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Summertime breeding resident, feeds on small fish on surface; Nests on
barren or sparsely-vegetated beaches & rooftops near estuarine/marine
salinity regimes
Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii T T No
Rare winter visitor; feeds on small fish on surface. Prefers
estuarine/marine salinity regimes
Table 2
Marine and Estuarine Species that are State-listed and/or Federally-listed Species
and which are known to occur in Biscayne Bay and/or Adjacent Areas
3
Common Name Scientific Name Designation
FL Federal
Potentially
adversely affected
by reductions in
freshwater?
Comments
Mammals
Everglades mink Mustela vison mink T No
Primary habitat is the shallow freshwater marshes of the Everglades and
Big Cypress Swamp; unlikely to be present in tidally-affected areas of
Biscayne Bay
Key Largo Woodrat Neotoma floridana smalli E E No
Habitat is dry tropical forest on northern Kay Largo, where it forages
primarily in the forest canopy
Key Largo Cotton Mouse
Peromyscus gossypinus
allapaticola E E No
Habitat is primarily dry tropical forest on northern Kay Largo, but it has
been documented to occur in Salicornia-dominated coastal strand
West Indian Manatee Trichechus manatus latirostris E E Yes *
Year-round resident, but more numerous during winter
Seeks canal discharges during winter for warm &/or fresh water
Corals
Pillar coral Dendrogyra cylindrus E No
Present on coral reefs in eastern portions of project area, prefers marine
salinity regime
Molluscs
Florida Tree Snails Liguus fasciatus SSC No
Inhabits upland hammocks, feeding primarily on epiphytic growths (i.e.,
lichens, fungi and algae on smooth-barked trees, including Lysiloma and
Ficus.
Invertebrates
Shaus’ Swallowtail Papilio aristodemus E E No
Present in uplands (tropical hardwood hammocks and neighboring scrub
area) within project area, host plants in Rutaceae
Miami Blue Butterfly Hemiargus thomasi
bethunebakeri
E No
Present in openings and edges of tropical hardwood hammocks within
project area, host plants include Cardiospermum halicacabum, possibly
Chiococca alba, and various legumes
Marine Plants
Johnson’s Seagrass Halophila johnsonii T Yes
Prefers less than marine salinities,
South end of natural range appears to be near Virginia Key
Valued Ecosystem Components
Freshwater Flow and Ecological Relationships in Biscayne Bay 4-12
American Crocodile
The American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) is protected pursuant to the
Florida Wildlife Code and the federal Endangered Species Act, as amended.
Its designation at both levels is ‘endangered’. An initial recovery plan for this
species was developed in 1979. The plan was updated in 1994, and recovery
actions are currently being implemented in accordance with the Multi-species
Recovery Plan for South Florida (USFWS, 1999), which among other things,
states that: “The American crocodile is a valuable indicator species of the
health of South Florida’s estuarine environments”. Critical habitat has been
designated for this species (Figure 10); the northern portion of which is
included within the Biscayne Bay MFL project area.
Crocodiles are large, greenish-gray reptiles that reach lengths of
approximately 3.8 m (11.4’). Males are somewhat larger than females, both of
which can be distinguished from alligators by having a longer, narrower,
more tapered snout.
Together with the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), the American
crocodile is one of two species of crocodilians endemic to the United States.
Although their historic range may have extended up the east coast as far as
Lake Worth Lagoon (Palm Beach County), up the west coast to the Tampa
Bay area and south to Key West, crocodiles presently inhabit only coastal
areas of extreme South Florida, being found primarily in mangrove
communities in Monroe, Miami-Dade, Collier and Lee Counties. Their range
also includes the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and northern South
America.
Hunting, habitat loss and fragmentation due to increased urbanization and
agricultural lands uses have all contributed to the reduction in numbers of
these large, reptilian carnivores (USFWS, 1999). Losses may also be
attributable to vehicle-related mortality (particularly on U.S. 1 and Card
Sound Road), and depredation of eggs or young, primarily by raccoons. At
varying times and location, nest failures have also been attributed to both
flooding and dessication (Mazzotti et. al., 1988, and Mazzotti 1989). Ogden
(1978a) suggests that the disappearance of crocodiles from much of Florida
Bay came about, “at least in part” because of increased mortality rates among
salt-stressed juveniles.
The American crocodile is found primarily in mangrove swamps and lowenergy mangrove-lined bays, creeks and inland swamps (Kushlan and
Mazzotti, 1989). Nest areas typically include creek banks and other locations
where sandy shorelines or raised marl creek banks are adjacent to deep water,
Valued Ecosystem Components
Freshwater Flow and Ecological Relationships in Biscayne Bay 4-13
particularly at locations that are protected from wind and wave action
(USFWS, 1999). During the non-nesting season, crocodiles typically inhabit
fresh and brackish water inland swamps, creeks, and bays (Kushlan and