To help conserve genetic diversity, the ESA defines "species" broadly to include subspecies and (for vertebrates) distinct populations.

Threatened

A "threatened species" is one that is likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range.

Endangered

An "endangered species" is one that is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range.

Delisted

Species that are no longer threatened or endangered. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 requires five-year monitoring for species that have recovered and been delisted.

Species of Concern

Montana "Species of Concern" are native animals breeding in the state that are considered to be "at risk" due to declining population trends, threats to their habitats, and/or restricted distribution.

Exotic

"Exotic species" are any species that is not native to that ecosystem. They are broken into three categories:

Controlled

"Controlled species" means live, exotic wildlife species, subspecies, or hybrid of species that may not be imported, possessed, sold, purchased or exchanged in Montana unless a person obtains written authorization from the department.

Noncontrolled

"Noncontrolled species" are live, exotic wildlife species, subspecies, or hybrid of that species that may be possessed, sold, purchased or exchanged in the state without a permit, except as provided in this subchapter or in Montana statutes or federal statutes. An uncontrolled species may not be released into the wild unless authorized in writing by the department. This definition does not authorize the sale, possession, transportation, importation or exportation of a noncontrolled species in violation of any applicable federal or state statute or regulation or county or city ordinance.

Prohibited

"Prohibited species" are live, exotic wildlife species, subspecies, or hybrid of that species, including viable embryos or gametes, that may not be possessed, sold, purchased, exchanged, or transported in Montana, except as provided in MCA 87-5-709 or ARM 12.6.2220.

Aquatic Invasive (Nuisance) Species (AIS)

Aquatic Invasive Species are non-native plants, animals or pathogens that cause environmental or economic harm. 

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• FWS Threatened, Endangered, and Candidate Species of Montana

Bull Trout

Bull trout are found in the Clark Fork and Flathead drainages of western Montana, and their slowly declining trend has led to their designation as a threatened species. Bull trout are a sensitive species that do not tolerate high sediment levels in their spawning streams. Sediment can suffocate the developing embryos before they hatch.

Canada Lynx

In early 2000, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service listed the Canada lynx as "threatened" under the federal Endangered Species Act. The listing covers 16 states, including Montana. As a federally threatened species, taking a lynx by trapping or shooting is prohibited.

Grizzly Bear

Currently, south of Canada, there are 6 grizzly bear subpopulations in Wyoming, Washington, Idaho, and Montana, four of which are partially or all in Montana (Northern Continental Divide, Greater Yellowstone, Cabinet-Yaak, and Bitterroot).  Grizzlies are difficult to survey, but in 2021 it is believed there are roughly 1,100 grizzly bears in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem in Montana, 1,000 bears in the Yellowstone Ecosystem in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, 100 bears in the Selkirk Ecosystem in Idaho, Washington and British Columbia, and 50 bears in the Cabinet-Yaak Ecosystem in Montana and Idaho.

Piping Plover

The piping plover, a two-ounce shorebird of open beaches, alkali flats, and sandy areas, breeds along the Atlantic coast from southern Canada to North Carolina; along major rivers and wetlands in the northern Great Plains from southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba through Nebraska; and along portions of the western Great Lakes.

Black-footed Ferret

29 years after listing, this two-pound weasel remains the rarest mammal in North America. Introduced diseases and a century of prairie dog control have brought it to the brink of extinction. With the death of the last of nine captive ferrets at Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in 1978, most people feared the species had become extinct.

Least Tern

The interior population of least tern was listed as endangered in 1985. Populations along the East and West coasts are not endangered. The interior population, which once inhabited all the major river systems in the middle of the country, evolved to take advantage of constantly changing rivers.

Northern Long-eared Bat

The northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) is one of Montana’s 15 bat species. Populations across North America have suffered declines greater than 90 percent due to impacts from white-nose syndrome, a disease caused by a cold-adapted fungus that primarily affects hibernating bats. This species was listed as Threatened under the ESA in 2015 and as Endangered in 2023.

Pallid Sturgeon

The pallid sturgeon is the larger of two sturgeons historically found in the upper Missouri River. The other is the more common shovelnose sturgeon. The pallid sturgeon was not recognized as a species until 1905 and that classification is still being debated. Three genetic studies conducted to assess the relationship of the two species have been inconclusive.

White Sturgeon

The Kootenai River white sturgeon was listed as endangered in 1994. This population had been declining for at least forty years and natural reproduction has been insignificant since 1974. Kootenai sturgeon began declining in the 1950s and 1960s as water quality deteriorated due to pollution.

Whooping Crane

The world whooping crane population now stands at 319, the highest level of the century. Last summer 47 pairs nested in and around Wood Buffalo National Park in the Northwest Territories and adjacent Alberta. This population of 190 whoopers-the only self-sustaining, wild population-winters at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge on the Texas coast.

Bald Eagle

After 41 years of federal protection under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and its legal predecessors, the Bald Eagle was removed from the list of Threatened and Endangered Species in August of 2007. The breeding population of Bald Eagles now numbers over 10,000 pairs in the continental United States, from a low of 417 pairs in 1963.

