FWS reviews endangered, threatened aquatic Kansas species
TOPEKA (KSNT) - The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services (FWS) is reviewing the status of numerous threatened and endangered species across the nation, including two in Kansas.
The FWS announced on June 5 it would be conducting a five-year status review of nearly 60 species of fish, wildlife and plants as part of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Of these, two can be found in the Sunflower State.
Aaron Valenta with the FWS confirms two freshwater mussels, the Neosho mucket and rabbitsfoot, are on the list for this five-year review. The Neosho mucket is considered endangered while rabbitsfoot is threatened.
The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) lists the Neosho mucket as being found in parts of eastern Kansas ranging from Morris County at the northwest extent down to Cherokee County. Waterways such as the Neosho River, Spring River, Verdigris River, Big Caney River and Cottonwood River contain critical habitat for the species. The mussels have an elongated, rounded shell around four inches in length and appears dark brown in color.
Rabbitsfoot can be found in a range similar to the Neosho mucket with critical habitat designated in the Spring River, Neosho River, Cottonwood River, Fall River and Verdigris River. These mussels have elongated, rectangular-shaped shells that are yellow-brown in color and covered in dark green or black triangles.
Both rabbitsfoot and the Neosho mucket are considered endangered in Kansas. In 2023, KDWP biologists helped reintroduce the Neosho mucket and fatmucket mussels back into their historic ranges in an effort to help the species recover in the wild.
People are invited to provide feedback on the species being reviewed on or before Aug. 5, 2024. The review process will help keep animal and plant classifications current under the ESA and guide future conservation efforts.
If you have any comments or opinions on the Kansas species named above, you can reach out to Chris Davidson at chris_davidson@fws.gov or call 501-513-4481. For more information on this review process or the other species being reviewed nationally, click here.
For more Kansas Outdoors, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.
Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf