Endangered and Threatened Species

DESCRIPTION: This  member of the cat family is allied with the “roaring” cats (African  lion, tiger, and leopards), and is the largest cat native to the Western  Hemisphere. This large 

heavy-bodied cat measures 3.7-4.8 ft. (1.13-1.5 m) in head and body, while the tail measures 1.5-2.3 ft. (0.5-0.7 m). Height at shoulder measures 2.3-2.5 ft. (0.7-0.8 m), hind foot 9-12 in (22-30 cm), and weight is 150-225 lb. (68-101 kg). Whitaker, Jr. (1997) reports weights of 119-300 lb. (54-136 kg). Females usually are 10-20% smaller than males. There are  five toes on each forefoot, the pollex or first toe is smaller and set  above the others. Each hind foot has four toes, the first being  represented only by a tiny vestigial metatarsal bone. Each digit  including the pollex has a sharp retractile claw. Skull is robust,  relatively short, broad in the rostrum (more so in males than females),  and wide in the zygomatic arches, with 30 teeth (canines large). The sagittal crest may become well developed, especially in males and older  individuals.  This yellowish to tawny cat is uniformly spotted with  black. Horizontal rows of spots on the sides and back form rosettes, a  ring of black with a small black spot in the center; belly white with  black spots. Occasional individual jaguars display a completely  melanistic pelage with visible rosettes. Legs, head, and tail have  smaller, solid spots, usually giving way to incomplete bands near end of  the tail. Ears are small, rounded, without tufts, and black on the back  with small white or buff central spots. Pelage is rather short and  bristly. The black pupil is round and the iris is golden to reddish yellow.  

Photo Credit: Douglas Trent / Creative Commons 

HABITAT: These  large cats are known from a variety of habitats, showing a high  affinity to lowland wet habitats, typically swampy savannas or tropical  rain forests. In the northern and southern periphery, they may occur in  warmer, more arid habitat types, including oak-pine woodland. Unlike  most cats, jaguars like water and were probably closely associated with  the rivers and cienegas (marshes) once prominent in southern Arizona.  

ELEVATION: Recent sightings in Arizona were recorded at 5,200 and 5,700 feet (1586 

and 1739 meters). 

 DESCRIPTION: Tiger  salamanders are large and stocky, 7.6-16.5 cm (3.0-6.5 in.), with small  eyes, broad rounded snout, no parotid glands, and tubercles on the  underside of front and hind feet. The dorsum has yellow to dark olive  spots and blotches (reticulation), often with irregular edges between  front and hind limbs (Stebbins 1985). 

HABITAT: Lakes,  ponds and cattle tanks in desert grassland areas of southern Arizona  and northern Mexico. The most important habitat characteristic is  standing water from January through June (USDI, FWS 1999, 2003).  Found in the grasslands of the San Rafael Valley and nearby foothills  within the Huachuca and Patagonia mountain ranges (Reptiles of Arizona  2013).

A.m. stebbinsi inhabits  the San Rafael Valley (SRV) of Santa Cruz County, Arizona and Sonora,  Mexico (Collins et al. 1988; USDI, FWS 1995; USDI, FWS 1999), and  Cochise County, Arizona. Tiger salamanders were first found in the San Rafael Valley, Arizona by Lowe (1954) and Reed (1951). A.m. stebbinsi is now considered a distinct subspecies based on allozyme, mitrochondrial DNA, and microsatellite DNA analyses. 

DESCRIPTION: Female Gila chubs may grow to 25.0 cm (9.8 in.) while males seldom 

reach 15.0 cm (5.9 in.) in total length (Rinne and Minckley 1991). Minckley in 1973 described the following, G. intermedia: "Body chunky. Scales large, thick, and broadly imbricated, basal radii usually present. Lateral-line scales almost always fewer than 80. Dorsal fin-rays usually eight or fewer (rarely nine). Anal fin-rays eight or fewer. Pelvic fin-rays 8 or 9. Length of head divided by depth of caudal peduncle usually 3.0 or less. An abrupt, soft and fatty, nuchal hump rarely developed in large females of some populations. Total vertebrae 38-45, usually fewer than 42. Pharyngeal arch similar to that of G. robusta, teeth 2, 5-4, 2. 

Color dark, over-all sometimes lighter on belly. Diffuse lateral bands rarely present. No 

basicaudal spot. Breeding males with red or orange on lower cheek, posterior parts of lips, paired fin bases, and on ventro-lateral surfaces (including caudal peduncle).

HABITAT: Gila chub are normally found in the smaller headwater streams, cienegas and springs or marshes of the Gila River basin. They utilize diverse habitat types based on season 

and age. Adults have been collected from deep pools with heavily vegetated margins and 

undercut banks. Juveniles have been collected from riffles, pools and undercut banks of runs.  

DESCRIPTION: The Southwestern Willow Flycatcher is a medium-sized bird approximately  15.0 cm (5.75 inches) long, including tail. Body brownish-olive to  grayish-green on upper parts with pale olive breast, pale yellow belly,  whitish throat, and two white wing bars. Eye ring may be faint or  absent. Bill relatively large with upper mandible dark and lower  mandible usually entirely yellow or pale orange, often with a small  dusky tip.  At higher elevations in eastern Arizona, dark individuals  have been observed. 

HABITAT: A  riparian obligate that prefers dense canopy cover, large volume of  foliage, and surface water during midsummer. They appear to avoid  riparian areas found in steep, closed canyons.  

DESCRIPTION: Slender, erect, terrestrial orchid. In bloom reaches 60.0 cm (24.0 in.) tall. Three to ten linear-lanceolate, grass-like leaves, 18.0 cm (7.2 in.) long and 1.5 cm (0.6 in.) wide, grow basally on stem. Fleshy, swollen roots about 5.0 mm (0.2 in.) in diameter. Twisted spike inflorescence may contain up to 45 tubular white flowers, consisting of wide-spreading lateral sepals and linear petals, with a pleated lip 6.0-8.0 mm (0.24-0.32 in.) long, creamy or pale-yellow center. Column slender, rostellum elongate and deeply bifid. 

HABITAT: Marshy wetland or cienega intermixed with tall grasses and sedges. Grows on slope near water so soil is drained (aerated) although saturated. Grows in very dense vegetation. As slope increases, growth increases. 

ELEVATION: About 4,000 ft. (1,220 m). Based on records in the Heritage Data Management System (HDMS), elevation ranges from 4,585 to 4,970 ft. (1398 - 1516 m) (AGFD, unpublished data accessed 2002)

DESCRIPTION: A medium to large, stocky frog with adult lengths snout to vent from 5.0- 

13.5 cm (2.0-5.4 in); US Fish and Wildlife (USFWS) report 54 to 120 mm (2.1 to 4.7 in). A distinctive pattern on the rear of the thigh consists of small, raised, cream-colored spots or tubercules on a dark background; the dorsal spots are generally smaller and more numerous than in other leopard frogs. The upper lip stripe is faint or absent in front of the eye, and the head and back are often green in coloration. Dorsolateral folds are broken toward the rear of the body, deflected medially (angling inward); skin is relatively rough on the back and the sides. The eyes are higher on the head and more upturned than other Arizona leopard frogs. The hind feet are webbed, and males have a swollen and darkened thumb base. The venter is a dull whitish or yellowish color, while gray mottling usually occurs on the throat and sometimes on the chest. The groin and lower abdomen are often yellow. (USFWS 2008). Platz (1988) notes that the “posterior surfaces of thighs have numerous small papilla, each surrounded by cream colored skin...adults have mottled venter and males along southern Arizona border have vestigial oviducts.” Photo by fws.gov 

HABITAT: Historically: An inhabitant of cienegas, pools, livestock tanks, lakes, reservoirs, 

streams, and rivers at elevations of 1,000 – 2,710 m (3,281-8,890 ft) in central, east-central, 

and southeastern Arizona.  Currently: They are often restricted to springs, livestock tanks, and  streams in the upper portions of watersheds where non-native predators  either have yet to invade or habitats are marginal.  

ELEVATION: Elevations range from 1,000-2,710 m (3,281-8,890 ft.) (Platz and Mecham, 

1979; Sredl et al., 1997; USFWS 2008). 

DESCRIPTION: The subspecies lucida is  a medium sized owl.  The MSO is a brown colored owl with large,  irregular and numerous white spots on the head, neck, back, and  underparts, giving it a lighter appearance than the other two  subspecies. The sexes are nearly identical, but females have darker head  and face color, and breeding females have brood patches. The remiges  and rectrices of both sexes are dark brown and barred with light brown  and white; tail has about ten light bands. MSO has a round face that  lacks ear tufts. The large, round, brownish facial disks are  concentrically barred with dark brown, with a dark brown border. Their  dark brown eyes appear almost black. The bill is a pale yellowish green  color, and their legs and feet are fully feathered. Juvenile spotted  owls (hatchling to approximately  5 months) have a white downy appearance. Subadults (5 to 26 months)  possess adult plumage but have pointed rectrices with white tips. The  rectrices of adults (>27 months) have rounded and mottled tips. 

HABITAT: In  Arizona, they occur primarily in mixed-conifer, pine-oak, and evergreen  oak forests; also occurs in ponderosa pine forest and rocky canyonlands  (Ganey and Balda 1989). In Arizona, they generally foraged more than or  as frequently as expected (based on availability) in virgin  mixed-conifer forests (Ganey and Balda 1994). (NatureServe 2005). Range  size for single owls in Arizona averages 1,600 acres and combined home  ranges occupied by pairs averages 2,000 acres. 

ELEVATION: the HDMS reports the elevation range between 2,720 – 9,600 ft. (829-2926 m) based on unpublished records (AGFD, accessed 2005). 

DESCRIPTION: The stout-bodied Northern Mexican gartersnake reaches a maximum length of 44 in (112 cm), with females larger than  males. The background color ranges from olive to olive-brown to olive  gray. A portion of the lateral stripe occurring on the fourth scale row,  distinguish T. eques from other gartersnake species. (USFWS accessed 2011). A pair of large brown spots, extends along the dorsolateral fields, and a light-colored crescent  extends behind the corners of the mouth. (Stebbins 1985, USFWS accessed  2011).    Photo by fws.gov 

HABITAT: In Arizona, three general habitat types are used: 1) source area ponds and cienegas; 2) lowland river riparian forests and woodlands; 3) upland stream gallery forests. T. eques megalops avoids  steep mountain canyon stream habitats (Rosen and Schwalbe 1988). It is  most abundant in densely vegetative habitat. (USFWS accessed 2011).

ELEVATION: Usually ranges between 3,000 and 5,000 ft. (914 - 1525 m) (Rosen and Schwalbe 1988), but may reach elevations of 8,500 feet (2593 m).