NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
The western toad could vanish from the Northwest Territories within a generation if action isn't taken to protect the species, according to a report from the Northwest Territories Species At Risk Committee.

The western toad is the most recent addition to the NWT's List of Species At Risk after a meeting was held last October. The toad can be found from northern California to Alaska, but the northernmost part of its range is in the NWT. - photo courtesy of Mark Thompson

The toad is now the most recent addition to the NWT's List of Species at Risk and is considered a threatened species.

Jody Pellissey is the chair of the Conference of Management Authorities (CMA), which is made up of representatives from the territory's wildlife co-management boards, the Tlicho government, the GNWT and federal government.

The CMA agreed to add the western toad to the list of Species At Risk during a meeting in Yellowknife in October, Pellissey said.

Once Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Wally Schumann adds the toad to the list, the government will have two years to develop a recovery strategy.

The western toad is found from northern California to Alaska, but it's most northerly range is the Liard River basin south of Nahanni Butte, according to the committee's report.

"It's important to note that the western toad's range in the NWT is at the northern-most limit of its range in the world," the report stated. "Even minor changes in its habitat could therefore adversely affect the species in the NWT."

Though it's unknown exactly how many toads live in the territory, its limited range means a limited population size. Because there are so few individuals, threats are that much more devastating to the population, according to Pellissey.

"That's what makes it especially vulnerable to threats," she said.

Some of the biggest dangers are diseases such as hytridiomycosis, which is caused by the amphibian chytrid fungus, and ranavirus, according to the report.

The toads often travel as a "mass movement" to and from breeding sites, which poses another concern.

"These toads are often found near roadsides, so they're vulnerable to being roadkill," Pellissey said. "If somebody hits the road at the wrong time, there can be a significant number of toads lost at one time."

It can take up to six years for a female toad to reach sexual maturity and then she may only mate once in her lifetime, Pellissey added.

The recovery strategy for the toad will be incorporated into the territory's Amphibian Management Plan, which will also protect the northern leopard frog that was added to the list of species at risk in March, 2015.

The management plan is expected to be released in early 2017.

Recovery strategy for rare plant

The CMA also accepted a recovery strategy for the Hairy Braya, a plant that only grows in the Northwest Territories. It was designated as a threatened species in 2014.

While most of the plants are found inland on the Cape Bathurst peninsula and the Baillie Islands, plant populations along the coast are decreasing.

"One of the main one is rapid erosion along the coast line," Pellissey said. "Sea levels are rising and the plants are also killed by salt spray along the coast."

Inland plants are also susceptible to storm surges and floods.

There are currently about 15,000 to 20,000 individual Hairy Braya plants in the territory, according to ENR.