(DRAFT) - Taxonomy
                            Species RAT, WOOD+, KEY LARGO
                                Species Id ESIS054007
                                   Date 14 MAR 96



TAXONOMY

NAME - RAT, WOOD+, KEY LARGO OTHER COMMON NAMES - RAT, WOOD+, KEY LARGO; RAT, PACK; RAT, WOOD+, EASTERN;RAT, WOOD+, KEYS; RAT, PACK+, FLORIDA and SOUTH ELEMENT CODE - CATEGORY - Mammals PHYLUM AND SUBPHYLUM - CHORDATA, CLASS AND SUBCLASS - MAMMALIA, ORDER AND SUBORDER - RODENTIA, FAMILY AND SUBFAMILY - MURIDAE, GENUS AND SUBGENUS - NEOTOMA, SPECIES AND SSP - FLORIDANA, SMALLI SCIENTIFIC NAME - NEOTOMA FLORIDANA SMALLI AUTHORITY - TAXONOMY REFERENCES - COMMENTS ON TAXONOMY - Key Largo Woodrat Neotoma floridana smalli Sherman, 1955 KINGDOM: Animal GROUP: Mammal PHYLUM: Chordata CLASS: Mammalia ORDER: Rodentia FAMILY: Muridae The Key Largo woodrat (12) is a medium-sized rodent. Its fur is sepia dorsally, cinnamon on the sides, and cream or white below; the feet are white. The tail is shorter than the head and body, sparsely haired, and not sharply bicolored. This subspecies is distinguished from conspecifics from peninsular Florida by sphenopalatine vacuities that are narrower and do not extend as far forward. Males are slightly larger than females. The normal range of measurements of adults is 320-420 mm in total length, 170-220 mm for length of the head and body, 34-40 mm for length of the hind foot, and 38-48 mm for condylobasal skull length. This subspecies is slightly smaller than conspecifics from peninsular Florida, but overlap in size of the two is considerable. This trend in body size is one extreme in a cline across subspecies of the eastern woodrat (11). The holotype specimen is UF 12644, housed in the mammal collection of the Florida State Museum. A color photograph of a Key Taxonomy - 1 (DRAFT) - Taxonomy Species RAT, WOOD+, KEY LARGO Species Id ESIS054007 Date 14 MAR 96 Largo woodrat was published on page 1D of the St. Petersburg Times on May 9, 1984. A black-and-white photograph also has been published (03). Drawings of the skull were included in the type description (12). There is no disagreement over the nomenclature of this subspecies, however, the common names pack rat and eastern woodrat are sometimes applied to animals of its genus and species respectively. Taxonomy - 2
                                  (DRAFT) - Status
                            Species RAT, WOOD+, KEY LARGO
                                Species Id ESIS054007
                                   Date 14 MAR 96



STATUS

Coded Status Florida; Federal Endangered Florida; Officially Listed E: Federal Endangered COMMENTS ON STATUS - U.S. STATUSES AND LAWS: The Key Largo woodrat (Neotoma floridana smalli) has been designated an Endangered species pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (50 CFR 17.11; P.L. 93-205, 87 Stat. 884; 16 U.S.C. 1531-1540), as amended. The subspecies has this status wherever found including the State of Florida. This subspecies is protected by the Lacey Act (P.L. 97-79, as amended; 16 U.S.C. 3371 et seq.) which makes it unlawful to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase any wild animal (alive or dead including parts, products, eggs, or offspring): (1) in interstate or foreign commerce if taken, possessed, transported or sold in violation of any State law or regulation; or (2) if taken or possessed in violation of any U.S. law, treaty, or regulation or in violation of Indian tribal law. It is also unlawful to possess any wild animal (alive or dead including parts, products, eggs, and offspring) within the U.S. territorial or special maritime jurisdiction (as defined in 18 U.S.C. 7) that is taken, possessed, transported, or sold in violation of any State law or regulation, foreign law, or Indian tribal law. RESPONSIBLE FEDERAL AGENCIES: USFWS -Responsible for the management/recovery, listing, and law enforcement/protection of this species. All Federal agencies have responsibility to ensure that any action authorized, funded, or carried out by that agency is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of the species or result in the destruction or adverse modification of Critical Habitat (50 CFR 402), and to utilize their authorities to carry out programs for the conservation of the species. STATE STATUSES AND LAWS: STATE: Florida DESIGNATED STATUS: Endangered ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCY: Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, Department of Natural Resources. STATE STATUTE: Section 39-27.03-05, Florida Administrative Code, 39-1.02 and 39-1.04. Status - 1 (DRAFT) - Status Species RAT, WOOD+, KEY LARGO Species Id ESIS054007 Date 14 MAR 96 INTERNATIONAL STATUSES, TREATIES, AND AGREEMENTS: None. ECONOMIC STATUSES: None. 80/04/28:45 FR 49861/49862 - Acceptance of petition and status review 83/09/21:48 FR 43040/43043 - Emergency rule 84/02/09:49 FR 04951/04956 - Proposed rule with Critical Habitat 84/04/06:49 FR 13720/13721 - Prop. rule/pub. hearing/extend comment 84/08/31:49 FR 34504/34510 - Final rule without CH 84/11/21:49 FR 45887/45888 - Reopened comment period for proposed CH 85/04/11:50 FR 14299/14301 - Notice of intent to prepare EIS 85/10/09:50 FR 41223/41224 - Notice, draft scoping doc/mtg, HCP permit 86/02/18:51 FR 05746/05747 - Withdrawal of Proposal for CH Status - 2
     

HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS

HABITAT - TERRESTRIAL TERRESTRIAL LAND USE - Evergreen Forest Land COMMENTS ON HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS - The Key Largo woodrat occurs in subtropical evergreen hardwood forest in the life zone designated Dry Tropical Forest (09). The forest is taxonomically and ecologically similar to that found on the coasts of Caribbean islands. Composition of the forest community includes 48 species of trees, 6 shrubs, 10 vines, 8 epiphytes, 3 herbs, 2 grasses, and 2 ferns. An area of 0.4 ha included 3,703 trees of 34 species. Seven dominant species of trees accounted for 61% of the basal area, 69% of the importance value, and 79% of the density in this area (08). Abundance of houses or stick-nests of this subspecies is directly related to the maturity of forest stands, but only early successional sites are unoccupied (02). Any upland site, if it is adjacent to a mature hardwood forest serving as a source of seeds and is allowed to undergo succession, should become habitat of increasing quality for the subspecies. A pineland once occurred on Key Largo, but only a few of the pineland-related species persist there (01). This is good evidence that Key Largo has been free of fire for many decades except in association with forest-clearing projects. Given the habitat requirements of the Key Largo woodrat, this portion of the Key probably has been unoccupied for a long time. Where fires occur, whether natural or intentional, both the living plants and the peat soil are removed. A bare limestone surface remains, so succession to the climax association, apparently most favorable to this subspecies, is probably very slow. Habitat Associations - 1
                                (DRAFT) - Food Habits
                            Species RAT, WOOD+, KEY LARGO
                                Species Id ESIS054007
                                   Date 14 MAR 96



FOOD HABITS

TROPHIC LEVEL - OMNIVORE LIFESTAGE FOOD FOOD PART General Coniferae General Evergreen Trees-Flowers/Fruit/Seed General Arthropods General Molluscs General Evergreen Shrubs-Leaves/Twigs General Evergreen Shrubs-Flowers/Fruit/Seed Food Habits - 1
                         (DRAFT) - Environment Associations
                            Species RAT, WOOD+, KEY LARGO
                                Species Id ESIS054007
                                   Date 14 MAR 96



ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS

G = General A = Adult LIM = Limiting RA = Resting Adult J = Juvenile FA = Feeding Adult RJ = Resting Juvenile BA = Breeding Adult FJ = Feeding Juvenile P = Pupae L = Larvae E = Egg RL = Resting Larvae FL = Feeding Larvae
LIFESTAGE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS G G Coastal Features: Vegetated offshore islands G Terrestrial Features: Burrows G Terrestrial Features: Downed logs Environment Associations - 1
                               (DRAFT) - Life History
                            Species RAT, WOOD+, KEY LARGO
                                Species Id ESIS054007
                                   Date 14 MAR 96



