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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Monday that it is proposing threatened status for the Pearl River map turtle, seeking to grant added federal protections to an at-risk species found only in Louisiana and Mississippi.
What is the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposing? The Service is announcing the 12-month findings on a petition to list the Pascagoula map turtle (Graptemys gibbonsi) and Pearl River map turtle (Graptemys pearlensis) as endangered or threatened species and a request to designate critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Service finds that listing the Pearl River map turtle is warranted and is proposing to list the species as threatened with a rule issued under section 4(d) of the ESA to provide for its conservation.
Louisiana has 21 species currently listed federally as threatened or endangered, including the Louisiana pearlshell and Louisiana pinesnake.