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Laws and Status

State Regulations:

State regulations are determined by the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission (AGFC).

Classification

At this time, only Bullfrogs are listed as a game species. All other native herps are considered nongame wildlife.

Killing

The killing of any nongame herp is illegal unless it proves to be an imminent threat to persons or property (i.e. livestock or pets). This applies even to venomous snakes.

Hunting/Fishing

A fishing license is required to take or attempt to take aquatic turtles or frogs.

Collecting/Possessing

Wildlife pets are restricted to six individuals of a species per household. The sale, purchase, barter, or transporting of such animals from the state or the progeny thereof is prohibited. The following herps may not be taken: Alligator Snapping Turtles, Ornate Box Turtles, Hellbenders, troglodytic (cave-dwelling) species, or those animals defined as endangered species. You may also want to contact AGFC about Scientific Collection Permits and Wildlife Commercial Breeder/Dealer Permits. Beyond this, there may be county or city ordinances that restrict or prohibit the keeping of certain types of herps, especially those that grow to dangerously large sizes or are venomous.

Importing/Exporting/Translocation

A translocation permit is required to move any wildlife into or through the confines of the state. The transporter must have documentation of the same "disease free" certification required for wildlife to be released in the state.

Levels of Protection and Status:

Species protected by international, federal, or state laws should be left untouched. Disturbing them in any way--killing, harassing, collecting, even picking them up--is likely to be in violation of the law.

Hypothetical Occurrence in the State

Hypothetical Occurrence (HYPO) refers to a species that is not verified to occur in the state. A species may be considered to have hypothetical occurrence for one or more of these reasons:

• U. S. range maps indicate close proximity to the state.
• Observations in the state remain anecdotal and unverified by experts.
• All populations are thought to have been extirpated from the state.

International Protection

International Protection is offered primarily through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Organisms are listed in one of three CITES Appendices with each offering a different level of protection.

International Status

International Status is monitored by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). Species of most concern are placed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The IUCN also designates a trend for some of these species.

Federal Protection

Federal Protection is offered primarily through the U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) according to the Endangered Species Act of 1973.

State Protection

State Protection is offered primarily through the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission (AGFC). Species of most concern are afforded additional protections as species of Special Concern (though this information appears to be out-of-date in favor of the WCS). In conjunction with other public agencies and private organizations, AGFC is developing a Wildlife Conservation Strategy (WCS). Species of greatest conservation need are identified and assigned a viability score and population trend.

State Status

State Status is monitored by the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission (ANHC) for species considered rare. The ANHC also designates a global and state rank (G; S) for these inventoried species.

Protected and Monitored Species:

List of Species

Snake	HYPO	CITES	IUCN	USFWS	AGFC	WCS	ANHC
Western Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox)			LR/lc(S)			19;?	G5;S2
Texas Coral Snake (Micrurus tener tener)			LR/lc(S)			19;?	G5,T5;S2
Midwest Worm Snake (Carphophis amoenus helenae)			LR/lc(S)		SC	19;?	G5,T5;S2
Northern Scarlet Snake (Cemophora coccinea copei)			LR/lc(S)				G5,T5;S3
Buttermilk Racer (Coluber constrictor anthicus)			LR/lc(S)				G5,T4;S3
Louisiana Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum amaura)							G5,T4;S3
Mississippi Green Water Snake (Nerodia cyclopion)			LR/lc(S)				G5;S3
Great Plains Rat Snake (Pantherophis emoryi)			LR/lc(S)				G5;S3
Eastern Corn Snake (Pantherophis guttatus)	HYPO		LR/lc(S)
Midland Rat Snake (Pantherophis spiloides)	HYPO		LR/lc(S)
Slowinski's Corn Snake (Pantherophis slowinskii)			DD(?)
Bullsnake (Pituophis catenifer sayi)	HYPO		LR/lc(S)
Northern Pine Snake (Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus)	HYPO		LR/lc(D)
Graham's Crayfish Snake (Regina grahamii)			LR/lc(?)			19;?	G5;S2
Gulf Crayfish Snake (Regina rigida sinicola)			LR/lc(S)			15;?	G5,T5;S3
Queen Snake (Regina septemvittata)			LR/lc(S)		SC	24;D	G5;S2
Ground Snake (Sonora semiannulata)			LR/lc(S)			23;?	G5;SH
Red-sided Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis)	HYPO		LR/lc(S)
Lined Snake (Tropidoclonion lineatum)	HYPO		LR/lc(S)
Lizard	HYPO	CITES	IUCN	USFWS	AGFC	WCS	ANHC
Eastern Collared Lizard (Crotaphytus collaris)			LR/lc(S)			19;D	G5;S3
Western Slender Glass Lizard (Ophisaurus attenuatus attenuatus)			LR/lc(S)			15;?	G5,T5;S3
Texas Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum)	HYPO	2	LR/lc(S)			21;?	G4,G5;S2
Great Plains Skink (Plestiodon obsoletus)			LR/lc(S)			23;?	G5;S1
Southern Prairie Skink (Plestiodon obtusirostris)			LR/lc(S)			19;?	G5;S2
Turtle	HYPO	CITES	IUCN	USFWS	AGFC	WCS	ANHC
Southern Painted Turtle (Chrysemys dorsalis)							G5,T5;S3
Western Chicken Turtle (Deirochelys reticularia miaria)					SC	15;?	G5,T5;S3
Common Map Turtle (Graptemys geographica)		3
Ouachita Map Turtle (Graptemys ouachitensis ouachitensis)		3
Mississippi Map Turtle (Graptemys pseudogeographica kohnii)		3
Yellow Mud Turtle (Kinosternon flavescens)	HYPO
Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii)		3	VU		SC
Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina)	HYPO	2	LR/nt		SC
Three-toed Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina triunguis)		2	LR/nt		SC		G5,T5;S4
Ornate Box Turtle (Terrapene ornata ornata)		2	LR/nt		SC	19;?	G5,T5;S2
Crocodilian	HYPO	CITES	IUCN	USFWS	AGFC	WCS	ANHC
American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)		2	LR/lc	T(S/A)	E		G5;S4
Frog	HYPO	CITES	IUCN	USFWS	AGFC	WCS	ANHC
Coastal Plain Toad (Bufo nebulifer)			LR/lc(S)				G5;S1
Great Plains Narrowmouth Toad (Gastrophryne olivacea)			LR/lc(S)			19;?	G5,T5;S2
Bird-voiced Treefrog (Hyla avivoca)			LR/lc(S)			15;?	G5;S3
Illinois Chorus Frog (Pseudacris streckeri illinoensis)			LR/lc(?)	PC	SC	43;D	G3;S1
Strecker's Chorus Frog (Pseudacris streckeri streckeri)			LR/lc(?)			19;?	G5;S2
Southern Crawfish Frog (Rana areolata areolata)			NT(D)			27;?	G4,T4;S1
Northern Crawfish Frog (Rana areolata circulosa)			NT(D)			23;?	G4,T4;S2
Plains Leopard Frog (Rana blairi)	HYPO		LR/lc(D)				G5;S1
Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica)			LR/lc(S)		SC	15;?	G5;S3
Eastern Spadefoot (Scaphiopus holbrookii)			LR/lc(?)			19;?	G5;S2
Hurter's Spadefoot (Scaphiopus hurterii)			LR/lc(S)			19;?	G5;S2
Plains Spadefoot (Spea bombifrons)			LR/lc(S)			23;?	G5;S1
Salamander	HYPO	CITES	IUCN	USFWS	AGFC	WCS	ANHC
Ringed Salamander (Ambystoma annulatum)			LR/lc(S)		SC	19;?	G4;S3
Mole Salamander (Ambystoma talpoideum)			LR/lc(S)			15;?	G5;S3
Eastern Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum)			LR/lc(S)			15;?	G5,T5;S3
Ozark Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis bishopi)			NT(D)	C	SC	95;D	G3,G4,T1,Q;S2
Spotted Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus conanti)	HYPO		LR/lc(S)		SC	23;?	G5;S1
Southern Two-lined Salamander (Eurycea cirrigera)	HYPO		LR/lc(S)
Dwarf Salamander (Eurycea quadridigitata)			LR/lc(S)			15;?	G5;S3
Grotto Salamander (Eurycea spelaea)			LR/lc(?)		SC	19;?	G4;S3
Oklahoma Salamander (Eurycea tynerensis)			NT(D)			27;?	G3;S3
Four-toed Salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum)			LR/lc(S)			15;?	G5;S3
Ozark Zigzag Salamander (Plethodon angusticlavius)			LR/lc(S)				G4;S3
Caddo Mountain Salamander (Plethodon caddoensis)			NT(?)		SC	42;?	G2;S3
Fourche Mountain Salamander (Plethodon fourchensis)			VU(?)		SC	46;?	G2,Q;S2
Kiamichi Slimy Salamander (Plethodon kiamichi)			DD(?)		SC	50;?	G2,Q;S1
Louisiana Slimy Salamander (Plethodon kisatchie)			LR/lc(?)		SC	27;?	G3,G4,Q;S2
Rich Mountain Salamander (Plethodon ouachitae)			NT(S)		SC	38;?	G2,G3;S2
Sequoyah Slimy Salamander (Plethodon sequoyah)			DD(?)		SC	50;?	G2,Q;S1
Southern Redback Salamander (Plethodon serratus)			LR/lc(S)				G5;S3

