The Fish and Wildlife Service on Thursday reversed course and proposed listing the southern hognose snake as a threatened species, marking a big turnaround for an unusual reptile that protects itself by playing dead.
Pressed by litigation that challenged a 2019 decision denying the snake Endangered Species Act protections, the federal agency said its second look reached a different conclusion.
“The overall viability of the southern hognose snake has declined and will continue to decline over time due to ongoing and future threats,” the Fish and Wildlife Service said.
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Roads and reptile collectors represent two of the most notable threats.
