Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Determination of Endangered Status for the St. Andrew Beach Mouse

The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) determines the St. Andrew beach mouse (Peromyscus polionotus peninsularis) to be an endangered species pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). This subspecies is restricted to coastal sand dunes and had a historic distribution that included the northeast Florida panhandle from Gulf County into portions of Bay County. Its current range is limited to a portion of the St. Joseph Peninsula in Gulf County. Habitat impacts causing loss of mice and the species' capability to recover from such impacts within local populations are primarily responsible for the range curtailment. Threats to beach mouse habitat include severe storms, coastal land development and its associated activities, and non-storm related, natural shoreline erosion. Additional threats include predation by free-ranging domestic cats and displacement by house mice. This action implements the protection of the Act for this species.