Special Status Key

Hypothetical Occurrence

• HYPO = Hypothetical occurrence in the state.

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)

• 1 = Protection offered under Appendix I of CITES.
• 2 = Protection offered under Appendix II of CITES.
• 3 = Protection offered under Appendix III CITES.

International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN)

• Categories
  • EX = Extinct: A taxon is Extinct when there is no reasonable doubt that the last individual has died. A taxon is presumed Extinct when exhaustive surveys in known and/or expected habitat, at appropriate times (diurnal, seasonal, annual), throughout its historic range have failed to record an individual. Surveys should be over a time frame appropriate to the taxon's life cycle and life form.
  • EW = Extinct in the Wild: A taxon is Extinct in the Wild when it is known only to survive in cultivation, in captivity or as a naturalized population (or populations) well outside the past range. A taxon is presumed Extinct in the Wild when exhaustive surveys in known and/or expected habitat, at appropriate times (diurnal, seasonal, annual), throughout its historic range have failed to record an individual. Surveys should be over a time frame appropriate to the taxon's life cycle and life form.
  • CR = Critically Endangered: A taxon is Critically Endangered when the best available evidence indicates that it meets any of the criteria A to E for Critically Endangered (see Section V), and it is therefore considered to be facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
  • EN = Endangered: A taxon is Endangered when the best available evidence indicates that it meets any of the criteria A to E for Endangered (see Section V), and it is therefore considered to be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild.
  • VU = Vulnerable: A taxon is Vulnerable when the best available evidence indicates that it meets any of the criteria A to E for Vulnerable (see Section V), and it is therefore considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.
  • LR = Lower Risk: A taxon is Lower Risk when it has been evaluated, does not satisfy the criteria for any of the categories Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable. Taxa included in the Lower Risk category can be separated into three subcategories:
    • cd = Conservation Dependent: Taxa which are the focus of a continuing taxon-specific or habitat-specific conservation programme targeted towards the taxon in question, the cessation of which would result in the taxon qualifying for one of the threatened categories above within a period of five years.
    • nt = Near Threatened: Taxa which do not qualify for Conservation Dependent, but which are close to qualifying for Vulnerable.
    • lc = Least Concern: Taxa which do not qualify for Conservation Dependent or Near Threatened.
  • DD = Data Deficient: A taxon is Data Deficient when there is inadequate information to make a direct, or indirect, assessment of its risk of extinction based on its distribution and/or population status. A taxon in this category may be well studied, and its biology well known, but appropriate data on abundance and/or distribution are lacking. Data Deficient is therefore not a category of threat. Listing of taxa in this category indicates that more information is required and acknowledges the possibility that future research will show that threatened classification is appropriate. It is important to make positive use of whatever data are available. In many cases great care should be exercised in choosing between DD and a threatened status. If the range of a taxon is suspected to be relatively circumscribed, and a considerable period of time has elapsed since the last record of the taxon, threatened status may well be justified.
  • NE = Not Evaluated: A taxon is Not Evaluated when it is has not yet been evaluated against the criteria.
• Trend
  • I = Increasing.
  • D = Decreasing.
  • S = Stable.
  • ? = Unknown.

U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS)

• E = Endangered.
• T = Threatened.
• T(S/A) = Threatened: Similarity of Appearance to a Threatened Taxon.
• C = Candidate for Threatened or Endangered status.
• PC = Proposed Candidate for Threatened or Endangered status.

Arkansas Game & Fish Commission (AGFC)

• E = Endangered.
• SC = Special Concern:
• Species are selected based on one or more of the following criteria:

1. The species is commercially desirable (i.e. captive propagated for products or pet trade).
2. Populations in Arkansas are endemic, allopatric, or have a limited geographic distribution.
3. Species is regulated by law.
4. Species is threatened by habitat loss, commercial exploitation, or other threats.

