New Jersey Endangered Species

New Jersey, the most densely-populated state in the country, is home to more than 700 endangered species. One of the biggest threats to their survival is loss of quality habitat. For more than 60 years, we’ve been working in New Jersey to protect the lands and waters all life depends on. Many of our state's most endangered species rely on these protected lands to survive. 

Animals

Despite being densely populated and a very small state, New Jersey is home to over 800 animal species. For various reasons like habitat loss and development, over 80 of New Jersey's animal species have been listed as endangered. Here, we'll get to know seven of New Jersey's most at risk animals.

Piping Plover

Status: Federally Endangered

These small shorebirds make their way to barrier islands and beaches in New Jersey each year for their breeding season. Starting in April, the female will lay between three to four eggs, which both parents will incubate for about 27 days. 

Piping plovers were common during the 1880s, but became nearly locally extinct during the 1890s on from market hunting and egg collecting. They were afforded protection by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, and for a while the population numbers began to recover. Unfortunately, during the late 1940s, population numbers began to decline again. A number of threats contribute to their declining population sizes, such as predation from red fox, raccoons and gulls, loss of habitat from development, flooding from storm surges, and disturbance from beach activities like beach raking and dog walking.

In an effort to protect their breeding grounds at our South Cape May Meadows preserve, we have installed two nesting enclosures on our protected beach to help minimize disturbance. To attract the plovers to nest here, we have installed call boxes that send out piping plover calls and placed plover decoys sitting on simulated nests in the enclosed areas. Although piping plovers haven’t nested on our South Cape May Meadows beach for several years due to disturbance and changing beach habitat, we are hopeful that our efforts will provide them with safe and successful nesting habitat. 

Least Tern

Status: State Endangered

Least terns are small, colonial shorebirds that migrate to New Jersey beaches each year for their nesting season. They were once very common along New Jersey coasts, but egg collecting and hunting in the early 1900s caused their population to plummet. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 helped their population rebound. Unfortunately, coastal development that took off in the 1940s and the increased use of beaches for recreation has led to another decline. 

Our South Cape May Meadows Preserve boasts a mile of protected beach where least terns have historically attempted nesting. In addition to helping protect nesting piping plovers, we also aim to provide safe and pristine nesting habitat for least terns. We are happy to report that in 2019 and 2020, after about four to five years of having no successful fledges, we had eight tern chicks fledge both years. 

American Bittern

Status: State Endangered (Breeding Population)

American bitterns are medium-sized wading birds. They feed on fish and other small aquatic species they find within marshes and along creek shorelines. Their camouflaged feathers allow them to stalk their prey before striking. During breeding season, they live in wetland areas, where their nests can typically be found near shallow water in thick vegetation. Most American bitterns migrate south in the fall, but some remain in New Jersey to winter. 

Eastern Tiger Salamander

Status: State Endangered

The eastern tiger salamander is the largest salamander in New Jersey. It is dull black and brown, with a blotchy pale-yellow underside. It has a blunt, rounded snout that it uses to burrow underground where it eats spiders, insects, and worms.  

In New Jersey, eastern tiger salamanders are limited to wetlands and ponds in Cape May County, and Southern Atlantic and Cumberland Counties. They migrate to their breeding ponds in late winter or early spring, where females will lay eggs attached to twigs or rooted vegetation in ponds. After hatching, the larvae transform into juveniles in about 75-115 days. From the ponds, the juveniles will head to underground burrows and tunnels, where they will spend most of their lives.

New Jersey populations of eastern tiger salamanders have been declining due to habitat loss and pollution of their breeding ponds. Illegal dumping, as well as the filling of these ponds has destroyed many of their breeding sites. Pollution from insecticides and fertilizers can kill their eggs and larvae, or cause their breeding ponds to be uninhabitable. Many have turned to man-made pools, such as old gravel pits and farm ponds. Habitat loss caused by development of upland forest is another major threat to their survival.

The protected wetlands and forests of our Lizard Tail, Maurice River Bluffs and Eldora Preserves provide these salamanders with optimal breeding habitat. When visiting these preserves, always remember to stay on marked trails to minimize disturbance, as salamanders could be burrowing!

Southern Gray Treefrog (Copes Gray Treefrog)

Status: State Endangered

The southern gray treefrog, also known as Cope’s gray treefrog, is limited to just four counties in New Jersey: Cape May, Cumberland, Ocean and Atlantic Counties. They spend the majority of their time high up in trees. During breeding season, they make their way to ponds and wetlands to breed on branches hanging above the water. Southern gray treefrogs rely on small freshwater ponds that contain water long enough for their tadpoles to reach metamorphosis but dry up by end of summer to prevent the establishment of predatory fish. 

In 1979, the southern gray treefrog was listed as an endangered species in New Jersey. Development of forests, illegal filling of vernal ponds and destruction of wetlands all play major roles reducing this frog's habitat. Although current regulations protect wetlands, many of the upland forest habitats also required by the Southern gray treefrog remain vulnerable.

Plants

New Jersey's geological diversity supports a wide variety of native plant species. While there are many laws protecting threatened and endangered animals, that is not the case for plants. New Jersey has over 2,000 native plant species and almost 700 of them are considered rare.

Hammond's Yellow Spring Beauty

Status: Globally Endangered

Hammond’s yellow spring beauty is an extremely rare wildflower that is only found in a few secluded areas of Northwestern New Jersey. The flower is smaller than a dime and blooms in May in a rare inland acidic seep.

The flower was discovered over 50 years ago by a local naturalist named Emilie K. Hammond. It's special habitat lies in one of our protected areas known as the Arctic Meadows Preserve. This 100-acre preserve is located in the foothills of the Kittatinny Mountain Range. Unlike most of our preserves, this one is not open to the public.

Sensitive Joint Vetch

Status: State Endangered

New Jersey is one of only four states where sensitive joint vetch still remains. It is listed as state endangered and federally threatened. This species in the legume family has yellow, irregular flowers and leaves that fold slightly when touched, hence the name. Sensitive joint vetch grows in intertidal zones of coastal marshes. It prefers the lower edge of marshes where the soil may be mucky or sandy. This species thrives in areas where there is less plant competition.

Swamp Pink

Status: State Endangered

New Jersey is a stronghold for the endangered swamp pink. In fact, over half of the known populations are found in New Jersey.  Swamp pink occurs in wetlands, spring seepage areas, headwater wetlands and forested wetlands. It can only occur in areas with stable water tables with a water line that rests just below its leaves. The evergreen leaves can be seen year-round and flowering occurs between March and May.