Historically, the Stock Island tree snail
Orthalicus reses
Orthalicus reses, common name the Stock Island, Florida tree snail, is a species of large tropical air-breathing land snail, a tree snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Orthalicidae. It was first described in 1830 by the American naturalist Thomas Say. The holotype, …
What is the likely cause of extinction of the tree snail Orthalicus?
"The likely cause of extinction of the tree snail Orthalicus reses reses (Say)". Journal of Molluscan Studies 67: 369-376. abstract (2001) STOCK ISLAND TREE SNAIL Orthalicus reses reses. In: Field Guide to the Rare Animals of Florida. Florida Natural Areas Inventory.
What is the scientific name of the Florida tree snail?
Orthalicus reses, common name the Stock Island, Florida tree snail, is a species of large tropical air-breathing land snail, a tree snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Orthalicidae. It was first described in 1830 by the American naturalist Thomas Say.
What kind of snails live in trees?
Jump to navigation Jump to search. Tree snail is a common name that is applied to various kinds of tropical air-breathing land snails, pulmonate gastropod mollusks that have shells, and that live in trees, in other words, are exclusively arboreal in habitat.
Where do tree snails live?
LOCATION AND CONDITION OF KEY HABITAT: All Achatinella are arboreal, living in trees and bushes where they feed on fungi on the leaves and trunks. O'ahu tree snails occur in a variety of habitats including dry, mesic, and wet forests and shrublands.
Where can I find Orthalicus tree snails?
The nominate subspecies Orthalicus reses reses is threatened; it lives on trees in hardwood hammocks habitat in Southern Florida, USA, specifically the Florida Keys.
Where do green tree snails live?
The Singapore Green Tree Snail is found solely in undisturbed forested area and is endemic to Singapore. This means that it exists nowhere else in the world except Singapore!
Where are tree snails found in Florida?
The Florida tree snail inhabits tropical hardwood hammocks in extreme southern mainland Florida, and in the Florida Keys. Outside of Florida, the species is found in Cuba, including both the main island and the Isle of Youth (formerly known as the Isle of Pines).
What do tree snails eat?
Tree snails eat algae and fungus that they scrape from smooth barked trees. Some of their favorite greenery includes wild tamarind, pigeon plum, myrsine and bustic.
How do you get a pet snail?
The easiest way to get a pet snail is by looking around your garden. Probably you can find a garden snail or a roman snail tucking under leaves or plant pots. You can find them in many parts of the nature. So if you didn't find one in your garden, you can try to look for them in wooded areas around your neighborhood.
What eats snails on trees?
Among the predators are flies, mites, nematodes, millipedes, centipedes, some caterpillars and fireflies, leeches, beetles and their larvae, rats, mice, weasels, squirrels, toads, salamanders, turtles, blackbirds, wild turkeys and other Birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae. And they also eat each other.
Where do emerald green snails live?
Papua New GuineaDistribution and habitat pulcherrima is endemic to Manus Island in Papua New Guinea. This snail lives in trees, and inhabits rain forest areas up to 112 m (367 ft) above sea level.
Why should we protect snails?
Many birds, fish and other species rely on snails as important parts of their diets. Most land snail species consume fungi and leaf litter, helping with decomposition, and many are carnivores, so they help keep other species in check.
Are Florida tree snails endangered?
Conservation and Management The Stock Island tree snail is protected as a Threatened species by the Federal Endangered Species Act and as a Federally-designated Threatened species by Florida's Endangered and Threatened Species Rule.
Why are tree snails endangered?
Rapid fall. The snails' decline can be blamed on invasive species, which are eating them to extinction. In particular, they're falling victim to the rosy wolfsnail (Euglandina rosea), a snail and slug specialist that was brought to the islands to eat other mollusks: giant African snails.
Did snails go extinct?
Another species of land snail went extinct on January 1, 2019. George, the last member of his species, Achatinella apexfulva, died in a captive breeding facility at the University of Hawaii.
Description
The Stock Island tree snail is a large, conical tree snail, which attains a mature shell length of 2.2 in (5.5 cm). The translucent shell is thin and lightweight compared to most other snails of this genus. The color is white to buff with three poorly developed bands, and narrow flamelike purple stripes.
