Prairie skink (Eumeces septentrionalis) COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 12

Technical Summary

Eumeces septentrionalis

Prairie Skink – Scinque des Prairies

Range of Occurrence in Canada:

Limited to SW Manitoba

Extent and Area Information

Extent of occurrence (EO) (km²)

(estimated from Figure 4) : 1,770 km²

Specify trend in EO :

Declining

Are there extreme fluctuations in EO?

No

Area of occupancy (AO) (km²)

(estimated from Figure 4, and amounts of potential habitat) : ≤400 km²

Specify trend in AO :

Declining

Are there extreme fluctuations in AO?

No

Number of known or inferred current locations (each location is a major region of appropriate soil types) :

~ 6

Specify trend in # :

Declining

Are there extreme fluctuations in number of locations?

No

Specify trend in area, extent or quality of habitat :

Declining

Population Information

Generation time (average age of parents in the population) :

4-5 years

Number of mature individuals :

Unknown

Total population trend:

Declining

 % decline over the last/next 10 years or 3 generations.

Unknown

Are there extreme fluctuations in number of mature individuals?

No

Is the total population severely fragmented? (most individuals found within small and relatively isolated (geographically or otherwise) populations between which there is little exchange, i.e., < 1 successful migrant/year) :

Yes

Specify trend in number of populations :

Declining

Are there extreme fluctuations in number of populations?

No

List populations with number of mature individuals in each:

Not available

Threats (actual or imminent threats to populations or habitats)

  1. Habitat loss is a major threat as a result of the following:
    • Cultivation of mixed grass prairie
    • Succession of prairie to Aspen Parkland as a result of fire suppression
    • Invasion of mixed grass prairie by exotic Leafy Spurge
    • Planting of exotic Scots Pine in mixed grass prairie
  2. Possible loss of genetic variation because of small population size, fragmentation of area and isolating of Manitoba population from rest of the species.

Rescue Effect (immigration from an outside source)

Status of outside population(s)?

USA: [other jurisdictions or agencies] : Variable

Is immigration known or possible?

No

Would immigrants be adapted to survive in Canada?

Not applicable

Is there sufficient habitat for immigrants in Canada?

No

Is rescue from outside populations likely?

No

Quantitative Analysis

[provide details on calculation, source(s) of data, models, etc] : Not applicable

Other Status

  • COSEWIC: Special Concern 1989
  • Manitoba: S2

Status and Reasons for Designation

Status: Endangered

Alpha-numeric code: B1 a b (i, ii, iii, iv, v) + 2 a b (I, ii, iii, iv, v)

Reasons for Designation: This lizard is confined to a small region (less than 1700 km²) in Manitoba.  It requires sandy soils and mixed grass prairie.  Prairie habitat is being fragmented and lost to cultivation, Aspen succession and invasion by exotic leafy spurge. The Manitoba population is isolated from the rest of the species in the USA by over 100 km.

Applicability of Criteria

Criterion A (Declining Total Population): not applicable because the rate of decline is unknown.

Criterion B (Small Distribution, and Decline or Fluctuation): Qualifies as Endangered B1, 2 a (severely fragmented) b (i, ii, iii, iv, v). 

Criterion C (Small Total Population Size and Decline): not applicable because number of mature individuals unknown.

Criterion D (Very Small Population or Restricted Distribution): not applicable because number of mature individuals unknown.

Criterion E (Quantitative Analysis): not applicable

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