Seventeen Threatened or Endemic Species in Virginia

An endangered Candy Darter (Etheostoma osburni) rests at the bottom of a riffle in a mountain stream. The Candy Darter is primarily threatened by the invasion, competition, and hybridization from the Variegate Darter (Etheostoma variatum). The Variegate Darter is native to downstream of Kanawha Falls, WV, but was introduced upstream and has since partially led to the decline of the Candy Darter in the New River Basin.

The Wounded Darter (Nothonotus vulneratus) is considered vulnerable by NatureServe, as its freshwater stream habitats have been impacted by the damming of rivers and pollution. It is generally uncommon in Virginia, but is performing well in some stretches of river in southwest Virginia.

The Virginia Shale Woodland Violet (Viola tenuisecta) is a newly described shale-barren endemic species which is known to inhabit only two counties throughout in Virginia. Because this violet was only named as a new species in 2023, we still have a lot to learn about its distribution and status, though it is only known from the steep and dry shale-barrens of western Virginia. 

The vegetation of Viola tenuisecta (same plant as above). It differs in appearance from other violets due to its highly-dissected foliage with deep lobes. A similar violet--available commercially--is Bird's Foot Violet (Viola pedata), which inhabits similar dry habitats, but has a distinctly different flower and wider leaflets noticeable to the trained botanical eye. 

Kate's Mountain Clover (Trifolium virginicum) is a vulnerable shale-barren endemic species. This means that it inhabits only shale-barren ecosystems, which consist of weathered and broken shale on steep, dry slopes with some exposed bedrock; due to the rarity of these ecosystems, they often host rare, specially-adapted plants. Kate's Mountain Clover is one of three clover species native to Virginia; it may look like the white clover often seen in lawns, but it's a totally different species!

The Dixie Caverns Salamander (Plethodon dixi) is found only in Virginia, therefore making it endemic. Some sources also consider it to be endangered due to its small range. It was recently reclassified as a distinct species due to genetic research by Felix et al. (2019), but more research is needed to assess its conservation status and generate an action plan.