Introduction

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The vertebrates (fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals) are some of the most well studied and best known components of Wisconsin's fauna. Each taxonomic class has been treated in a major monographic study of the state's fauna (Becker 1983, Vogt 1981, Robbins 1991, Jackson 1961). Several of these references are now more than a decade old, however, and scientists have made numerous taxonomic name changes in the intervening years. In addition, a number of non-native (exotic) species have been introduced to the state and now occur as naturally reproducing populations. Lyons, et al. (2000) recently updated the checklist of Wisconsin fishes, and the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology (WSO) currently maintains a bird checklist on its web site [exit DNR]. Yet, there has been no comprehensive up-to-date reference available for all vertebrate species occurring in Wisconsin.

Such standardized checklists provide a ready reference for many scientific endeavors, both in the field and in the laboratory, and are particularly useful to students (Jones, et al. 1992; Jones, et al. 1997). In this report, we provide checklists of all known Recent wild -- naturally occurring and introduced -- vertebrates found in the state. With the exception of the birds, no distinction is made between resident and migrant species or between those that occur regularly and those of casual or accidental occurrence. Zoo and game farm populations are not listed, nor are unestablished escapees from such populations. Doubtful records, exclusions of species from the checklists, and extinct species are discussed in the text preceding each checklist. Six hundred ninety-three vertebrate species are documented as occurring in the state (159 fishes, 19 amphibians, 35 reptiles, 408 birds, and 72 mammals).

The checklists include scientific and common names of individual taxa from order to species. Complete scientific names include the name of the author who initially described the species and the year of publication. We leave author names and publication dates out of our checklists for the sake of clarity and ease of use. We encourage readers with a need for full citations to consult the most recent edition of the standard scientific references cited in the text preceding each checklist. A single common name is provided for each species to promote uniformity and more precise communication. These are generally selected from standardized lists of common names. At the family and order levels, where we take some liberties with nomenclature, more than one common name may be given. This indicates content rather than alternative names for the group. Capitalization of common names follows ornithological convention, and we carry this practice throughout the entire manuscript for the sake of consistency. We recognize that not everyone will be pleased with this decision. Authors using common names should consult the appropriate style guide or author instructions to determine the accepted practice when preparing manuscripts for submission and publication.

Information on the geographic distribution, biology, ecology, and natural history of the individual species is beyond the scope of this work. However, we describe several on-going monitoring and atlas programs and briefly discuss the literature pertaining to Wisconsin vertebrates, as both seem relevant to a checklist endeavor. The "primary references" listed at the end of each checklist provide access to additional information on species found in the state. Hay, et al. (1997) provide status information for species listed as endangered or threatened by the State of Wisconsin.

The following codes are used in all five checklists to indicate the conservation status of the various species:

(fe) federally endangered -: under federal law, any animal or plant in danger of extinction within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range (50 CFR § 17.3).
(ft) federally threatened -: under federal law, any animal or plant likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range (50 CFR § 17.3).
(se) state endangered -: under state law, any species whose continued existence as a viable component of this state's wild animals or wild plants is determined by the DNR to be in jeopardy on the basis of scientific evidence (§ 29.604(2)(a), Wis. Stats.).
(st) state threatened -: under state law, any species of wild animals or wild plants which appears likely, within the foreseeable future, on the basis of scientific evidence to become endangered (§ 29.604(2)(b), Wis. Stats.).
(int) introduced -: a non-indigenous/non-native species introduced, either intentionally or unintentionally, into an area (in this case Wisconsin) that is not part of its natural range.
(ext) extirpated -: a species that once occurred naturally within the state's boundary but no longer does even though it may occur elsewhere.

Of the 693 species included in the checklists, 5 are listed at the federal level as endangered and 1 is listed as threatened. Thirty-one species are listed as endangered species at the state level and 28 are considered threatened. Six hundred sixty-eight species are believed to be native, while 25 are introduced non-native species (14 fishes, 8 birds, and 3 mammals). At least 12 species have been extirpated from the state, including 6 fishes (2 are now extinct), 2 birds (both are now extinct), and 4 mammals. We use additional codes to indicate the relative occurrence of species in the bird checklist. These are identified and defined in the text preceding that checklist.

Because knowledge of the systematic relationships of animals is always changing and additional species are being added to the list of Wisconsin's fauna, it is likely that these lists will be out-of-date in a relatively short time. Therefore, these lists should be considered working lists. It will be necessary to initiate a process to issue periodic updates.

Last Revised: Friday October 17 2008