Gray Wolf

FWP obtained full authority to manage wolves in Montana upon the federal delisting of the Rocky Mountain gray wolf in May 2011. FWP is committed to using its authority to responsibly manage Montana’s wolf population while addressing conflicts with livestock and other wildlife populations.

Peregrine Falcon

On August 20, 1999 the Peregrine Falcon was removed from the federal list of Threatened and Endangered Species. Peregrine Falcons first received federal protection as an endangered species in 1970 under the Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1969 and subsequently the Endangered Species Act of 1973. At that time they were considered extirpated from the eastern United States and showed population declines of 80-90% in the western United States. By 2003 there were an estimated 1,000 pairs in the western United States, excluding Alaska, and almost 1,500 pairs in the lower 48 states.

This report is updated by a joint committee composed of biologists from the Montana Natural Heritage Program (MTNHP) and Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks (MFWP) as new status information becomes available for individual species. Montana Species of Concern are native animals breeding in the state that are considered to be "at risk" due to declining population trends, threats to their habitats, and/or restricted distribution.

• Amphibians 

• Birds

• Fish

• Mammals

• Reptiles

• Invertebrates

Controlled Species

"Controlled species" means live, exotic wildlife species, subspecies, or hybrid of species that may not be imported, possessed, sold, purchased or exchanged in Montana unless a person obtains written authorization from the department.

Controlled Exotic Wildlife Permit

Written authorization to possess a species of exotic wildlife that has been classified as controlled may be requested by submitting an application. The application requires information on the exotic species requested, the intended purpose for possession, where the exotic species will be held, and the enclosures intended to contain the exotic species.

Birds

The following birds are classified as controlled species and require a Controlled Species permit which can be obtained from Fish, Wildlife & Parks.

All exotic (non-native) waterfowl (family Anatidae) are "Controlled Species." 

Crustaceans

The following crustaceans are classified as controlled species and require a Controlled Species permit which can be obtained from Fish, Wildlife & Parks.

Fish

Coho salmon (Onocorhynchus kisutch)

These fish are classified as controlled species: ARM 12.6.2208 12/2010, a Controlled Exotic Wildlife Permit is required. Coho Salmon, Onocorhynchus kisutch, may only be raised for commercial activities in a facility that: 

• is indoors and locked with access restricted solely to individuals involved in the operation and maintenance of the facility;
• is not within the 100 year flood;
• is at least 200 feet from any surface water;
• does not receive diverted surface water;
• does not have an effluent or discharge of waste or water within 200 feet of surface water including perennial, intermittent, or ephemeral streams or rivers;
• complies with all other local, state, and federal regulations and permits.
• complies with all other local, state, and federal regulations and permits.
• Live fish may not be transferred into or out of the facility.
• Fish health screening must occur annually and reported to the department within 30 days of receipt of results.
• Any significant mortality in the facility that occurs as a result of an infectious disease must be reported to the department within 30 days.
• Carcasses must either be disposed in a state regulated landfill or in another manner that would not impact state waters or be accessible to wildlife or other animals that might carry carcasses to water.

Koi (Cyprinus carpio) and Goldfish (Carrassius auratus)

These fish are classified as controlled species: ARM 12.6.2208 11/2006 for use in outdoor ponds under the following criteria. Such ponds do not require stocking permits for koi or goldfish; however, they are required to be registered with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

• must not be larger than 400 square feet;
• must not be within the 100-year flood plain;
• must be at least 200 yards from any open water;
• must not receive diverted surface water; and
• must not have an effluent or discharge to surface water.

Mammals

The following mammals are classified as controlled species and require a Controlled Species permit which can be obtained from Fish, Wildlife & Parks.

"Noncontrolled species" are live, exotic wildlife species, subspecies, or hybrid of that species that may be possessed, sold, purchased or exchanged in the state without a permit, except as provided in this subchapter or in Montana statutes or federal statutes. An uncontrolled species may not be released into the wild unless authorized in writing by the department. This definition does not authorize the sale, possession, transportation, importation or exportation of a noncontrolled species in violation of any applicable federal or state statute or regulation or county or city ordinance.

Noncontrolled exotic wildlife

MAY NOT be released or transplanted within the state, but
MAY be possessed or sold as pets in Montana without a permit.

Limbless Amphibians

Caeciliidae

Amphibians

Frogs

Salamanders

Arachnids

Scorpions

Birds

Crustaceans

Fish

Mammals

Reptiles

Snakes, some species are listed as prohibited

Lizards

Turtles

Prohibited species are live, exotic wildlife species, subspecies, or hybrid of that species, including viable embryos or gametes, that may not be possessed, sold, purchased, exchanged, or transported in Montana, except as provided in MCA 87-5-709 or ARM 12.6.2220

Amphibians

Frogs

Birds

Crustaceans

Fish

Mammals

Mollusks

Reptiles

Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are those that impact water bodies and wetlands. Whether they come on the trailers or hulls of recreational boats, or from the water of an angler’s bait bucket, several non-native invasive species such as Eurasian watermilfoil and New Zealand mud snails have found their way into Montana’s water bodies. Their presence can cause severe damage to local ecosystems, industry and tourism.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is part of a strong partnership of public and private stakeholders in Montana committed to an effective strategy of prevention, containment and control.

The more you know about these invaders, the more you can do to help stop the spread to Montana's precious waters. Learn more