2025 Animal Changes

Additions: 184 new invertebrates were added to the annelid, arachnid, freshwater hydroid, coleoptera, and echinoderm groups. 

Removals: 12 invertebrates were removed due to taxonomic updates and/or have not been confirmed in B.C. (10 terrestrial molluscs, 1 ant, and 1 hemipteran).

Taxonomic changes: 121 species underwent taxonomic changes within the arachnid, coleoptera, lepidoptera, mollusc, orthoptera, hymenoptera, echinoderm and plectoptera groups.

• The 4 native species of earthworm were assessed, resulting in a rank change and B.C. listing change for 1 species:
  • Vancouver Island Earthworm (Arctiostrotus vancouverensis) moved from the Red List to the Blue List, due to availability of new information.
• 34 leech species were assessed, resulting in a rank change for 4 of them. These species were previously considered SU (Unrankable), but new data enabled a rank to be assigned; all 4 were placed on the Yellow List.

100 terrestrial molluscs were assessed, resulting in rank changes for 13 species. 2 species changed their B.C. listing:

• Pygmy Oregonian (Cryptomastix germana) moved from the Yellow List to the Blue List, due to a continuing lack of records.
• Callused Vertigo (Vertigo arthuri) moved from the Blue List to the Yellow List, due to a taxonomic revision.

95 freshwater molluscs were assessed, resulting in changes for 21 species.

• 6 species (River Peaclam, Pygmy Fossaria, Star Gyro, Frigid Lymnaea, Meadow Rams-horn, and Striated Fingernailclam) moved from the Blue List to the Yellow List.
• 2 species moved from the Blue List to the Red list:
  • There have been no records of Long Fingernailclam (Musculium transversum) or Rocky Mountain Physa (Physella pjropinqua) since the 1970’s, thus both were assessed as SH (historical) which places them on the Red List. Increased search effort in suitable habitat may result in a detection.

•    Over 3000 beetles were reviewed over the past two years as part of a collaboration with the General Status of Species in Canada.

39 birds were reviewed, resulting in list changes to 16 species.

• 14 species that were previously unranked (e.g., SU or Not Reviewed) were assessed and have been put on lists:
  • Pacific Golden-Plover, Pectoral Sandpiper, Red Phalarope, Pomarine Jaeger, Long-tailed Jaeger, Heermann’s Gull, and Lapland Longspur are now on the Yellow List.
  • Marbled Godwit, Stilt Sandpiper, South Polar Skua, Western Gull and Common Tern are now on the Blue List.
  • Black-necked Stilt and Baird’s Sandpiper are now on the Red List.
• 1 species moved to a more imperiled list:
  • Rock Sandpiper changed from S4N to S3?N and moved from the Yellow List to the Blue List.

Additions

• Siberian Pipet (Anthus japonicus). SNA (accidental). This is a vagrant species reported several times in B.C.
• Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis). SNA (accidental). This has been recorded once in B.C.

Common name changes (Chesser et al. 2024):

• Barn Owl changed to American Barn Owl
• Brown Booby changed to Cocos Booby
• House Wren changed to Northern House Wren
• Lesser Sand-Plover changed to Siberian Sand-Plover

Scientific Name changes (Chesser et al. 2024):

• Siberian Sand-Plover changed from Charadrius mongolus to Anarhynchus mongolus
• Mountain Plover changed from Charadrius montanus to Anarhynchus montanus
• Snowy Plover changed from Charadrius nivosus to Anarhynchus nivosus
• Least Bittern changed from Ixobrychus exilis to Botaurus exilis
• American Barn Owl changed from Tyto alba to Tyto furcata

21 reptiles were assessed, resulting in no list changes.

Additions

•  North American Snapping Turtle was added as an Exotic species (SNA), as egg-laying has now been documented.

Taxonomic Changes

• the common name for Northern Rubber Boa (Charina bottae) changed to Rubber Boa (Nicholson 2025).

• 10 carnivores were reviewed this year, resulting in no list changes.
  • Wolverine (Gulo gulo)
    • The Vancouver Island subspecies of Wolverine (Gulo gulo vancouverensis) is no longer considered a distinct subspecies (Hessels et al. 2021).
    • The 2025 status assessment occurred at the species level (Gulo gulo). The rank is S3 and the species is on the Blue List.

Taxonomic changes:

• Cordilleran Sucker changed from Catostomus bondi to Pantosteus bondi
• Yellowtail changed from Seriola lalandi to Seriola dorsalis
• Transparent Eel changed from Thalassenchelys coheni to Congriscus megastoma

Chesser, R.T., S.M. Billerman, K.J. Burns, C. Cicero, J.L. Dunn, B.E. Hernández-Baños,

R.A. Jiménez, O. Johnson, A.W. Kratter, N.A. Mason, P.C. Rasmussen, and J.V. Remsen, Jr. 2024. Sixty-fifth Supplement to the American Ornithological Society's Check-list of North American Birds. Ornithology 141:1-21.

Hessels, E. W., Lofroth, E. C., Weir, R. D., & Gorrell, J. C. 2021. Characterizing the elusive

Vancouver Island wolverine, Gulo gulo vancouverensis, using historical DNA. Journal of Mammalogy, 102:530–540.