Florida provides native habitat for a diverse menagerie of approximately 54 mammals from beach mice to manatees to bats. Many Florida mammals are subspecies or rare endemics, resulting in a substantial number of species of conservation concern, including 24 federally listed and 6 state listed species.

Florida’s mammal population includes a large number of small, beach-dwelling mammals that are highly vulnerable to sea level rise. The large proportion of subspecies among the state’s unique mammals makes assisted or natural migration following climate change-driven habitat shifts a challenge, as genetic integrity would be compromised by introducing distinct populations of subspecies. Inland-dwelling mammals in Florida face climate-related threats from hydrological changes including increased droughts and fire suppression. These species are also likely to face competition from humans fleeing coastlines inundated by sea level rise, as climate change accelerates, further exacerbating habitat loss and fragmentation.