© Louis Vest (LandScope Texas Banner)
Federal Candidate Species
© USFWS Pine snake photo
Candidate species are plants and animals for which the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has sufficient information on their status and threats to propose them as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), but development of a proposed listing regulation is precluded by other higher priority listing activities. Unlike species officially listed as threatened or endangered under the ESA, candidates receive no statutory protection.
The USFWS encourages voluntary cooperative conservation efforts for these species. Each year the USFWS publishes a Candidate Notice of Review in the Federal Register with an updated list of species that are candidates for possible federal listing.
Click here for a complete listing of federal candidate species in Texas.