ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Following an agreement with the Center for Biological Diversity to reconsider protections for the Cedar Key mole skink, on Aug. 7 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed protecting the skink as endangered under Endangered Species Act. The Service has also proposed to protect nearly 3,000 acres of life-saving critical habitat for the skink on its Florida islands.
The Service found that Cedar Key mole skink is endangered due to threats associated with climate change, specifically sea level rise, increased high-tide flooding and more intense storms.
“I’m relieved that Cedar Key mole skinks are finally getting the protection they need,” said Ragan Whitlock, a Florida-based attorney at the Center. “Irresponsible coastal development and sea-level rise have pushed these little lizards toward the brink of extinction, but the Endangered Species Act can bring them back.”…