Wildlife Conservation Strategy (WCS)

• Conservation Status
  • SGCN = Species of Greatest Conservation Need.
• Priority Score
  • 0 - 100 = A score closer to 0 indicates the species is more secure. A score closer to 100 indicates the species is more imperiled.
• Population Trend
  • D, I, or ? = Decreasing, Increasing, or Unknown: Based on information derived from literature reviews, expert opinion or recent survey data, the status of the population in the state is determined to be decreasing, increasing, stable or unknown. This affects the Priority Score, increasing it if the species is decreasing, reducing it if the species is increasing, and having no numeric effect if it is stable or unknown.

Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission (ANHC)

• State Status Codes
  • INV = Inventory Element: The Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission is currently conducting active inventory work on these elements. Available data suggests these elements are of conservation concern. These elements may include outstanding examples of Natural Communities, colonial bird nesting sites, outstanding scenic and geologic features as well as plants and animals, which, according to current information, may be rare, peripheral, or of an undetermined status in the state. The ANHC is gathering detailed location information on these elements.
  • WAT = Watch List Species: The Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission is not conducting active inventory work on these species, however, available information suggests they may be of conservation concern. The ANHC is gathering general information on status and trends of these elements. An “*” indicates the status of the species will be changed to “INV” if the species is verified as occurring in the state (this typically means the agency has received a verified breeding record for the species).
• Global Ranks
  • G1 = Critically imperiled globally because of extreme rarity (5 or fewer occurrences or very few remaining individuals or acres) or because of some factor(s) making it especially vulnerable to extinction.
  • G2 = Imperiled globally because of rarity (6-20 occurrences or few remaining individuals or acres) or because of some factor(s) making it especially vulnerable to extinction.
  • G3 = Either very rare and local throughout its range or found locally (even abundantly at some of its locations) in a restricted range (e.g., a single western state, a physiographic region in the East) or because of other factors making it vulnerable to extinction throughout its range; in terms of occurrences, in the range of 21 - 100.
  • G4 = Apparently secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
  • G5 = Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
  • GH = Of historical occurrence throughout its range, i.e., formerly part of the established biota, with the expectation that it may be rediscovered (e.g., Bachman's Warbler).
  • GU = Possibly in peril range-wide but status uncertain; more information needed.
  • GX = Believed to be extinct throughout range (e.g., Passenger Pigeon) with virtually no likelihood that it will be rediscovered.
  • T# = T subranks are given to global ranks when a subspecies, variety, or race is considered at the state level. The subrank is made up of a "T" plus a number or letter (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, H, U, X) with the same ranking rules as a full species.
• State Ranks
  • S1 = Extremely rare. Typically 5 or fewer estimated occurrences in the state, or only a few remaining individuals, may be especially vulnerable to extirpation.
  • S2 = Very rare. Typically between 5 and 20 estimated occurrences or with many individuals in fewer occurrences, often susceptible to becoming extirpated.
  • S3 = Rare to uncommon. Typically between 20 and 100 estimated occurrences, may have fewer occurrences but with large number of individuals in some populations, may be susceptible to large-scale disturbances.
  • S4 = Common, apparently secure under present conditions. Typically 100 or more estimated occurrences, but may be fewer with many large populations, may be restricted to only a portion of the state, usually not susceptible to immediate threats.
  • S5 = Demonstrably widespread, common, and secure in the state and essentially ineradicable under present conditions.
  • SA = Accidental.
  • SH = Historically known from the state, but not verified for an extended period, usually 15 years.
  • SU = Possibly in peril in the state, but status uncertain, more information is needed.
  • SX = Apparently extirpated from state.
  • SZ = Zero occurrences. Not of practical conservation concern in the state because there are no definable occurrences, although the taxa is native and appears regularly in the state.
• General Ranking Notes
  • Q = A "Q" in the global rank indicates the element's taxonomic classification as a species is a matter of conjecture among scientists.
  • ? = A question mark is used temporarily when there is some indecision regarding the rank assignment or when an element has not been ranked.
  • B = Breeding status.
  • N = Non-breeding status.

Reporting an Occurrence

In most cases, a verifiable record will require a photograph, detailed locality information, and date of observation. If you would like assistance in submitting an observation, please send me an email.

• ANHC (Inventory Species): Complete and submit the Inventory Record Form (PDF) or email arkansas@naturalheritage.org for instructions.
• AGFC (Species of Special Concern Only): Email the AG&F Herpetologist, Kelly J. Irwin.