Alternative Text Description for Florida Bonneted Bat (Endangered)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MAP OVERVIEW

This map displays the geographic range of the Florida Bonneted Bat, an endangered species, within the southeastern United States. The map shows the known habitat boundaries for this species as recognized by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service for the State of Florida. The primary purpose is to communicate the limited geographic distribution of this endangered bat species to support conservation planning and awareness.

GEOGRAPHIC CONTEXT

The map covers the southeastern United States, including portions of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Florida, with the Atlantic Ocean visible along the eastern edge. Major cities labeled on the map include Atlanta, Athens, Greenville, Columbia, Charleston, Wilmington, Jacksonville, Savannah, Orlando, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Cape Coral, West Palm Beach, Fort St. Lucie, Palm Bay, Lakeland, Gainesville, Valdosta, Albany, Macon, Warner Robins, Augusta, Palm Coast, Port St. Lucie, Coral Springs, Freeport, and Abaco. The map extends from northern Georgia southward through the Florida peninsula, including coastal areas along both the Atlantic coast and the western Florida coast facing the Gulf of America.

KEY INSIGHTS

The Florida Bonneted Bat range is highly restricted and concentrated exclusively in southern Florida. The species' habitat is centered in the southwestern portion of the state, with the largest continuous area extending from the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Lakeland region southward through Cape Coral and into the interior of southern Florida. A smaller, isolated habitat area appears near West Palm Beach on the southeastern coast. The distribution pattern reveals that this endangered species occupies only a small fraction of Florida's total area, with no presence in northern Florida, Georgia, or other southeastern states shown on the map. The concentration in southern Florida's interior and southwestern coastal regions suggests specific habitat requirements limited to this geographic area.

VISUAL ELEMENTS

Florida Bonneted Bat (Endangered) Habitat Range

This layer represents the polygonal boundaries of the known geographic range for the Florida Bonneted Bat as identified by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

Main Habitat Area (pink crosshatch pattern)

Appearance:

The primary habitat is displayed as a large irregular polygon filled with a pink crosshatch pattern (diagonal lines creating a mesh effect).

Distribution:

This habitat area is located in southwestern Florida, extending inland from the Gulf of America coast. The range encompasses areas around and between Lakeland, Tampa, Cape Coral, and extends southward into the interior of southern Florida.

Notable locations:

The habitat includes portions of the regions near Lakeland, Cape Coral, and areas south of the Tampa-St. Petersburg metropolitan area. The range extends eastward into central southern Florida.

Spatial patterns:

The habitat forms a large, continuous irregular polygon with complex boundaries. The distribution follows an east-west orientation in its northern extent near Tampa-Lakeland, then extends southward with varying width. The pattern suggests habitat availability is linked to specific landscape features or ecological conditions present in this region of Florida.

Secondary Habitat Area (pink crosshatch pattern)

Appearance:

A smaller isolated polygon with the same pink crosshatch pattern as the main habitat area.

Distribution:

This separate habitat area is located on Florida's southeastern coast, in the vicinity of West Palm Beach.

Notable locations:

The area is positioned near the Atlantic coast in the West Palm Beach region, geographically separated from the main southwestern habitat by approximately 60-80 miles.

Spatial patterns:

This isolated patch indicates a disjunct population or separate habitat pocket. The geographic separation from the main range suggests potential population fragmentation or distinct habitat pockets suitable for the species.

Overlapping Patterns

No overlapping patterns with other thematic layers are present in this map, as it displays a single species range layer.

SYMBOL GUIDE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This map illustrates a single thematic layer focused exclusively on the endangered Florida Bonneted Bat's range, extracted from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's species boundary data for Florida. The map emphasizes the limited and fragmented nature of this species' habitat, which is confined to a small portion of southern Florida. Base map features such as state boundaries, cities, and coastal features are provided for geographic reference and orientation. The restricted range visible on this map underscores the conservation challenges facing this endangered species. Users should note that this represents the species' understood range boundaries and may be updated as new survey data becomes available.

DATA CONTEXT

Data Source:

The data originates from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and contains polygonal boundaries for species within the State of Florida. The dataset represents the official understanding of species ranges as maintained by the federal agency responsible for endangered species protection and management. Data source layer name: CR_USFWS_POLY_JUL25.

Definition Query:

The map displays a filtered subset of the full species dataset. The definition query limits the display to records where COMNAME = 'FLORIDA BONNETED BAT', showing only the range boundaries for this specific endangered species rather than all species contained in the source dataset.

Scale Information:

The map is displayed at a regional scale covering multiple states in the southeastern United States. This scale is appropriate for understanding the overall geographic distribution and range extent of the species, though specific habitat details within the range boundaries are not visible at this zoom level.

Coordinate System:

NAD_1983_HARN_Florida_GDL_Albers (WKID 3087).

Time Period of Content:

The data source layer name indicates a July 2025 reference (JUL25), suggesting the data represents species range information current as of that timeframe.

Limitations:

The map shows range boundaries as understood by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service but may not reflect real-time occupancy or recent survey data. Actual habitat use within these boundaries may vary, and suitable habitat may not be uniformly distributed throughout the mapped polygons. The data represents administrative boundaries for conservation planning purposes rather than precise habitat delineation. Areas outside the displayed boundaries are not necessarily unsuitable but fall outside the currently recognized range.

Map Coverage:

The map extent covers the southeastern United States from northern Georgia southward through the entire Florida peninsula, including portions of South Carolina, North Carolina, and adjacent Atlantic and Gulf of America coastal waters. The geographic extent provides regional context while focusing on Florida, where the species range is located.

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