Hobbies And Interests
State Threatened
As of 2010, the state of Virginia has designated four birds and one mollusk species as threatened within the state. Often thought of as a shorebird, the upland sandpiper nests in Virginia's open farming areas. Family groups remain together until the fall migration. Populations have steadily declined since the mid-19th century, primarily due to hunting and habitat loss. The loggerhead shrike, often called the "butcher bird," also utilizes short-vegetation pastures and abandoned agricultural areas. The loggerhead shrike and the migrant subspecies are both experiencing significant declines across northeast populations, largely due to an accumulation of agricultural pesticides in the food chain. Once a federally endangered species, the bald eagle has been down-listed to threatened, at both the federal and state levels. Virginia's coastal regions host a large influx of migrant eagles between May and September. Some northern populations may winter in Virginia as well. Often confused with the federally endangered dwarf wedgemussel, the green floater is a small freshwater mussel with a thin yellow to green shell, usually less than 2 inches in length. The green floater inhabits Virginia's small creeks and large rivers.
Federal Species of Concern
Three invertebrate species are federally recognized as "Species of Concern," an informal designation that refers to species in need of concentrated conservation actions. One of the largest and most attractive of the long-wing butterflies, the regal fritillary has rapidly declined or vanished from much of its native range. Eastern populations are now restricted to Virginia and Pennsylvania. Threats to the species vary, but include loss of habitat to due agricultural conversion or reforestation, pesticides and herbicides. The panhandle pebblesnail, a small freshwater snail with a brown, spiral-shaped shell, is restricted to freshwater habitats of Virginia and North Carolina. Threats to the species include siltation of streams and rivers from agricultural practices and erosion of stream banks. The yellow lance, a freshwater mussel, is found in midsized rivers and streams in Virginia's Chowan, James, York, and Rappahannock river drainages. This species grows to roughly 4 inches in length and has bright yellow to brown shells.
Collection Concern
The state of Virginia has designated two species, both reptiles, as "Collection Concern" status. A small freshwater turtle, the spotted turtle inhabits shallow water aquatic habitats east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The most significant threat to spotted turtle populations is loss of wetland habitat, followed by loss to the pet trade. Regional and national herpetological societies have sponsored legislation to halt all commercial take of wild spotted turtles; the group also requested more protection of their wetland habitats. The timber rattlesnake, a venomous species, inhabits forests at higher elevations in the western Piedmont and Blue Ridge regions. Not only is the species sold as food, for skin, and to zoos and menageries, but it is also hunted recreationally. Snakes are often taken from basking sites in the summer months. representing a significant impact to the population as these snakes are most likely pregnant females. Dens are also frequently disrupted by mining and logging activities.
Federally Endangered in Adjacent Counties
Over 70 percent of the country's freshwater mussel species are in peril, threatened by dams, water pollution and introduced exotic species. Of the 82 species in Virginia, less than a third are stable, with the remaining populations in jeopardy. Because mussels are sedentary organisms, they are highly sensitive to water quality. To survive, these species require waters that are silt-free, well-oxygenated and free of pollutants. The dwarf wedgemussel, a species similar to the green floater, has been documented in adjacent counties and may in fact occur in Orange County. Federally listed as an endangered species in 1990, the dwarf wedgemussel continues to decline due to human impacts on its habitat.