Service Proposes to Protect the Florida Bonneted Bat Under the Endangered Species Act

Current evidence suggests that the Florida bonneted bat is in danger of becoming extinct in the foreseeable future, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today. As a result, the Service has proposed to protect the species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and is seeking new information from the public and the scientific community that will assist the agency in making a final determination.

The Florida bonneted bat is a species of mammal that is restricted to south and southwest Florida, with the core range primarily consisting of habitat within Charlotte, Lee, Collier, Monroe, and Miami-Dade Counties.