Lake Erie watersnake COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 10

Existing Protection or Other Status Designations

NatureServe (2005) lists the Lake Erie Watersnake’s global status as G5T2 (demonstrably widespread, abundant and secure, but taxon is imperiled). The U.S. National status is N2 (imperiled) and the Canadian National status is NNR (or unranked). The IUCN (2004) has not evaluated N. s. insularum.

In Canada, the Lake Erie Watersnake was assessed as Endangered by COSEWIC in 1991. In Ontario, it is listed as endangered and regulated under the Ontario Endangered Species Act and is a specially protected reptile under the Ontario Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act. The Nature Conservancy of Canada, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Ontario Nature, Parks Canada, and the Essex Region Conservation Authority have set up several nature reserves on islands in the Lake Erie Watersnake’s range. Since the 1991 Lake Erie Watersnake designation of Endangered by COSEWIC, a national recovery team has been established, and a recovery strategy for the species was drafted in 2005 (D. Jacobs pers. comm. September 2005). According to NatureServe (2005), the Ontario rank of the Lake Erie Watersnake is S2 (imperiled).

In the U.S., the Lake Erie Watersnake is listed as Threatened under the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. The Lake Erie Watersnake has a status of Endangered assigned by the state of Ohio. The Ohio Division of Parks and Recreation and Division of Natural Areas and Preserves owns and manages portions of U.S. islands including one for watersnake conservation and protection (USFWS 2003). NatureServe (2005) lists the rank in Ohio as S2 (imperiled).

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