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Resources < Georgia Wildlife < Georgia Protected Species

Georgia's Protected Species

 

This list contains species that occur in Georgia and are currently under state and/or federal protection. Information was obtained from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division, Georgia Natural Heritage Program and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Endangered Species.  Species descriptions are provided by either eNature.com or the Georgia Wildlife Web (a project of the Georgia Museum of Natural History).

 

Endangered
A species which is in danger of extinction throughout all or part of its range.
Threatened
A species which is likely to become an endangered species in the foreseeable future throughout all or parts of its range.
Rare
A species which may not be endangered or threatened but which should be protected because of its scarcity.
Unusual
A species which has special or unique features that entitle it to special consideration to ensure its continued survival.
Threatened (SA)
A species which is protected because it is very similar in appearance to a listed species.  This status is for law enforcement purposes to facilitate protection of fully listed species that might be difficult to distinguish from otherwise unlisted species.

 

Species in bold are listed as High Priority Animals in the Georgia State Wildlife Action Plan SWAP). Click here to learn more about the plan.
 
MAMMALS (12)
Scientific Name
 Common Name Federal Status State Status
Balaenoptera physalus Finback Whale endangered none
Canus lufus Gray Wolf endangered none
Corynorhinus rafinesquii Rafinesque's Big-eared Bat none rare
Eubalaena glacialis North Atlanta Right Whale endangered endangered
Geomys pinetis SE Pocket Gopher none threatened
Megaptera novaeangliae Humpback Whale endangered endangered
Myotis grisescens Gray Myotis endangered endangered
Myotis sodalis Indiana Myotis endangered endangered
Neofiber alleni Round-tailed Muskrat none threatened
Puma concolor coryi Florida Panther endangered endangered
Sylvilagus obscurus Appalachian Cottontail none rare
Trichechus manatus West Indian Manatee endangered endangered

BIRDS (20)
Scientific Name
 Common Name Federal Status State Status
Aimophila aestivalis Bachman's Sparrow none rare
Ammodramus henslowii Henslow's Sparrow none rare
Calidris canutus Red Knot none rare
Campephilus principalis Ivory-billed Woodpecker endangered endangered
Charadrius melodus Piping Plover threatened threatened
Charadrius wilsonia Wilson's Plover none threatened
Corvus corax Common Raven none rare
Dendroica cerulea Cerulean Warbler none rare
Dendroica kirtlandii Kirtland's Warbler endangered endangered
Elanoides forficatus Swallow-tailed Kite none rare
Falco peregrinus Peregrine Falcon none rare
Falco sparverius paulus SE American Kestrel none rare
Haematopus palliatus American Oystercatcher none rare
Haliaeetus leucocephalus Bald Eagle none threatened
Mycteria americana Wood Stork endangered endangered
Picoides borealis Red-cockaded Woodpecker endangered endangered
Rynchops niger Black Skimmer none rare
Sterna antillarum Least Tern endangered rare
Sterna nilotica Gull-billed Tern none threatened
Vermivora chrysoptera Golden-winged Warbler none endangered

REPTILES (17)
Scientific Name
 Common Name Federal Status State Status
Alligator mississippiensis American Alligator threatened(SA) none
Caretta caretta Loggerhead Sea Turtle threatened endangered
Chelonia mydas Green Sea Turtle threatened threatened
Clemmys guttata Spotted Turtle none unusual
Dermochelys coriacea Leatherback Sea Turtle endangered endangered
Drymarchon corais couperi Eastern Indigo Snake threatened threatened
Eretmochelys imbricata Hawksbill Sea Turtle endangered endangered
Glyptemys muhlenbergii Bog Turtle threatened(SA) threatened
Gopherus polyphemus Gopher Tortoise threatened threatened
Graptemys barbouri Barbour's Map Turtle none threatened
Graptemys geographica Common Map Turtle none rare
Graptemys pulchra Alabama Map Turtle none rare
Heterodon simus Southern Hognose Snake none threatened
Lepidochelys kempii Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle endangered endangered
Macroclemys temminckii Alligator Snapping Turtle none threatened
Malaclemys terrapin Diamondback Terrapin none unusual
Ophisaurus mimicus Mimic Glass Lizard none rare

AMPHIBIANS (9)
Scientific Name
 Common Name Federal Status State Status
Ambystoma cingulatum Flatwoods Salamander threatened threatened
Amphiuma pholeter One-toed Amphiuma none rare
Aneides aeneus Green Salamander none rare
Crytobranchus alleganiensis Hellbender none threatened
Gyrinophilus palleucus Tennessee Cave Salamander none threatened
Haideotriton wallacei Georgia Blind Salamander none threatened
Notophthalmus perstriatus

Striped Newt

 none threatened
Plethodon petraeus Pigeon Mtn. Salamander none rare
Rana capito Gopher Frog none rare

