Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Initiation of 5-Year Status Review for Black Caiman

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Initiation of 5-Year Status Review for Black Caiman

DATES:

To ensure consideration, we are requesting submission of new information no later than November 23, 2026. However, we will continue to accept new information about this listed species at any time.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Why do we conduct 5-year status reviews?

Under the Act, we maintain Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants (which we collectively refer to as the List) in title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 50 CFR 17.11 (for wildlife) and 50 CFR 17.12 (for plants). Section 4(c)(2)(A) of the Act requires us to review each listed species' status at least once every 5 years. Our regulations at 50 CFR 424.21 require that we publish a notice in the Federal Register announcing species under active review. For additional information about 5-year status reviews, refer to our fact sheet at https://www.fws.gov/project/five-year-status-reviews. A list of all completed and currently active 5-year status reviews can be found at https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp/report/species-five-year-review.

What information do we consider in our reviews?

A 5-year status review considers the best scientific and commercial data available regarding the species at the time of the review. In conducting these reviews, we consider the best scientific and commercial data that have become available since the listing determination or most recent status review, such as:

1. Species' biology, including but not limited to population trends, distribution, abundance, demographics, and genetics;

2. Habitat conditions, including but not limited to amount, distribution, and suitability;

3. Conservation measures that have been implemented that benefit the species;

4. Threat status and trends in relation to the five listing factors (as defined in section 4(a)(1) of the Act); and

5. Other new information, data, or corrections, including, but not limited to, changes in taxonomy or nomenclature, identification of erroneous information contained in the List, and improved analytical methods.

Any new information will be considered during the 5-year status review for the species.

Which species are under review?

This notice announces a 5-year status review for the black caiman, a large caiman species occurring in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, and Peru. We published a final rule to list the black caiman as an endangered species under the Act on June 14, 1976. (41 FR 24062) For additional information on the species, see our website at https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp/ and enter the species name in the search box.

Request for new information

To ensure that a 5-year status review is based on the best scientific and commercial data available, we request new information from all sources. If you submit information, please support it with documentation such as maps; bibliographic references; methods used to gather and analyze the data; and/or copies of any pertinent publications ( e.g., scientific journal articles), reports, or letters by knowledgeable sources. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your submission, you should be aware that your entire submission-including your personal identifying information-may be made publicly available at any time.

Authority

We publish this notice under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq. ).