LIFE HISTORY

FOOD HABITS: If the Key Largo woodrat resembles other subspecies of the eastern woodrat, it forages mostly in the forest canopy. Preliminary studies by Goodyear (21) indicate that this is indeed the case. Some information on diet of this subspecies is available from food remains on nest structures and from laboratory preference tests (06). Food left on nest mounds included remains of a slug, a cicada wing, a freshly gnawed shell of a tree snail (Liguus), 4 fruits and 2 leaves of pigeon plum (Coccoloba diversifolia), 1 leaflet of black-bead (Pithecellobium guadalupense), fruit and 2 leaves of princewood (Exostema caribeaum), 1 stalk of a poisonwood (Metopium toxiferum) fruit, 1 seed of mohogany (Swietenia mahagani), and 2 leaves of bustic (Dipholis salicifolia). Laboratory animals completely ate the leaves of paradise tree (Simarouba glauca), strangler fig (Ficus aurea), and wild lime (Zanthoxylum fagara). They partially ate the leaves of gumbo-limbo (Bursera simaruba), lignumvitae (Guaiacum sanctum), and wild coffee (Psychotria undata). They did not eat leaves of pigeon plum (Coccoloba diversifolia), Jamaica dogwood (Piscidia piscipula), or mahogany (Swietenia mahogani). The leaves, fruit, and seeds of the broadleaved evergreen forest are believed to be the major component of the Key Largo woodrat, invertebrates are a minor component. HOME RANGE/TERRITORY: The average home range calculated by the minimum-area or complex-polygon method for 4 females and 6 males captured 4 or more times was 2,370 square meters, with no difference between the sexes (07). PERIODICITY: Activity of this subspecies is nocturnal. MIGRATION PATTERNS: This subspecies is nonmigratory. COVER/SHELTER REQUIREMENTS: Key Largo woodrats construct mounds of sticks and other debris, containing a burrow system and nest chamber. Often these "houses" are placed around exposed tree roots. Particularly large mounds may have several entrances. Well-defined runs lead from these surface openings into the forest. Where the forest soil is shallow, the burrow system is short enough to be contained within the mound structure. Some tunnels lead into cracks in the coral bedrock. Where the peat soil is deep in mature forest, the animals use extensive subterranean tunnels in which the nest chamber may be far from the entrance mound (10,18). Because depth of the soil is correlated with age of the forest stand, depth of the stratum within which tunnels can be made may be a significant feature of habitat quality. REPRODUCTIVE SITE REQUIREMENTS: No special site requirements are known for reproduction. Life History - 1 (DRAFT) - Life History Species RAT, WOOD+, KEY LARGO Species Id ESIS054007 Date 14 MAR 96 REPRODUCTIVE CHARACTERISTICS: Body mass at sexual maturity is approximately 200 g for males and 165 g for females (07). Lactating females were captured from April to September with a peak in August, and again in December (07). PARENTAL CARE: Parental care has not been described but may resemble the behavior of the subspecies, gossypinus, from peninsular Florida (05, 17). In these studies of captives, mothers spent the daytime asleep in their nests with the young constantly either suckling or resting with teats firmly held in their mouths. Mothers disengaged from sucklings by standing and turning rapidly. The young were born with sparse fur, eyes closed, pinnae folded, and locomotion limited to rolling and uncoordinated movements of the limbs. The young walked at nine days of age and their eyes opened on day 16 or 17. By day 24, the young began to take solid food; though still nursing, probably they were weaned after this age in the wild. POPULATION BIOLOGY: Recruitment of juveniles occurred from July through March, with a major peak in