YT NT BC |
Amphibians |
Wandering Salamander |
Aneides vagrans |
BC |
Birds |
Grasshopper Sparrow pratensis subspecies |
Ammodramus savannarum pratensis |
ON QC |
Birds |
Western Grebe |
Grasshopper Sparrow Aechmophorus occidentalis |
BC AB SK MB |
Mammals |
WolverineTable 1 Footnote1 |
Gulo gulo |
YT NT NU BC AB SK MB ON QC NL |
Reclassifications: Up-list (4)
Status: From Threatened to Endangered (3)
Taxon |
Species |
Scientific name |
Range |
Arthropods |
Dakota Skipper |
Hesperia dacotae |
SK MB |
Mammals |
Caribou (Central Mountain population)Table 1 Footnote2 |
Rangifer tarandus |
BC AB |
Mammals |
Caribou (Southern Mountain population)Table 1 Footnote2 |
Rangifer tarandus |
BC |
Status: From Special Concern to Threatened (1)
Taxon |
Species |
Scientific name |
Range |
Vascular Plants |
Sweet Pepperbush |
Clethra alnifolia |
NS |
Reclassifications: Down-list (5)
Status: From Endangered to Threatened (1)
Taxon |
Species |
Scientific name |
Range |
Amphibians |
Rocky Mountain Tailed Frog |
Ascaphus montanus |
BC |
Status: From Threatened to Special Concern (4)
Taxon |
Species |
Scientific name |
Range |
Vascular Plants |
Water Pennywort |
Hydrocotyle umbellata |
NS |
Arthropods |
Mormon Metalmark (Prairie population) |
Apodemia mormo |
SK |
Mammals |
Caribou(Northern Mountain population)Table 1 Footnote2 |
Rangifer tarandus |
YT NT BC |
Mammals |
Wood Bison |
Bison bison athabascae |
YT NT BC AB MB |
Table 2: Terrestrial species recently added to Schedule 1 (no consultations)
Status: Endangered (3)
Taxon |
Species |
Scientific name |
Range |
Mammals |
Little Brown Myotis |
Myotis lucifugus |
YT NT BC AB SK MB ON QC NB PE NS NL |
Mammals |
Northern Myotis |
Myotis septentrionalis |
YT NT BC AB SK MB ON QC NB PE NS NL |
Mammals |
Tri-colored Bat |
Perimyotis subflavus |
ON QC NB NS |
Table 3: Terrestrial species recently reassessed by COSEWIC (no consultations - species status confirmation)
Reassesment: Status Confirmations (13)
Status: Extirpated (1)
Taxon |
Species |
Scientific name |
Range |
Amphibians |
Eastern Tiger Salamander (Carolinian population) |
Ambystoma tigrinum |
ON |
Status: Endangered (6)
Taxon |
Species |
Scientific name |
Range |
Arthropods |
Mormon Metalmark (Southern Mountain population) |
Apodemia mormo |
BC |
Arthropods |
Sand-verbena Moth |
Copablepharon fuscum |
BC |
Amphibians |
Small-mouthed Salamander |
Ambystoma texanum |
ON |
Birds |
Loggerhead Shrike Eastern subspecies |
Lanius ludovicianus |
ON QC |
Birds |
Piping Plover circumcinctus subspecies |
Charadrius melodus circumcinctus |
AB SK MB ON |
Birds |
Piping Plover melodus subspecies |
Charadrius melodus melodus |
QC NB PE NS NL |
Status: Threatened (4)
Taxon |
Species |
Scientific name |
Range |
Mollusks |
Dromedary Jumping-slug |
Hemphillia dromedarius |
BC |
Amphibians |
Coastal Giant Salamander |
Dicamptodon tenebrosus |
BC |
Birds |
Loggerhead Shrike Prairie subspecies |
Lanius ludovicianus excubitorides |
AB SK MB |
Birds |
Short-tailed Albatross |
Phoebastria albatrus |
BC Pacific Ocean |
Status: Special Concern (2)
Taxon |
Species |
Scientific name |
Range |
Reptiles |
Eastern Milksnake |
Lampropeltis triangulum |
ON QC |
Birds |
Harlequin Duck (Eastern population) |
Histrionicus histrionicus |
NU QC NB NS NL |