Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Endangered Species Status for Key Ring-Necked Snake and Rim Rock Crowned Snake
Key claim: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists the Key ring-necked snake and the rim rock crowned snake as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, extending full Act protections to both species.
Abstract
(Rule · Interior Department, Fish and Wildlife Service) We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), determine endangered species status under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended, for two Florida species, the Key ring-necked snake (Diadophis punctatus acricus) and the rim rock crowned snake (Tantilla oolitica). This rule extends the protections of the Act to these species.
Why this matters
Endangered listings for these two south-Florida snakes trigger Section 7 consultation obligations for federal actions and Section 9 take prohibitions, which can affect permitting, development, and land-management activity in the Florida Keys and Miami Rock Ridge. The action continues a steady cadence of FWS ESA listings for narrowly distributed species facing habitat loss and sea-level pressures.