In a recent move, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has proposed granting endangered species protection to the Cedar Key mole skink, a rare lizard found only on Florida’s Gulf Coast. This decision follows an agreement with the Center for Biological Diversity, which urged a reevaluation of the skink’s status under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The proposal, announced on August 7, also includes a plan to safeguard nearly 3,000 acres of critical habitat on the Cedar Key islands, where the skink resides.
Climate Change and Human Impact Threaten the Skink
The USFWS determined that the Cedar Key mole skink is facing an existential threat due to the impacts of climate change. Rising sea levels, frequent high-tide flooding, and increasingly severe storms are all contributing to the lizard’s declining numbers.
Ragan Whitlock, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity based in Florida, expressed relief at the proposed protection, noting, “The Cedar Key mole skinks have been pushed to the edge of extinction by reckless coastal development and rising sea levels, but the Endangered Species Act offers a chance for their recovery.”
A Fragile Existence on Florida’s Gulf Coast
Identifiable by its distinct light pink tail, the Cedar Key mole skink inhabits the shorelines of the Cedar Key islands, a narrow stretch of land spanning roughly 10 miles. The skinks thrive in dry sand, burrowing and hunting for insects beneath leaves, debris, and beach vegetation.
However, this limited coastal range makes the skinks particularly vulnerable to environmental changes and human activities. Coastal development and urban sprawl encroach on their natural habitats, while rising sea levels threaten to inundate the areas where they live, squeezing them into ever-shrinking spaces. Additionally, powerful storms, such as Hurricane Idalia in 2023 and Hurricane Michael in 2018, have further devastated their coastal environment, leading to habitat destruction and direct harm to the skinks.
Whitlock emphasized the heightened risks faced by the species, stating, “These island-dwelling lizards are especially susceptible to rising seas and stronger hurricanes, which are exacerbated by climate change. Endangered Species Act protection is crucial for their survival and long-term recovery.”
Multiple Threats to Survival
Beyond climate change and development, the Cedar Key mole skink faces numerous other threats. These include vehicle collisions, pollution, exposure to pesticides, overcollection by humans, and predation by feral animals and fire ants.
The Center for Biological Diversity initially petitioned for the skink’s protection under the ESA in 2012. Although the USFWS acknowledged in 2015 that protection might be necessary, it ultimately denied the petition in 2018. Following a lawsuit filed by the Center in 2022, which highlighted deficiencies in the USFWS’s previous analysis, the agency agreed to reconsider its decision and announced that a final determination would be made by July 31, 2024.
The proposal to protect the Cedar Key mole skink as an endangered species marks a significant step towards ensuring the survival of this unique lizard in the face of mounting environmental and human-induced challenges.