Hunting in Alabama: 5 Animals Designated Nongame, Endangered, Threatened, and Protected Species

There are 107 animals listed as protected or noteworthy in some way to steer clear of when hunting in Alabama. The most recent data provided by the U.S Fish & Wildlife Service’s Environmental Conservation Online System was updated in February 2015, and each of the 107 noted animals are designated as either endangered or threatened and are believed to or known to roam in Alabama.

Here are a few of the most endangered species native to Alabama on the list for the protected animals:

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1. Flattened Musk Turtle: Threatened

The flattened musk turtle was added to the Threatened list in 1987 and is mostly found in the Southeast Region near Bankhead Dam. The turtle is only about 5 inches long and its main population threats have been environmental pollution, disease outbreak, and habitat loss.

2. Gopher Tortoise: Threatened and Candidate

This species ranges between six and fifteen inches and is found near Mobile and Tombigbee Rivers and was added to the Threatened list in 1987. They like to burrow nine feet underground and their mating season is April through November. The good news is that they do not have many natural predators other than insects and humans according to Outdoor Alabama.

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3. Red Cockaded Woodpecker: Endangered

These woodpeckers have been on the federally endangered list since 1970, and they are believed to still exist in Alabama. Its coloring is black-and-white, with typically white cheeks and a longish bill. They like to peck at pines between 80-120 years old according to the Fish & Wildlife Service.

4. Mussels: Endangered and Threatened

According to the Encyclopedia of Alabama, there are 180 species of mussel in Alabama, and 48 of those are considered endangered and threatened. Classified as shellfish, these are water-dwelling animals and there largest threats include dams, household and agricultural waste, and runoff from mining.

5. Bats: Threatened and Endangered

Two types of bats have been deemed endangered and threatened, the gray bat and the Northern long-eared bat. The gray bat has long, glossy fur that is brown – not gray, and was added to the endangered list in 1976; while the Northern long-eared bat was just added to the threatened list in 2015 because they have mostly been wiped out by a fungal disease in the Northeast.

This article is for information only. Please check current regulations before hunting.

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