Bat and Darter Among Five New Endangered Species

By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers

It seems like the whole circle of life—mammals, fish, and plants—have been added to the latest endangered species list, just out today. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reveals that they've expanded the list by five, and the total now includes 249 species. Among the new candidates:

• Florida bonneted bat (Eumops floridanus). The entire population may number less than a few hundred.

• Diamond darter (Crystallaria cincotta). It's a 3-inch-long fish that lives in the Ohio River basin.

• Rabbitsfoot mussel (Quadrula cylindrica cylindrical). It's a freshwater shellfish native to Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and West Virginia.

• Kentucky gladecress (Leavenworthia exigua var. laciniata). The natural habitat for Kentucky gladecress is cedar glades. The variety does not appear to compete well with other vegetation and doesn't do well in shade.

• Florida bristle fern (Trichomanes punctatum ssp. Floridanum). It thrives in Miami-Dade County. Its habitat is disappearing because of development.

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