Alternative Text Description for Choctawhatchee Beach Mouse (Endangered) Habitat Range

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MAP OVERVIEW

This map displays the habitat range of the Choctawhatchee Beach Mouse, an endangered species, across the southeastern United States. The map shows the geographic distribution of this species as defined by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, with a focus on the coastal regions of Florida and adjacent states. The primary purpose is to communicate the limited geographic extent where this endangered mouse species is found.

GEOGRAPHIC CONTEXT

The map covers the southeastern United States, spanning from Georgia in the north to southern Florida, and from the Atlantic coast to portions of the Gulf of America coastline. Major cities visible include Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Miami (implied in southern Florida), Charleston, Savannah, Gainesville, and Tallahassee. The map shows state boundaries for Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and portions of North Carolina. The Atlantic Ocean is visible along the eastern edge, and the Gulf of America is visible along Florida's western and northwestern coastline. The map extends northward to include portions of inland Georgia and South Carolina, westward to include areas near Athens, Macon, Warner Robins, Columbus, and Albany in Georgia, and southward to include the southern tip of Florida including Cape Coral, Coral Springs, West Palm Beach, and the Florida Keys.

KEY INSIGHTS

The most significant insight from this map is the extremely limited and isolated geographic range of the Choctawhatchee Beach Mouse. The habitat is confined to a small coastal area in the Florida Panhandle region, appearing as a narrow strip along the Gulf of America coast. This limited distribution underscores the vulnerability and endangered status of the species. The habitat does not extend to Florida's Atlantic coast, the peninsula's Gulf coast, or into neighboring states, despite the map showing these broader geographic areas for context. The isolation of this single coastal habitat patch highlights the species' restricted range and potential vulnerability to localized environmental threats.

VISUAL ELEMENTS

Choctawhatchee Beach Mouse Habitat Range

This layer represents the designated habitat boundaries for the endangered Choctawhatchee Beach Mouse as defined by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

Choctawhatchee Beach Mouse Habitat (light pink/mauve with crosshatch pattern)

Appearance:

The habitat area is depicted with a light pink or mauve color with a diagonal crosshatch pattern overlay, making it visually distinct from the neutral gray base map.

Distribution:

The habitat appears as a small, narrow polygon located along the Gulf of America coast in the Florida Panhandle region, positioned in the northwestern portion of Florida between the areas labeled as being near Panama City and Destin (though these specific cities are not labeled on this map).

Notable locations:

The habitat is situated in the coastal zone of northwestern Florida, in what appears to be the area associated with Walton and Bay Counties along the Gulf coast, though county boundaries are not explicitly shown.

Spatial patterns:

The habitat forms a narrow, linear coastal strip that follows the shoreline configuration. This linear pattern reflects the beach mouse's dependence on coastal dune ecosystems. The habitat's small size and isolation from any other similar habitat patches emphasizes the species' limited range and fragmented distribution.

Overlapping Patterns

No overlapping patterns are present as this map displays a single thematic layer showing one species' habitat range against a reference base map.

SYMBOL GUIDE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This map focuses on a single endangered species habitat and provides broad geographic context by showing surrounding states and major population centers. The extensive geographic coverage helps viewers understand the extremely limited and localized nature of this species' habitat relative to the broader southeastern United States region. Base map features such as city names and state boundaries are included to provide spatial reference points but are not the primary focus of this thematic map. The small size of the habitat polygon relative to the map extent emphasizes the conservation significance and restricted range of this endangered species.

DATA CONTEXT

Data Source:

The data originates from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and represents the polygonal boundaries for species habitat as understood and designated by that agency for the State of Florida. The data reflects official species range determinations used for conservation and regulatory purposes.

Data source layer name: CR_USFWS_POLY_JUL25

Definition Query:

This map displays a filtered subset of the source data showing only records where COMNAME equals 'CHOCTAWHATCHEE BEACH MOUSE'. This filter isolates the habitat boundaries for this specific endangered species from a larger dataset that may contain multiple species ranges.

Scale Information:

The map is displayed at a regional scale covering multiple states, appropriate for showing the broad geographic context while highlighting the localized nature of the species habitat. The small habitat area would require zooming to a larger scale (closer view) to see fine details of the habitat boundaries.

Coordinate System:

NAD_1983_HARN_Florida_GDL_Albers (WKID 3087)

Time Period of Content:

The data source layer name indicates the data is from July 2025 (JUL25), suggesting this represents the most current understanding of the species' habitat range as of that date.

Limitations:

The map shows designated habitat boundaries as understood by regulatory agencies, which may not capture all areas where individual animals occasionally occur or all potentially suitable habitat. Habitat boundaries represent generalized polygons and may not reflect fine-scale variations in actual occupancy. The data reflects one point in time and species ranges may change due to conservation efforts, habitat loss, or population dynamics.

Map Coverage:

The map extent covers the southeastern United States from approximately southern South Carolina and Georgia southward through the entire state of Florida, and westward into the Florida Panhandle. The Atlantic Ocean forms the eastern boundary and the Gulf of America forms the southern and western boundaries of Florida. The broad coverage area extends well beyond the actual habitat polygon to provide geographic context.

The alternative text description of this map was AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies.