Missouri has approximately 45 federally listed threatened and endangered plant and animal species. And while that number might imply that there are approximately 45 species in the state currently in danger, the actual amount is actually a bit higher. For simplicity’s sake, the entire thing is basically like squares and rectangles.
All squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares. The squares in this analogy are the plants and animals that end up on the Federal Endangered Species Act of 1973, which protects threatened and endangered species and the habitats critical to their survival. The rectangles are the species that end up on Missouri’s list, which protects plants and animals at risk of extinction within the state but not necessarily in the rest of the country.
Does that make sense? All federally threatened and endangered species (squares) are also threatened and endangered in Missouri (rectangles). However, not all threatened and endangered species on Missouri’s list (rectangles) are on the federal list (squares). With that sufficiently explained (hopefully), keep reading on to learn more about the past, present, and future of endangered species in Missouri.
Plains Spotted Skunk
Photo Courtesy Warren Garst
The plains spotted skunk (Spilogale interrupta) might have a scientific species name (the second Latin word in parentheses, the capitalized first being the genus) that novice Spanish speakers would call their siblings. However, the medium-sized mammals are more prone to avoiding humans than interrupting them.
Belonging to the family Mephitidae, which is comprised of skunks and stink badgers, the primarily nocturnal plains spotted skunk is one of only two skunk species in Missouri. The other, the striped skink, is a bit bigger and much more prevalent than its counterpart — after all, this is an article about endangered species. Averaging 1 to 2 feet in length and .75 to 2.75 pounds in weight, the animals sport long, glossy black hair with white stripes and white spots on the forehead and in front of both ears.
The other part of the plains spotted skunk’s name comes from its choice of habitat — well, sort of. The mammal is found living in open prairies but can also inhabit various other biomes, including cultivated land, brushy areas, and woodland habitats.
Interestingly, and not too long ago, the skunk was thought to be a subspecies of the eastern spotted skunk and went by the scientific name Spilogale putorius interrupta.
Recent DNA research has since led mammalogists to grant the skunk status as its own species, which meant no more “putorius” (among other things).
Unfortunately, the elevated status hasn’t protected the plains spotted skunk from ending up on Missouri’s endangered species list. Due to large populations in other parts of the country, the animal isn’t listed, or therefore protected, as endangered under federal guidelines.
However, the state is actively working to protect and repopulate the skunk species in multiple ways. For starters, the Missouri Department of Conservation published a “Guidelines for Landowners Using Conservation Practices” guide. The free document offers multiple directives on preventing harm to the skunk and their habitats. It also provides reasons why including them around farms could deter pests and other educational and legal resources centered around their protection and restoration.
There’s still work to be done to return the plains spotted skunk to its historically high population in Missouri. However, considering they like to eat rodents, bugs, and other pests while not being snakes, they’ve certainly got this writer’s full-fledged support.
Western Chicken Turtle
Photo Courtesy AlbertHerring
The western chicken turtle (Deirochelys reticularia miaria) is a small to medium-sized turtle species. One of Missouri’s rarest turtles, this amphibian is most likely to be spotted in slow-moving aquatic environments like swamps, drainage ditches, and river sloughs. Just like people who retire and move to Florida, the species is also often found lying near the water and basking in the sun.
Part of the family Emydidae, which includes basking, marsh, and box turtles, the brown- or black-skinned, oval-shaped shell dawning western chicken turtles have various yellow to yellow-green stripes on their skin.
The adults’ light brown or olive upper shells, or carapaces, average four to six inches. Their plastrons, or lower shells, are yellow with brown markings along the seams. Once common to swamps throughout the Southern part of the state, human-caused habitat loss has driven the turtles to the brink of extinction.
The Missouri Department of Conservation took a chapter from their skunk guide and published an educational guide for the conservation of the turtles, “Best Management Practices.” The guide specifies that restoring and protecting the state’s wetlands are crucial for the species’ survival. Some of its major recommendations for protecting the turtles include not disposing of waste near wetland areas, implementing erosion and sediment controls in likely habitats, and creating and maintaining new mating and feeding areas in shallow wetlands for the animals.
Yellow Mud Turtle
Photo Courtesy Robbie Robinson
Just like the western chicken turtle and plains spotted skunk, the yellow mud turtle (Kinosternon flavescens) is on Missouri’s endangered species list but not the federal one. The small, dark-colored turtles are semi-aquatic, meaning they live regularly in aquatic and terrestrial environments. Part of the family Kinosternidae, which includes American mud and musk turtles, the species typically have olive-brown carapaces, yellow-brown plastrons, and yellow chins and throats.
The yellow mud turtle is pretty similar in size to the western chicken turtle, with average upper shell lengths between 4 and 5 inches. The species does have a rather special, smelly distinction.
When threatened or captured, the turtle emits a musky, gross-smelling odor, a trait found in all members of the musk and mud turtle family. So, if nothing else, don’t try to capture one if you value the smell of fresh air! The turtles prefer living in sandy habitats and are also found in marshes, flooded fields, and oxbow lakes.
A restricted habitation range and well-known population decline have led to its status as endangered. Egg and even full-grown adult predation by mammal species in Missouri are a further cause for worry, and the long-term survival of the turtles in the state is definitely not guaranteed. As with the western chicken turtles, wetland protection and restoration efforts will certainly benefit the yellow mud turtles.
Unfortunately, the Missouri Department of Conservation didn’t publish a guide for them. However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t people and groups working to save the species from extinction or that the department doesn’t like the yellow mud turtles.
There are countless other species of animals and plants in Missouri that are threatened or endangered, and many conservation efforts are directed toward habitat restoration since that often has the most significant impact on the largest number of species. There’s a long way to go, but there is hope for the yellow mud turtle, western chicken turtle, and plains spotted skunk in Missouri. Just remember: don’t go near the skunk or yellow mud turtle — your nose will thank you!
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