Lake Wales Ridge National Wildlife Refuge
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| Lake Wales Ridge National Wildlife Refuge | |
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| IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape) | |
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| Location: | Polk and Highlands counties, Florida, USA |
| Nearest city: | Lake Wales, Florida |
| Area: | 1,194 acres |
| Established: | 1990 |
| Governing body: | National Park Service |
The Lake Wales Ridge National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge System, located in four separated areas along US 27 between Davenport and Sebring. The 1,194 acre refuge was established in 1990, to protect a host of plants and animals. It is also the first to be designated primarily for the preservation of endangered plants, and is not open to the general public. It is administered as part of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.
[edit] Flora
The plants the refuge was designed to protect are the Snakeroot (Eryngium cuneifolium), Scrub Blazing Star (Liatris ohlingerae), Carter's Mustard (Warea carteri), Papery Whitlow-wort (Paronychia chartacea), Florida Bonamia (Bonamia grandiflora), Scrub Lupine (Lupinus aridorum), Highlands Scrub Hypericum (Hypericum cumulicola), Garett's Mint (Dicerandra christmanii), Scrub Mint (Dicerandra frutescens), Pygmy Fringetree (Chionanthus pygmaeus), Wireweed (Polygonella basiramia), Sandlace (Polygonella myriophylla), Florida Ziziphus and Scrub Plum (Prunus geniculata).
[edit] Fauna
The animals the refuge was designed to protect are the Florida Scrub Jay, Eastern Indigo Snake, the Bluetail Mole and Sand Skink.