August - October and a minor peak in February (07). The population of Key Largo woodrats was estimated to be 654 animals in 1979. The average and maximum densities for this subspecies were estimated at 1.4 and 2.2 animals per ha, respectively (02). Maximum density also was estimated at 2.2/ha in a separate study, in a portion of hammock L 1-14 selected for its high density of woodrat mounds (07). Subsequently, more detailed sampling (22) indicates that woodrat densities on North Key Largo are much higher than these earlier estimates. Analysis of systematic grid trapping gave a population estimate of 6500 woodrats, nearly ten times previous estimates. Increase of the introduced population on Lignumvitae Key from 19 in 1970 (04) to 85 in 1979 suggests an average annual growth rate of 18% (02). This demonstrates that introduction of the subspecies into suitable but unoccupied habitat can be an effective management action. SPECIES INTERRELATIONSHIPS: With one exception, incidents of predation are undocumented. Potential predators include raccoons (Procyon lotor), feral house cats (Felix catus), bobcats (Lynx rufus), and snakes such as rat snakes (Elaphe guttata and E. obsoleta), indigo snake (Drymarchon corais), and diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus). The exception is frequent consumption of woodrats taken from mammalogists' livetraps by raccoons, which quickly learn to check traplines when an odiferous bait such as peanut butter is used. This behavior does not occur with a non-odiferous bait such as oatmeal. The most likely competitor is the black rat (Rattus rattus), which at times occurs at densities equal to that of the woodrats (07). However, black rats do not breed in the hardwood forest. Instead, they represent a nonbreeding, floating population of dispersers from mangrove swamp, human residences, and garbage dumps (06). Life History - 2 (DRAFT) - Life History Species RAT, WOOD+, KEY LARGO Species Id ESIS054007 Date 14 MAR 96 Nests of the Key Largo woodrat are occupied by numerous species of arthropods (19). Perhaps 10 or 12 taxa appear to be true commensals or parasites, occurring nowhere else. Taxa whose scientific descriptions have been published include the minute Key Largo woodrat dung beetle (Ataenius brevicolis), the green Key Largo woodrat dung beetle (Onthophagus orpheus orpheus), the blind weevil (Caecossonus dentipes), a blind staphylinid (Cubantyphlus largo), a blind wingless enicocephalid bug, and an isopod. Neither species of dung beetle is associated exclusively with this subspecies of woodrat, and both occur in nests of woodrats in peninsular Florida (16). A single flea (Orchopeas howardi) was reported from one woodrat (10). OTHER LIFE HISTORY DESCRIPTORS: Managers of Lignumvitae Key State Botanical Site have expressed concern over predation by the introduced woodrats on indigenous tree snails (Liguus fasciatus), and they have considered trapping out the woodrats for that reason. At least these considerations cast doubt on whether this should be done. (1) On Key Largo, woodrats and tree snails have coexisted for years. (2) The evidence for predation is inconclusive, consisting of rodent-gnawed shells observed on woodrat mounds and the forest floor (06,10). Conceivably these could have been taken in the ordinary course of "packrat" behavior and chewed to gain mineral nutrients. (3) The only study of the tree snails on Lignumvitae Key deals at length with predation but makes no mention of woodrats as agents of mortality (13). Life History - 3
                           (DRAFT) - Management Practices
                            Species RAT, WOOD+, KEY LARGO
                                Species Id ESIS054007
                                   Date 14 MAR 96



MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

RESULT MANAGEMENT PRACTICE Beneficial Suppressing wildfire Beneficial Maintaining undisturbed/undeveloped areas Beneficial Restricting/regulating human use of habitats Beneficial Land Acquisition Beneficial Controlling pollution [thermal, chemical, physical] Beneficial Controlling/Restricting Herbicide Use Beneficial Reforestation Beneficial Restricting Timber Harvest Beneficial Maintaining Later Stages of Succession Beneficial Controlling/Removing Nonnative Vegetation Beneficial Controlling/Removing Native Vegetation Beneficial Transplanting wild animals Beneficial Restricting Poaching Beneficial Controlling/Removing Exotic Vertebrates Adverse Rural Residential/Industrial Areas Existing Rural Residential/Industrial Areas Adverse Recreational development Existing Recreational development Adverse Highway/Railroads Existing Highway/Railroads Adverse Transmission Lines/Towers Existing Transmission Lines/Towers Adverse Soil compaction by heavy equipment in mine areas Existing Soil compaction by heavy equipment in mine areas Adverse Existing Adverse Harvesting Existing Harvesting COMMENTS ON MANAGEMENT PRACTICES - The reason for the Endangered status of the Key Largo woodrat is extensive destruction of habitat and conversion to human uses. Much of the hardwood forest habitat of the woodrat on Key Largo was cleared for agriculture (mostly pineapples) in the late 19th century. Selective harvest of mahogany for furniture and lignumvitae for ships also occurred. In 1906, a severe pineapple blight occurred and by 1915 production had ended. Since then, many tracts of land underwent succession to young hardwood forests. Only a few clearings for agriculture have occurred in recent decades. Although people have lived on Key Largo for more than a century, land-clearing for residential and commercial development accelerated greatly after World War II. On southern Key Largo, which recives fresh water from the mainland by pipeline, only remnants of the hardwood forest remain among intensive real estate development. The earliest report on population status (10) indicated that woodrats were most common on the northern end of the Key. Except for a small parcel in and adjacent to John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, no mature forest remains on the southern two-thirds of the Key. Management Practices - 1 (DRAFT) - Management Practices Species RAT, WOOD+, KEY LARGO Species Id ESIS054007 Date 14 MAR 96 However, judging from soil depth and tree diameter, the area between the northeast 1/4 of Sec. 29, T60S, R39E and the northern end of the Key includes several large tracts of forest that never have been clearcut. During field work in 1979, this area was estimated to include approximately 475 ha of habitat occupied by approximately 654 woodrats, or 1.4 woodrats per ha (02). The introduced population on Lignumvitae Key was estimated at 85 animals occupying 90 ha of habitat (02). The future threat to this subspecies is continued conversion of the remaining habitat. In 1984, a total of 4089 housing units were reported as approved or under construction in this area (14). In 1981, with funds loaned by the Farmer's Home Administration, the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority completed a branch pipeline from the junction of U.S. Highway 1 and C-905 up northern Key Largo to the Ocean Reef Club development. A restrictive hookup policy has been adopted, including most of the proposed Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge (14). But this subspecies had no official status during that consultation, so hookups were not precluded from most habitat outside of the proposed refuge area. A proposed loan to the Florida Keys Electric Cooperative by the Rural Electrification Administration would finance an electric substation and system expansion allowing approximately 6,000 more electric drops on northern Key Largo. On October 27, 1983, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Director in Atlanta, GA issued a biological opinion that the proposal would jeopardize the subspecies by facilitation development. "No-electric-hookup-areas" were proposed, but this issue has not been resolved (14). Most of the habitat occupied by this subspecies is contained within proposed Federal and State land acquisition projects, but little of this area has been acquired. If proposed acquisitions for Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge were completed, about half of the woodrat population, or 318 animals, would be protected (14). However, most of the best, most-mature habitat lies outside the proposed Federal boundries. Most of these outlying areas are included in two acquisition proposals under Florida's Conservation and Recreational Lands program, administered by the Division of State Lands, Florida Department of Natural Resources (20). The future of the woodrat will depend partly on the demand for residential development and on planning decisions by Monroe County and the State of Florida. Monroe Co., in cooperation with the Florida Department of Community Affairs, is preparing a North Key Largo Habitat Conservation Plan. The purpose of this plan is to conserve and enhance the habitats of several endangered species while accomodating some development (15). UNAPPROVED PLAN: As of 1986 a Recovery Plan for the Key Largo woodrat has not been approved. Recovery actions for the Key Largo woodrat include: 1. Preserve mature hardwood hammocks by maintaining late succession, Management Practices - 2 (DRAFT) - Management Practices Species RAT, WOOD+, KEY LARGO Species Id ESIS054007 Date 14 MAR 96 restricting timber harvest, restricting tree poaching, encouraging land acquisition and controlling the use of herbicides. 2. Exotic vegetation may displace native stock and affect the integrity of the hammock. Control can be accomplished through land use zoning, and land rehabilitation. Wildlife, in particular cats, may have a direct impact on the rodents through predation. Relocating rodents may be necessary to repopulate an area where predator control has been successful and where the hammock will support rodents, but no rodent population is near-by to permit natural repopulation. 3. Permit natural succession to proceed in disturbed but undeveloped sites. This may be accomplished by restricting herbicides, fire control, controlling pollution, and removing exotic vegetation, if required. 4. Control fire. Wildfire can destroy a mature hammock and set back succession. A hammock, however, will recover from fire damage, but it will require a great deal of time. A major fire in rodent habitat could severely affect the recovery of this species. At present a Habitat Conservation Plan is being developed for North Key Largo, in accordance with the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. This plan will address levels of development in proposed critical habitats and the issue of incidental take. Management Practices - 3
                                   (DRAFT) - References
                              Species RAT, WOOD+, KEY LARGO
                                  Species Id ESIS054007
                                      Date 14 MAR 96



     

