Environmentalists on Thursday sued the Fish and Wildlife Service over the agency’s denial of Endangered Species Act protections for the Florida pinesnake.
Citing myriad existential threats ranging from feral pigs to fire ants and deforestation, the Center for Biological Diversity contends the federal agency erred in its November 2023 decision not to list the species as threatened or endangered.
“These amazing snakes are hidden gems of the Southeast, but if they don’t get Endangered Species Act protections soon there’s a real chance they could go extinct,” Jeremiah Scanlan, a legal fellow at the center, said in a statement, adding that “Florida pinesnakes are secretive, but that doesn’t mean their plight should be ignored.”
The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia follows up on a lengthy ESA listing petition filed in 2012 by the environmental organization. The petition sought protections for 53 species of amphibians and reptiles.
