Figure 1. Areas within Everglades National Park that are designated as critical habitat for one or more federally listed species. Darker shades areas indicate overlapping critical habitat areas.
Federally Listed Species and Critical Habitat in Everglades National Park
Thirty-nine native Florida species that may occur in Everglades National Park (EVER) are federally listed as threatened or endangered, or are candidates for listing under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) (Table 1). These species include plants (8), invertebrates (6), fish (3), reptiles (9), birds (10), and mammals (3). Seven of these species are currently considered to be extirpated (no longer present) from the park. Two of these listed species, the Cape Sable seaside sparrow and the Florida leafwing butterfly only occur within Everglades National Park and the immediately adjacent lands.
Approximately 180 plant and animal species that occur in EVER are also listed by the State of Florida as threatened, endangered, species of special concern, or commercially exploited (view state-listed animals).
Critical habitat is a legally designated area that is considered to be essential to the conservation of the federally listed species for which it is designated. Not all listed species have associated critical habitat. Critical habitat is currently designated or proposed for 10 of the 39 species that occur in the park, but well more than half of the park is currently designated as critical habitat for one or more listed species (Fig. 1).
Under the Endangered Species Act, Federal agencies are required to consider potential impacts of their actions on listed species and critical habitat (including proposed). Consultation with either the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (for terrestrial/freshwater species), or the National Marine Fisheries Service (for marine species) is required if any action may affect listed species or critical habitat, and we routinely conduct consultation with both agencies. Additionally, all federal agencies are supposed to use their authorities to advance the purposes of the Endangered Species Act, which are to improve protections for listed species. Everglades National Park conducts and participates in several such programs, ranging from participation in Everglades Restoration activities, to conducting status surveys for listed species and implementing habitat management in key areas.
Table 1. Federally Listed Species and Designated Critical Habitat in Everglades National Park
Common Name
Scientific Name
Taxonomic group
Federal Status*
Critical Habitat in Park
Cape Sable seaside sparrow
Ammodramus maritimus mirabilis
Birds
E
Yes
Red knot
Calidris canutus ssp. rufa
Birds
T
No
Ivory-billed woodpecker
Campephilus principalis
Birds
E
No
Piping plover
Charadrius melodus
Birds
T
Yes
Kirtland's warbler
Dendroica kirtlandii
Birds
E
No
Wood stork
Mycteria americana
Birds
E
No
Red cockaded
woodpecker
Picoides borealis
Birds
E
No
Everglade snail kite
Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus
Birds
E
Yes
Roseate tern
Sterna dougallii dougallii
Birds
T
No
Bachman's warbler
Vermivora bachmanii
Birds
E
No
Smalltooth sawfish
Pristis pectinata
Fish
E
Yes
Largetooth sawfish
Pristis pristis
Fish
E
No
Nassau grouper
Epinephelus striatus
Fish
E
No
Florida leafwing butterfly
Anaea troglodyta floridalis
Invertebrates
E
Yes
Miami-blue butterfly
Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri
Invertebrates
E
No
Stock island tree snail
Orthalicus reses
Invertebrates
T
No
Bartram's scrub hairstreak
Strymon acis bartrami
Invertebrates
E
Yes
Ceraunus blue butterfly
Hemiargus ceraunus antibubastus
Invertebrates
T-SA
No
Cassius blue butterfly
Leptotes cassius theonus
Invertebrates
T-SA
No
Florida bonneted bat
Eumops floridanus
Mammals
E
No
Florida panther
Puma concolor coryi
Mammals
E
No
West Indian manatee
Trichecus manatus
Mammals
T
Yes
Blodgett's silverbush
Argythamnia blodgettii
Plants
T
No
Pineland sandmat
Chamaesyce deltoidea ssp. pinetorum
Plants
T
No
Garber's sandmat
Chamaesyce garberi
Plants
T
No
Cape Sable thoroughwort
Chromolaena frustrata
Plants
E
Yes
Florida prairieclover
Dalea carthagenensis var. floridana
Plants
E
No
Twospike crabgrass
Digitaria pauciflora
Plants
T
No
Everglades bully
Sideroxylon reclinatum ssp. austrofloridense
Plants
T
No
Florida bristle fern
Trichomanes floridanum ssp. punctatum
Plants
E
No
American alligator
Alligator mississippiensis
Reptiles
T-SA
No
American crocodile
Crocodylus acutus
Reptiles
T
Yes
Gopher tortoise
Gopherus polyphemus
Reptiles
C
No
Eastern indigo snake
Drymarchon corais cooperi
Reptiles
T
No
Loggerhead sea turtle
Caretta caretta (northwest Atlantic DPS)
Reptiles
T
Yes
Green sea turtle
Chelonia mydas
Reptiles
E
No
Leatherback sea turtle
Dermochelys coriacea
Reptiles
E
No
Hawksbill sea turtle
Eretmochelys imbricata
Reptiles
E
No
Kemp's ridley sea turtle
Lepidochelys kempii
Reptiles
E
No
Federal Status - E=endangered T=threatened C=candidate PE=proposed endangered PT=Proposed threatened T-SA=Threatened due to similarity of appearance. Red highlighting = no recent records in the Park
For additional information on species status, please visit the following pages:
