Legal Victory Speeds Habitat Protection for Endangered Florida Bonneted Bat

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agreed today to propose critical habitat for the endangered Florida bonneted bat by Nov. 15, 2022, marking a legal victory for the Center for Biological Diversity, Miami Blue Chapter of the North American Butterfly Association and Tropical Audubon Society. The indigenous bat faces devastating habitat loss from sea-level rise and urban sprawl.

 

“The Florida bonneted bat’s habitat is disappearing before our very eyes, so federal action is absolutely crucial,” said Ragan Whitlock, a Florida-based attorney at the Center. “Protecting the places these bats call home is long overdue, but I’m happy the necessary safeguards will be in place soon.”

Click here for the entire article and photo of the Bonneted Bat.