Alternative Text Description for Key Deer (Endangered) Distribution Map

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MAP OVERVIEW

This map displays the geographic distribution of the endangered Key Deer species as recognized by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in Florida. The map shows the spatial extent of Key Deer habitat boundaries across the southeastern United States, with particular focus on Florida and the surrounding coastal region. This thematic layer represents critical species distribution information for conservation and wildlife management purposes.

GEOGRAPHIC CONTEXT

The map covers the southeastern United States, extending from Georgia and South Carolina in the north to the Florida Keys in the south, and from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to portions of Georgia and Florida's west coast. Major cities visible on the map include Jacksonville, Charleston, Savannah, Orlando, Tampa, St. Petersburg, West Palm Beach, Fort St. Lucie, Cape Coral, and Coral Springs in Florida. In Georgia, Athens, Macon, Warner Robins, Albany, Valdosta, and Gainesville are labeled. Columbia, Greenville, and Wilmington appear in South Carolina and North Carolina. The map shows Florida's distinctive peninsula extending southward, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Gulf of America to the west. The Florida Keys are visible extending from the southern tip of the peninsula.

KEY INSIGHTS

The Key Deer distribution is extremely limited and highly localized. The species' range is confined to a small area in the lower Florida Keys, appearing as a concentrated cluster near the southern tip of Florida. This restricted distribution pattern reflects the endangered status of the species and demonstrates that Key Deer occupy only a very small geographic area within the broader map extent. The habitat appears to be isolated from any other landmasses, consistent with the island environment of the Florida Keys. No other concentrations or populations of Key Deer are visible elsewhere on the map, emphasizing the species' vulnerability and limited range.

VISUAL ELEMENTS

Key Deer (Endangered) Distribution

This layer represents the polygonal boundaries of Key Deer habitat as defined by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

Key Deer Habitat Area (shaded polygon with crosshatch pattern)

Appearance:

Light pink or rose-colored polygon with a diagonal crosshatch pattern overlay, creating a textured appearance that distinguishes it from the base map.

Distribution:

The Key Deer habitat appears exclusively in the lower Florida Keys region, situated at the extreme southern end of Florida's peninsula.

Notable locations:

The habitat area is located in proximity to the southern tip of mainland Florida, in the island chain known as the Florida Keys, between the Gulf of America and the Atlantic Ocean.

Spatial patterns:

The distribution is highly concentrated and isolated, appearing as a single compact area with no satellite populations. The habitat boundary shows an irregular polygon shape reflecting the natural geography of the island environment. This isolated pattern demonstrates the species' limited range and vulnerability, with no connectivity to other habitat areas visible on the map.

SYMBOL GUIDE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This map depicts a single endangered species distribution and does not show other wildlife species or habitat types. The Key Deer is one of the smallest subspecies of white-tailed deer and is endemic to the Florida Keys. The very limited geographic extent shown on this map underscores the conservation concerns associated with this endangered species. The map provides reference cities and geographic features across the southeastern United States to provide spatial context for the Key Deer's isolated habitat location. Base map features including state boundaries, coastlines, and city labels are provided for geographic orientation only.

DATA CONTEXT

Data Source:

The data source is the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) species boundary dataset for the State of Florida, containing polygonal boundaries for species as understood by the agency. This represents the official federal designation of Key Deer distribution. The source layer is CR_USFWS_POLY_JUL25.

Definition Query:

This map displays a filtered subset of the broader USFWS species dataset. The definition query applied is COMNAME = 'KEY DEER', which extracts only the Key Deer species boundaries from the complete species database.

Scale Information:

The map shows a regional scale covering the southeastern United States, appropriate for understanding the broader geographic context of the Key Deer's limited range. At this scale, the small habitat area in the Florida Keys is visible but appears as a relatively small feature compared to the overall map extent.

Coordinate System:

The map uses the NAD_1983_HARN_Florida_GDL_Albers projection (WKID 3087), which is optimized for accurate area representation in Florida.

Time Period of Content:

The data layer is dated July 2025 (indicated by the source layer name suffix JUL25), representing the most current understanding of Key Deer distribution as of that date.

Limitations:

The map shows species boundary polygons as officially recognized by USFWS and may not reflect real-time population movements or seasonal variations in Key Deer location. The boundaries represent the understood range rather than continuous occupancy throughout the entire shaded area. Areas outside the Key Deer range may contain other endangered or threatened species not shown on this thematic map.

Map Coverage:

The map extent covers the southeastern United States from northern Georgia and South Carolina southward through the entire Florida peninsula and Keys, and westward to portions of the Florida Panhandle. The Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of America provide the eastern and western boundaries respectively.

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