Species Description. The least chub is a small cyprinid less than 6.35 cm, characterized by a very oblique mouth, large scales (34 to 38 along the side) and absence of a lateral line (rarely with one or two pored scales). It has a deeply compressed body, the pharyngeal teeth are in two rows, 2,5-4,2, the dorsal origin lies behind the insertion of the pelvic fin and the caudal peduncle is slender. The dorsal fin rays number eight or rarely nine, and it has eight anal fin rays (Xxxxxx and Xxxxxx 1963)(Fig. 3).
Species Description. The Pallid Shiner is a small, slender (about three inches in length), schooling minnow. The upper body is yellow or yellow green and the scales on the upper body have dark edges. The sides are silver and there is a dark lateral stripe that extends from its tail through the eye and onto the snout. Its snout is blunt and extends far beyond its upper lip, and its mouth is small and almost horizontal. Its dorsal fin is high and has 8 rays. (Xxxx and Xxxxxxxxx 1974; Xxxxx 1979; Xxxx and Xxxx 2011) (see picture in Appendix A, Figure 2).
Species Description. Columbia spotted frogs belong to the anuran family of "true frogs", Ranidae. Twenty-three species of ranids occur in the United States of which only three are native to Utah, the northern leopard frog, Rana pipiens, the relict leopard frog, Rana onca, and the Columbia spotted frog (Fig.
Species Description. The Gunnison sage-grouse (Centrocercus minimus) is a species of sage-grouse found south of the Colorado River in Colorado and Utah. They are about one-third smaller than the greater sage-grouse, and males have more distinct, white barring on their tail feathers, longer and more dense filoplumes on their necks. Female Gunnison and greater sage- grouse have nearly the same plumage, but the female Gunnison is again about one-third smaller than the greater sage-grouse. Male Gunnison sage-grouse conduct an elaborate display when trying to attract females on breeding grounds, or leks in the spring. They will strut, flap their wings against their white pouches and utter a distinct series of sounds by vocalizing and popping two air sacs within their pouches. Nesting begins in mid- April and continues into July.
Species Description. The robust redhorse is a large, heavy-bodied sucker that attains total lengths greater than 700 mm and weights up to 8 kg. This species has large molariform pharyngeal teeth specialized for crushing hard-bodied prey, such as mussels, and is the only sucker species within its range with this character. The robust redhorse is bronze on the back and sides becoming pale or white ventrally. Juveniles will have intense red in the caudal fin, which becomes less distinctive in adults. Adult males develop large tubercles on the snout and head during the spawning season.
Species Description. The nene or Hawaiian goose (Branta sandvicensis) is a medium- sized goose that is closely related to the Canada goose (Branta canadensis) (Xxxxx et al. 1991). It is the only remaining native resident goose in the Hawaiian Islands (Xxxxx and Xxxxx 1991). The plumage of both sexes is similar, though it is possible to distinguish between males and females, in part because females are smaller than males (Xxxx and Xxxxxx 1980). This endemic goose is the state bird of Hawaii.
Species Description. Goose Creek milkvetch was first collected in 1982 by Xxxxx Xxxxxx from a location in Box Elder County, Utah, and subsequently described in 1984 (Xxxxxx et al. 1984). Goose Creek milkvetch is a low-growing, matted, perennial forb (flowering herb) in the legume (pea) family (Fabaceae). Gray hairs cover the leaves giving the plant a xxxx-xxxxx appearance. Goose Creek milkvetch has pink-purple flowers and brownish-red curved seed pods (Xxxxxxx and Xxxxxxx 1991). This species is distinguished from Torrey’s milkvetch (A. calycosus), woolly pod milkvetch (A. purshii), and Xxxxxxxx’x milkvetch (A. newberryi), the three other mat-forming Astragalus species found in the Goose Creek drainage, primarily by its smaller leaflets and flowers, and the color and shape of the seed pods (Baird and Xxxx 1991; Xxxxxxx and Xxxxxxx 1991).
Species Description. The CPSD tiger beetle occurs within the CPSD geologic feature located in Kane County, Utah. The high elevation of the dunes (~1820m) is essential for the species survival because the soil moisture required by the beetles is higher than at low altitudes due to increased precipitation. Adult beetles are likely to inhabit the dune slopes and edges of vegetated dune xxxxxx where it preys on live and dead invertebrates which live in the vegetation. Larvae are more likely to be observed in the damper, more protected xxxxxx (77 FR 60208, October 2, 2012). Because the dunes and dune xxxxxx shift periodically, the location of the species and its habitat changes frequently. The USFWS estimates that the CPSD tiger beetle patchily inhabits less than 20% of the 3500 acre-dune feature, within which there are only two populations (77 FR 60208, October 2, 2012). The central population is considered self-sustaining and occurs within CPSD State Park, managed by the State of Utah. Although larval recruitment is documented each year, the northern population, located on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land, is not considered self-sustaining and most likely consists of CPSD tiger beetles that disperse from the central population. CPSD tiger beetles also occur in the 3-mile corridor between the northern and central populations near vegetated dune xxxxxx (USFWS, 2008). This area likely serves as a dispersal corridor between the two populations. The geologic feature is assumed to be the historic extent of the species range because of the lack of suitable habitat outside of the Coral Pink Sand Dunes (77 FR 60208, October 2, 2012). Additional information on CPSD tiger beetle taxonomy, distribution, adult and larval behavior and ecology, and other species information can be found in the USFWS proposed rule and proposed critical habitat designation (77 FR 60208, October 2, 2012).
Species Description. The spotted frog is named for the black spots that cover the head, back, sides, and legs. The dark spots are characterized by ragged edges and light centers that grow and darken with age (Xxxxx 1994, p. 14). Body color also varies with age. Juveniles are usually brown or, occasionally, xxxxx xxxxx on the back and white, cream, or flesh-colored with reddish pigments on the underlegs and abdomen (McAllister and Xxxxxxx 1997, pp. 1–2). Adults range from brown to reddish brown but tend to become redder with age. The spotted frog is a medium-sized frog, ranging from 44 to 100 millimeters (1.74 to 4 inches) in body length. Females are typically larger than males and can reach up to100 millimeters or more (4 inches).
Species Description. Cope (1875) described the relict leopard frog from an adult female with the following characters "... a dermal fold on each side of the back, ... The heel extending beyond the end of the muzzle. Light xxxxx above; below, yellow. Three rows of distinct, solid, small black spots between the dorsal folds; ... none of the spots yellow-bordered. Head unspotted; no band on lip; clouded spots on the posterior face of the femur.” Since that time, a greater number of specimens and populations of this species have been identified (Xxxxxxxx et al. 1995). In general, the relict leopard frog exhibits reduced spotting on the back and head compared to other species of leopard frogs. Background coloration varies from light xxxxx or tan to dark olive-brown and charcoal. Some individuals are green, most often on the head. The inguina is pale yellow to cream colored while the rest of the venter is white or cream colored. Adults lack spots on the tympana and conspicuous supralabial stripes, especially anterior to the eyes. In comparison with other leopard frog species, the relict leopard frog is a small frog with proportionately short limbs. Adult males appear to reach sexual maturity at about 42 mm snout-urostyle length (SUL) (Bradford et al. 2005). The largest females can exceed 70 mm SUL.
