Govind Tekale
A major legal battle has begun in Florida as environmental advocates take action to protect several unique species facing extinction. The Center for Biological Diversity, backed by legal support from Stetson University’s law clinic, filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on March 13, 2025, over failure to protect 11 rare South Florida species.
The lawsuit comes after recent federal staffing cuts and a regulatory freeze have stalled protection efforts that were already in motion. At stake are three reptiles – including a bright-pink tailed lizard – and eight plants found nowhere else on Earth.
What’s Happening
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had previously proposed protection for these species but missed mandatory deadlines to finalize these protections. According to court documents, the delays worsened after January 20, when the Trump administration implemented a regulatory freeze across all government agencies.
The situation escalated on February 14, when approximately 420 Fish and Wildlife Service staff were fired, including those working specifically on endangered species protection, according to the lawsuit.
“These rare creatures called Florida home eons before Trump and his administration were born, and they need strong endangered species protections now if they’re going to survive,” said Elise Bennett, Florida and Caribbean director at the Center for Biological Diversity.
Species at Risk
The species awaiting protection face serious threats from ongoing development and rising sea levels. They include:
Animals:
- Florida Keys mole skink: A smooth lizard with a distinctive pink tail
- Key ring-necked snake: A small, nonvenomous snake with a bright yellow or red belly
- Rim Rock crowned snake: A nonvenomous snake named after Miami’s limestone formations
Plants:
- Big Pine partridge pea
- Everglades bully
- Florida pineland crabgrass
- Florida prairie clover
- Pineland sandmat
- Blodgett’s silverbush
- Sand flax
- Wedge spurge
These plants survive in pine rockland habitats, which have shrunk by at least 98% in recent decades, according to data from the Center for Biological Diversity.
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Urgent Threats
Climate change poses a particular danger to these species. The Fish and Wildlife Service has projected that by 2080, virtually no habitat will remain for either snake species in the lower Florida Keys due to rising sea levels.
For the Florida Keys mole skink, the situation is equally dire. Since these lizards live in small, concentrated areas along shorelines, a single major storm could potentially wipe out the entire subspecies.
“South Florida is home to some truly remarkable plants and animals — quirky, captivating and irreplaceable, but time is running out,” said Jaclyn Lopez, director of the Jacobs Law Clinic for Democracy and the Environment at Stetson University College of Law. “This is an ‘all hands on deck’ moment where we must act quickly to save what is left of wild Florida.”
The Legal Battle
The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. It aims to force the administration to finalize protections that have been awaiting approval since 2022.
According to the Endangered Species Act, federal agencies cannot authorize activities that will destroy or harm a protected species’ critical habitat. Studies show that species with federally protected critical habitat are more than twice as likely to recover as those without such protection.
The case follows other environmental lawsuits challenging recent federal staffing cuts. President Trump has defended the reductions as fulfilling a voter “mandate” from his November re-election, according to reporting from WGCU.
As the case moves forward, the fate of these 11 species hangs in the balance, along with the broader question of how endangered species protections will be handled under the current administration.
FAQ
What are the 11 Florida species mentioned in the lawsuit?
The lawsuit covers three reptiles (the Florida Keys mole skink, Key ring-necked snake, and Rim Rock crowned snake) and eight plants (Big Pine partridge pea, Everglades bully, Florida pineland crabgrass, Florida prairie clover, Pineland sandmat, Blodgett’s silverbush, Sand flax, and Wedge spurge). All are native to South Florida and face extinction-level threats.
Why are these species at risk of extinction?
These species face two major threats: habitat destruction from urban development and rising sea levels due to climate change. The plant species exist only in pine rockland habitats, which have been reduced by 98% in recent decades. For the reptiles, their limited range makes them vulnerable to both development and climate impacts.
What protections were these species supposed to receive?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed listing the reptiles as threatened or endangered species and designating thousands of acres as critical habitat for both the animals and plants. These protections would prevent federal agencies from authorizing activities that would harm these species or destroy their habitats.
Why is the Trump administration being sued?
The lawsuit claims the administration violated the Endangered Species Act by failing to meet mandatory deadlines to finalize protections that were proposed in 2022. The situation worsened after a regulatory freeze was implemented on January 20, 2025, and approximately 420 Fish and Wildlife Service staff were fired on February 14, including those working on endangered species protection.
Who filed the lawsuit and where?
The Center for Biological Diversity filed the lawsuit, represented by the Jacobs Public Interest Law Clinic for Democracy and the Environment at Stetson University College of Law. The case was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida on March 13, 2025.
What happens to species with protected habitat versus those without it?
According to data cited in the lawsuit, species with federally protected critical habitat are more than twice as likely to recover as species without such protection. The Endangered Species Act prohibits federal agencies from authorizing activities that will destroy or harm a protected species’ critical habitat.
