Flatwoods salamander listed as endangered species

Feb 11, 2009 1 min read

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) – Federal wildlife officials have listed a salamander native to south Georgia, north Florida and coastal South Carolina as an endangered species.

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service also designated more than 27,000 acres in the three states as critical habitat for the reticulated flatwoods salamander and the threatened frosted flatwoods salamander.

The reticulated flatwoods salamander is endangered because of its small population sizes, loss of natural habitat to development and its limited ability to repopulate its historic habitat.

Scientists say most of the salamander’s populations in the U.S. are supported by only one breeding site.