References

***** REFERENCES FOR ALL NARRATIVES EXCEPT N-OCCURRENCE ***** 01 Alexander, T.R. 1953. Plant succession on Key Largo, Florida, involving Pinus caribea and Quercus virginiana. Quart. J. Fla. Acad. Sci. 16:133-138. 02 Barbour, D.B. and S.R. Humphrey. 1982. Status and habitat of the Key Largo woodrat and cotton mouse (Neotoma floridana smalli and Peromyscus gossypinus allipaticola). J. Mammal. 63:144-148. 03 Brown, L.N. 1970. Unique mammals found in the Florida Keys. Fla. Nat. 43:146-147. 04 Brown, L.N. and R.L. Williams. 1971. The Key Largo woodrat (Neotoma floridana snalli) (sic) and cotton mouse (Peromyscus gossypinus allapaticola) on Lignum Vitae Key, Florida. Florida Nat. 44:95-96. 05 Hamilton, W.J., Jr. 1953. Reproduction and young of the Florida wood rat, Neotoma f. floridana (Ord). J. Mammal. 34:180-189. 06 Hersh, S.L. 1978. Ecology of the Key Largo woodrat (Neotoma floridana smalli). M.S. Thesis, Univ. of Miami, Coral Gables. 106 pp. 07 Hersh, S.L. 1981. Ecology of the Key Largo woodrat (Neotoma floridana smalli). J. Mammal. 62:201-206. 08 Hilsenbeck, C.E. 1976. A comparison of forest sampling methods in hammock vegetation. M.S. Thesis, Univ. of Miami, Coral Gables. 106 pp. 09 Holdridge, L.R. 1967. Life zone ecology. Tropical Sci. Center, San Jose, Costa Rica. 206 pp. 10 Schwartz, A. 1952. The land mammals of southern Florida and the upper Florida Keys. Ph.D. Diss., Univ. of Mich., Ann Arbor. 11 Schwartz, A. and E.P. Odum. 1957. The woodrats of the eastern United States. J. Mammal. 38:197-206. 12 Sherman, H.B. 1955. Description of a new race of woodrat from Key Largo, Florida. J. Mammal. 36:113-120. 13 Tuskes, P.M. 1981. Population structure and biology of Liguus tree snails on Lignumvitae Key, Florida. Nautilus 95:162-169. 14 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1984. Endangered and Threatened wildlife and plants; determination of Endangered status for the Key Largo woodrat and Key Largo cotton mouse. Federal Register 49:34504-34510. 15 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1985. Environmental impact statement on North Key Largo (Florida) habitat conservation plan and Endangered species permit. Federal Register 50:14299-14301. 16 Woodruff, R.E. 1973. The scarab beetles of Florida. Arthropods of Florida. Vol. 8. Florida Dept. Agric. and Consumer Serv., Div. of Plant Industry, Gainesville, FL. 220 pp. 17 Worth, C.B. 1950. Observations on the behavior and breeding of of captive rice rats and woodrats. J. Mammal. 31:421-426. 18 Humphrey, S.R. 1985. Unpublished observations. 19 Woodruff, R.E. 1985. Unpublished observations. 20 Minasian, L. 1985. Personal communication. 21 Goodyear, N.C. 1985. Study on Key Largo woodrats and cotton mice: Phase I. Report to North Key Largo Study Committee. 76 pp. References - 1 (DRAFT) - References Species RAT, WOOD+, KEY LARGO Species Id ESIS054007 Date 14 MAR 96 22 Humphrey, S.R. 1986. Density estimates of the Key Largo woodrat and cotton mouse using computer program "capture". Unpubl. Rpt. to North Key Largo Habitat Conservation Plan Study Committe. 21 pp. ***** REFERENCES FOR N-OCCURRENCE NARRATIVE ONLY ***** 01 Barbour, D.B. and S.R. Humphrey. 1982. Status and habitat of the Key Largo woodrat and cotton mouse (Neotoma floridana smalli and Peromyscus gossypinus allapaticola). J. Mammal. 63:144-148. 02 Brown, L.N. and R.L. Williams. 1971. The Key Largo woodrat (Neotoma floridana snalli) (sic) and cotton mouse (Peromyscus gossypinus allipaticola) on Lignum Vitae Key, Florida. Florida Nat. 44:95-96. 03 Hershfeld, S.E. 1968. Vertebrate fauna of Nichol's Hammock, a natural trap. Quart. J. Fla. Acad. Sci. 31:177-189. 04 Layne, J.N. 1974. The land mammals of south Florida. Pages 386-413. IN: P.J. Gleason (ed.), Environments of South Florida: present and past. Miami Geol. Soc., Memoir 2. 452 pp. 05 Ruttenber, J. and A. Weiner. 1977. Florida Keys hardwood hammock atlas. Nat. Aud. Soc. 11 pp. 06 Schwartz, A. 1952. The land mammals of southern Florida and the upper Florida Keys. Ph.D. Diss., Univ. of Mich., Ann Arbor. 07 Sherman, H.B. 1944. Recent literature and some new distribution records concerning Florida mammals. Proc. Fla. Acad. Sci. 7:199-202. 08 Small, J.K. 1923. Green deserts and dead gardens. J. New York Botanical Garden 24(286):215. 09 U.S. Department of the Interior. 1983. Final land protection plan, Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Monroe County, Florida. Fish and Wildlife Service, Atlanta, GA. 22 pp + 3 appendices, 2 maps. 10 Bentzien, M. 1985. Personal communication. 11 Minasian, L. 1985. Personal communication. References - 2