FISH (57)
Scientific Name
 Common Name Federal Status State Status
Acipenser brevirostrum Shortnose Sturgeon endangered endangered
Alosa alabamae Alabama Shad none threatened
Ameiurus serracanthus Spotted Bullhead none rare
Cyprinella caerulea Blue Shiner threatened endangered
Cyprinella callitaenia Bluestripe Shiner none rare
Cyprinella xaenura Altamaha Shiner none threatened
Elassoma okatie Bluebarred Pygmy Sunfish none endangered
Ennaecanthus chaetodon Blackbanded Sunfish none endangered
Erimystax insignis Blotched Chub none endangered
Etheostoma brevirostrum Holiday Darter none endangered
Etheostoma chlorobranchium Greenfin Darter none threatened
Etheostoma chuckwachatee Lipstick Darter none endangered
Etheostoma ditrema Coldwater Darter none endangered
Etheostoma duryi Black Darter none rare
Etheostoma etowahae Etowah Darter endangered endangered
Etheostoma parvipinne Goldstripe Darter none rare
Etheostoma rupestre Rock Darter none rare
Etheostoma scotti Cherokee Darter threatened threatened
Etheostoma tallapoosae Tallapoosa Darter none rare
Etheostoma trisella Trispot Darter none endangered
Etheostoma vulneratum Wounded Darter none endangered
Fundulus bifax Stippled Studfish none endangered
Fundulus catenatus Northern Studfish none rare
Hemitremia flammea Flame Chub none endangered
Hybopsis lineapunctata Lined Chub none rare
Ichthyomyzon dellium Ohio Lamprey none rare
Lucania goodei Bluefin Killfish none rare
Macrhybopsis sp. Coosa Chub none endangered
Micropterus notius Suwanee Bass none rare
Moxostoma carinatum River Redhorse none rare
Moxostoma robustum Robust Redhorse none endangered
Moxostoma sp. Sicklefin Redhorse none endangered
Notropis ariommus Popeye Shiner none endangered
Notropis asperifrons Burrhead Shiner none threatened
Notropis hypsilepis Highscale Shiner none rare
Notropis photogenis Silver Shiner none endangered
Notropis scepticus Sandbar Shiner none rare
Noturus eleutherus Mountain Madtom none endangered
Noturus munitus Frecklebelly Madtom none endangered
Percina antesella Amber Darter endangered endangered
Percina aurantiaca Tangerine Darter none endangered
Percina aurolineata Goldline Darter threatened endangered
Percina jenkinsi Conasauga Logperch endangered endangered
Percina lenticula Freckled Darter none endangered
Percina sciera Dusky Darter endangered rare
Percina shumardi River Darter none endangered
Percina sp. Halloween Darter none threatened
Percina sp. Muscadine Darter none rare
Percina sp. Upland Bridled Darter none endangered
Percina squamata Olive Darter none endangered
Percina tanasi Snail Darter threatened endangered
Phenacobius crassilabrum Fatlips Minnow none endangered
Phenacobius uranops Stargazing Minnow none threatened
Phoxinus tennesseensis Tennessee Dace none endangered
Pteronotropis euryzonus Broadstripe Shiner none rare
Pteronotropis welaka Bluenose Shiner none threatened
Typhlichthys subterraneus Southern Cavefish none endangered

INVERTEBRATES (51)
Scientific Name
 Common Name Federal Status State Status
Alasmidonta arcula Altamaha Arcmussell none threatened
Alasmidonta triangulata Southern Elktoe none endangered
Amblema neislerii Fat Threeridge endangered endangered
Anodonta heardi Apalachicola Floater none rare
Anodontoides radiatus Rayed Creekshell none threatened
Cambarus coosawattae Coosawattee Crayfish none endangered
Cambarus cryptodytes Dougherty Plain Cave Crayfish none threatened
Cambarus englishi Tallapoosa Crayfish none rare
Cambarus extraneus Chickamauga Crayfish none threatened
Cambarus fasciatus Etowah Crayfish none threatened
Cambarus georgiae Little Tennessee Crayfish none endangered
Cambarus harti Piedmont Blue Burrower none endangered
Cambarus howardi Chattahoochee Crayfish none threatened
Cambarus parrishi Hiwassee Headwaters Crayfish none endangered
Cambarus scotti Chattooga River Crayfish none threatened
Cambarus speciosus Beautiful Crayfish none

endangered
Cambarus strigosus Lean Crayfish none threatened
Cambarus truncatus Oconee Burrowing Crayfish none threatened
Cambarus unestami Blackbarred Crayfish none threatened
Cordulegaster sayi Say's Spiketail none threatened
Distocambarus devexus Broad River Burrowing Crayfish none threatened
Elliptio arca Alabama Spike none endangered
Elliptio arctata Delicate Spike none endangered
Elliptio purpurella Inflated Spike none threatened
Elliptio spinosa Altamaha Spinymussel none endangered
Elliptoideus sloatianus Purple Bankclimber threatened threatened
Epioblasma metastriata Upland Combshell endangered endangered
Epioblasma othcaloogensis Southern Acornshell endangered endangered
Fusconaia masoni Atlantic Pigtoe none endangered
Gomphus consanguis Cherokee Clubtail none threatened
Hamiota altilis