Mitchell's rainforest snail
Mitchell's rainforest snail | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Gastropoda
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Subclass: | Heterobranchia |
Order: | Stylommatophora |
Family: | Camaenidae |
Genus: | Thersites |
Species: | T. mitchellae
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Binomial name | |
Thersites mitchellae (Cox, 1864)
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Mitchell's rainforest snail (Thersites mitchellae) is a
This species is native to Australia. It is an endangered species.
Description
The shell of this species measures up to 5.5 cm across and is reddish brown to black with two distinct yellow bands. The visible soft parts of the animal are black.
Ecology
While it prefers and enjoys palm and fig trees, the Mitchell's rainforest snail is usually traveling along the forest floor among fallen leaves or under the bark on many trees. This
Distribution and threats
The snail used to be commonly found in
Unfortunately, Thersites mitchellae is on the endangered species list due to numerous threats. These threats include, but are not limited to animals that have been introduced to the snail’s small habitat such as rats and birds. Other major threats consist of the use of herbicides and pesticides, fires, weed invasion, and is also largely tied to deforestation. This critically endangered snail is now largely restricted to a range of less than 5 km² of remnant lowland rainforest, scattered around the Tweed, Byron and Ballina Shires of northern New South Wales. A significant population can still be found on the Stotts Island Nature Reserve on the Tweed River. Scientists believe that less than 500 mature individuals remain in the wild.
References
- Threatened Species Profile for Mitchell's Rainforest Snail
- Rainforest Snail - Northern Rivers: Distribution and vegetation associations in the Northern Rivers
- The IUNC Red List of Threatened Species - Thersites mitchellae
- Thersites mitchellae — Mitchell's Rainforest Snail
- NSW Scientific Committee - final determination
- Mitchell's Rainforest Snail - Priority actions