Great Basin spadefoot (Spea intermontana) COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 10

Existing Protection or Other Status Designations

The British Columbia Wildlife Act prohibits the collection, possession, and trade of all native vertebrates, including amphibians. This law has limited effectiveness in protecting S. intermontana, because it is difficult to enforce and does not cover damage to habitats. The species is on the provincial Blue List of species at risk; Blue-listed species are indigenous species or subspecies of special concern (formerly vulnerable) in British Columbia (MOE 2006). The species has been designated as “Identified Wildlife” under the BC Forest and Range Practices Act, and management guidelines have been prepared (Sarell 2004); the guidelines include criteria for Wildlife Habitat Areas intended to protect important habitats. These guidelines are intended to help implement biodiversity objectives under the BC Forest and Range Practices Act and are mandatory on publicly owned forestry and range lands. As of May 2006, no Wildlife Habitat Areas have been designated for this species. Rules and regulations covering temporary ponds often used by spadefoots are minimal resulting in less protection than for permanent ponds.

Spea intermontanawas assessed nationally as “Threatened” in 2001 by COSEWIC and is listed in Schedule 1 of the Species at Risk Act. The species was found to meet the COSEWIC criteria for Endangered under B1ab(iii)c(iv)+2ab(iii)c(iv) and C2a. It was, however, designated Threatened as it was concluded at the time that its abundance may have been underestimated and noted that it will use artificial habitats for breeding. In light of current knowledge, these provisions can be considered invalid. The species breeds seasonally and population sizes undoubtedly fluctuate. Although it may use artificial habitats for breeding, there is evidence that such habitats may be ecological traps from which there may little or no recruitment.

NatureServe (2005) ranks S. intermontana globally as G5 (“demonstrably widespread, abundant, and secure”), nationally in the United States as N5 (as above), and nationally in Canada as N3 (“vulnerable to extirpation or extinction”). The sub-national ranks are as follows: S2 (“imperiled”): Arizona; S3 (“vulnerable to extirpation or extinction”): Colorado, Wyoming, British Columbia; S4 (“apparently secure”): Idaho, Nevada; and S5 (“demonstrably widespread, abundant, and secure”): California, Oregon, Utah, Washington.

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