Oregon's Endangered Animals: Report

When you think of the planet’s most endangered species, some common examples that might come to mind include rhinos, elephants, tigers, gorillas and leopards. But a new report has identified the two most endangered species in every state — and the answer might not be what you think.

In Oregon, the two most threatened animals are the Borax Lake Chub and Loggerhead Sea Turtle, according to the report released Wednesday by 24/7 Wall St.

• Borax Lake Chub
  • Scientific name: gila boraxobius
  • IUCN Red List classification: Vulnerable
  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service classification: Endangered
  • Description: A small fish, Borax Lake chubs typically grow to between 5 cm and 11 cm. The fish is dark green in color with translucent fins.
  • Geographic range: The Borax Lake chub is found only in waters around Harney County's Borax Lake, a small body of water in Southeast Oregon's Alvord basin.

• Loggerhead Sea Turtle
  • Scientific name: caretta caretta
  • IUCN Red List classification: Vulnerable
  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service classification: Endangered and Threatened
  • Description: "Loggerheads were named for their relatively large heads, which support powerful jaws and enable them to feed on hard-shelled prey, such as whelks and conch. The carapace (top shell) is slightly heart-shaped and reddish-brown in adults and sub-adults, while the plastron (bottom shell) is generally a pale yellowish color. The neck and flippers are usually dull brown to reddish brown on top and medium to pale yellow on the sides and bottom. Mean straight carapace length of adults in the southeastern U.S. is approximately 36 in (92 cm); corresponding weight is about 250 lbs (113 kg)." — USFWS
  • Geographic range: North Pacific and Northwest Atlantic oceans

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, there are 57 threatened or endangered species in Oregon, including the Fender's blue butterfly, Oregon spotted frog, and several species of salmon.

Hawaii has by far the most number of animals on the federal registry at more than 500. While accounting for just 0.2 percent of America’s land mass, it is home to a quarter of the federally endangered species, according to the Mother Nature Network.

Other animals on the 24/7 Wall St. list include various species of sea turtles, rabbits and cranes.

More broadly, it features mammals, marine animals, fish, insects, birds, amphibians and reptiles, to name just a few.Various species of mollusks — a key sustenance source for fish — make the list, including the spectaclecase, a freshwater mussel.

This is often because of the construction of dams, which disrupt the flow of water and can even change its temperature, leading to massive mollusk losses.

The financial news and opinion site reviewed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s listing of endangered animals to identify the most threatened animals in every state. The site says many of the animals appear in multiple states.

“Only 31 states have animals endangered only there,” the authors said.

To identify which of the threatened animals in those states were in the most dire circumstances, the site used the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s inventory of threatened species. Many of the most threatened animals on on the IUCN’s “Red List of Threatened Species” were labeled “critically endangered.”

We used this same approach to evaluate the threat level of endangered animals in the remaining 19 states, but in these cases animals may be listed as endangered in other states as well.

Patch reporter Dan Hampton contributed to this report.
Photo credit: Darren J. Bradley/Shutterstock