Table 3.
Species accounts in which “genetic rescue” was mentioned in USFWS Recovery documentation.
| Scientific name | Common name | Lead Region | ESA listing status | Taxonomic group | GR index | GR status | Assisted migration scenario(s) | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aphelocoma coerulescens | Florida scrub-jay | Southeast | Threatened | Birds | 4 | Implemented | (1) ~50 Florida scrub-jays translocated from sites within the same metapopulation to an existing population of ~15 (2) Eight jays translocated from a large central FL population into a small and isolated population of ~75 on the Atlantic coast |
(1) Population expansion but decreased heterozygosity due to high success of a few immigrant jays (Fitzpatrick pers. comm) (2) Ongoing, TBD |
| Brachylagus idahoensis | Columbia Basin Pygmy Rabbit | Pacific | Endangered | Mammals | 4 | Implemented | Columbia Basin Pygmy Rabbits crossed with Idaho Pygmy Rabbits in captivity then released to the wild along with Pygmy rabbits from 4 other states | Genetic rescue in captivity (increases in vital rates; Elias et al. 2013); population expansion in the wild, but intensive management needed due to wildfires and high levels of predation (Nerkowski 2021) |
| Puma (=Felis) concolor coryi | Florida panther | Southeast | Endangered | Mammals | 3 | Implemented | Eight female panthers from a different subspecies introduced to resident FL population of 34 inbred individuals | Genetic rescue; increases in population size, heterozygosity, decreased signs of inbreeding (Johnson et al. 2010) |
| Ambystoma bishopi | Reticulated flatwoods salamander | Southeast | Endangered | Amphibians | 2 | Considered | N/A | N/A |
| Drymarchon corais couperi | Eastern indigo snake | Southeast | Threatened | Reptiles | 0 | Considered | N/A | N/A |
| Eremophila alpestris strigata | Streaked Horned lark | Pacific | Threatened | Birds | 2 | Considered | N/A | N/A |
| Oryzomys palustris natator | Silver rice rat | Southeast | Endangered | Mammals | 3 | Considered | N/A | N/A |
| Oncorhynchus clarkii seleniris | Paiute cutthroat trout | Pacific Southwest | Threatened | Fishes | 2 | Considered | N/A | N/A |
| Thomomys mazama glacialis | Roy Prairie pocket gopher | Pacific | Threatened | Mammals | 2 | Considered | N/A | N/A |
| Thomomys mazama yelmensis | Yelm pocket gopher | Pacific | Threatened | Mammals | 1 | Considered | N/A | N/A |
| Thomomys mazama pugetensis | Olympia pocket gopher | Pacific | Threatened | Mammals | 2 | Considered | N/A | N/A |
Assisted migration or captive outcrossing for purposes of genetic rescue were implemented in 3 species. “Genetic rescue” was considered in 8 additional species.