Bexar Karst Invertebrate Critical Habitat

Critical habitat was designated for areas known to be occupied by any of the nine Bexar County karst invertebrates which included the cave footprint, the surface and subsurface drainage areas of the cave (where known), a cave cricket foraging area, and an area of at least 100 acres around the cave footprint of undisturbed or restorable vegetation as recommended by the Bexar County Karst Invertebrates Recovery Team.  In this designation, we included areas
that possess those physical or biological
features essential to the conservation of each of the species and that may require special management considerations or
protection. Even though the nine Bexar County invertebrates spend their entire
lives underground, we included specific surface features when identifying
critical habitat units, because they are important drainage links into the caves,
and because surface habitat is needed to support the plant and animal
communities upon which the invertebrates depend for nutrients.  For more information on listed karst invertebrates in Texas, see <a href='https://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/AustinTexas/ESA_Sp_KarstInverts.html'>https://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/AustinTexas/ESA_Sp_KarstInverts.html</a>.