What Can I Learn from Range Maps?
If I'm unsure about a suggested identification, I check the range map for the species. Several things about the reporting of species makes me wonder, though.
I suspect a lot of us look for a limited variety of species. For example, we're looking for birds. Or bees. Or dragonflies. As a result, a lot of species are overlooked.
Even if we're open to a variety of species, it is the showier species that catch our eye. I know that as a rule, I'll photograph flowers but overlook other plants. I'll make an effort to photograph any colorful insect, but don't attempt to photograph small, bland-colored ones
Then there are those of us whose interest in nature is casual, so maybe we only attend to larger, "charismatic" species. What other explanation is there for manatee sightings being more than double opossum sightings in Collier County, Florida? (Personally, I'd love to photograph a live 'possum!)
Ultimately, I guess, the maps do provide a context for evaluating a species' status. And the absence of a record is just as informative as the presence of one.
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