Southern Hognose Snake ESA Listing (Heterodon simus)

Current understanding

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed listing the southern hognose snake (Heterodon simus) as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, accompanied by a Section 4(d) rule tailoring take prohibitions. If finalized, the listing would trigger Section 7 consultation obligations on federal actions across the species’ southeastern U.S. range and could affect land management, forestry, and development activities on affected habitat.

Evidence log

• 2026-05-19 — Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Reclassification of the Rough Popcornflower From Endangered to Threatened With a Section 4(d) Rule: cross-connection with rough-popcornflower-esa-reclassification: Contrasting concurrent USFWS ESA actions: popcornflower being downlisted with a 4(d) rule while the southern hognose snake is proposed for listing as threatened with its own 4(d) rule. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-06-01 — Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designation of Critical Habitat for the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee: cross-connection with rusty-patched-bumble-bee-critical-habitat: Both are FWS ESA actions issued in the same period; together they illustrate the agency’s parallel use of listing and critical-habitat designation authorities under Section 4. (novelty: 2)

Open questions

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