Galapagos land snail (Bulimulus nux)
| Kingdom | Animalia |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Mollusca |
| Class | Gastropoda |
| Order | Stylommatophora |
| Family | Bulimulidae |
| Genus | Bulimulus (1) |
Classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List 2006 (1).
This Galápagos land snail species is one of many tiny endangered bulimulid snails endemic to the Galápagos Islands, which often go unnoticed due to their small size (the largest species only reaching 25 mm in length) and dull brown colours (2) (3). This species has a dark brownish-black, conical, spiralled shell, streaked with a rusty reddish brown.
Just four subpopulations are known from the Galápagos Islands of San Cristóbal and Floreana (1), in the highlands (4).
Specimens have mainly been found on trunks, often under bark, and in leaf litter (1).
Nothing is known of this Galápagos land snail’s biology.
Since their colonisation, the Galapagos Islands have experienced a dramatic decline of suitable habitat for land snails, as farming, road and house construction, and eventually tourism, grew (1) (2) (3). Both San Cristóbal and Floreana have been badly affected and each now has more than five bulimulid species categorized as Critically Endangered or Endangered on the IUCN Red List, as well as several previously recorded species that are now extinct (3). Grazing livestock (goats, pigs) and invasive alien plants have also altered the snail’s habitat (3) and, occasionally, the islands have suffered from uncontrolled fires, destroying habitat and snails alike (2). Additionally, introduced predators such as black rats (Rattus rattus) and little fire ants (Wasmania auropunctata) have had a direct impact on land snail populations by feeding on them and destroying their eggs (2). Established populations of the invasive little fire ant are known to exist on San Cristóbal and Floreana (1).
There are currently no conservation measures targeting this species.
Authenticated (13/02/2007) by Christine Parent, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University.
http://www.sfu.ca/~cparent/index.htm
- Bulimulid: of the Bulimulidae family.
- Endemic: a species or taxonomic group that is only found in one particular country or geographic area.
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IUCN Red List (October, 2006)
http://www.iucnredlist.org -
Coppois, G. (1998) Invertebrate research overview: 2. The endemic land snails. Bulletin De L'institut Royal Des Sciences Naturelles De Belgique, 70. Available at:
http://www.darwinfoundation.org/articles/br15049806.html -
Parent, C.E. and Smith, R.P. (2006) Galápagos Bulimulids: Status report on a devastated fauna. Tentacle: Newsletter of the IUCN/SSC Mollusc Specialist Group, 14: 25 - 27. Available at:
http://www.hawaii.edu/cowielab/Tentacle/Tentacle%2014%20(Cowie%202005).pdf#search=%22Bulimulus%20reibischi%22 - Parent, C. (2007) Pers. comm.