Okay, but for real, why then would the law not have been written to apply to all animals? It seems like they were being specific. Especially for the purposes o

Okay, but for real, why then would the law not have been written to apply to all animals? It seems like they were being specific. Especially for the purposes of the endangered species act - insect classification is already tricky enough. You could have two nearly identical bugs except for which side of the river which they spawn on. And now you are required to estimate the population over every type of insect and determine its endangered status, and use it as an insurmountable veto power on any new developments? This seems like a bad pandora's box to open.