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Extirpated Species
At least 14, to more than 23 animal species that existed or regularly bred in the
CRE have been extirpated, with only two of those extirpations occurring prior to the closure of
Glen Canyon Dam in 1963 (California condor - Gymnogyps californianus, and gray wolf - Canis
lupus youngi; Table 2; Appendix A). TMC known to have been extirpated include: 4 fish
(Colorado pikeminnow – Pychocheilus lucius, razorback sucker – Xyrauchen texanus, and
bonytail and roundtail chub – Gila elegans and G. robusta, respectively), 2 amphibians
(Lithobates pipiens and L. nr. yavapaiensis), zebra-tailed lizard, 4 birds (breeding southwestern
willow flycatcher – Empidonax trailii extimus; western yellow-billed cuckoo - Coccyzus
americanus occidentalis, Gambel’s quail - Callipepla gambelii, and California condor, which was reintroduced outside the CRE in 1996); and 3 mammals (badger – Taxodea taxa; the likely
extinct southwestern river otter – Lutra canadensis sonora; and gray wolf, which was extirpated
from northern Arizona prior to 1946). The status of several apparently rare herpetofauna (e.g.,
regal ring-necked snake – Diadophis punctatus regalis, western threadsnake – Leptotyphlops
humilis, other snakes), as well as numerous rare plant and invertebrate taxa, remains unknown. [1]
Re-establish fishes extirpated from Grand Canyon, where feasible and consistent with recovery goals for humpback chub and the recovery goals of those extirpated fishes.
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