Behavior
The Stock Island tree snail lives exclusively in trees, hiding in holes, bark crevices, and leaf clusters. It feeds on lichen, fungi, and algae, and is most active between June and December after a rainfall.Nests are constructed in soft dirt that is rich in leaf-mold directly at the base of the host tree.
Habitat
The Stock Island tree snail inhabits a wide range of tropical hardwood trees and has adapted to several types of exotic ornamentals. It apparently has no host tree preference and has been found on such native trees as sweet acacia, saffron plum, gumbo-limbo, icaco-coco plum, and mahogany.
Distribution
The historic range encompassed Stock Island and Key West in Monroe County, Florida. The snail has since disappeared from Key West.
Threats
The causes of the species' decline are not certain, but fragmentation of hardwood hammocks, changes in microclimate, and increased predation have been suggested as possible reasons for its loss. The snail's remaining range is so restricted, almost any natural or man-made disaster could render the species extinct.
Conservation and Recovery
The precipitous decline of the snail population has forced FWS personnel to consider translocating snails and eggs to a more protected location. The population has declined to such a low level, however, that translocation might actually exterminate the snail.
Contact
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Division of Endangered Species 1875 Century Blvd, Ste 200 Atlanta, Georgia 30345 http://southeast.fws.gov/
Where are stock island tree snails found?
Two species occur in North America, Orthalicus reses and Orthalicus floridensis Pilsbry, both of which are restricted to South Florida. The Stock Island tree snail ( Orthalicus reses) was first described by Thomas Say in 1830, based on a snail which was probably collected in Key West.
What is the color of stock island snail?
It is colored white to buff, with weakly developed spiral bands and several flame-like, purple-brown axial stripes.
How big is an Orthalicus Reses?
Orthalicus reses is a snail with a large, conical shell that is approximately 45 to 55 mm in length . The thickness of the shell varies, but is usually more lightweight and translucent than other species of Orthalicus.
Where is Orthalicus reses nesodryas found?
Orthalicus reses nesodryas has a broader range, occurring throughout the Florida Keys from Sugarloaf Key north. Orthalicus floridensis is the only Orthalicus species to occur naturally on the mainland, and is also found in the Keys. This species is known to occur in the National Key Deer Refuge .
Where was the Orthalicus Reses collected?
Over a hundred years later, in 1946, the American biologist Henry Augustus Pilsbry redescribed the species using a specimen from Stock Island. Orthalicus reses has two subspecies, O. reses reses and O. reses nosodryas.
What is the name of the Florida tree snail?
Orthalicus reses, common name the Stock Island, Florida tree snail, is a species of large tropical air-breathing land snail, a tree snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Orthalicidae. It was first described in 1830 by the American naturalist Thomas Say.
What is the name of the stock island?
Orthalicus reses. Orthalicus reses, common name the Stock Island, Florida tree snail, is a species of large tropical air-breathing land snail, a tree snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Orthalicidae. It was first described in 1830 by the American naturalist Thomas Say. The holotype, a specimen probably collected in Key ...
Where do snails live?
Live snails are most often found in native hammock trees and shrubs, but frequently live in citrus groves and backyards. Figure 2. Key identification features.
What is the largest tree snail in Florida?
Shell lacking flame-like stripes . . . . . banded tree snail, Orthalicus floridensis Pilsbry, 1891. This is the largest Florida tree snail, and is tan with two to three spiral brown bands and one to four dark brown vertical growth lines. Both the margin of the aperture and the parietal callus are dark brown.
Where can I find Drymaeus dormani?
It is found on citrus and native trees in southeastern Florida south of Lake Okeechobee to the Florida Keys and parts of the Caribbean. Figure 6.
What are the two groups of snails that are found in the United States?
Tree snails are included in several families, but the Bulimulidae and the Pupillidae are the only two represented on the United States mainland.
Where are manatee trees found?
The markings can be faint to lacking in some specimens. This species is endemic to North and Central Florida north of Lake Okeechobee, and has been reported on palmetto, orange and grapefruit trees (Pilsbry 1946). Figure 5.
Where are the Bulimulidae located?
In the Americas, the center of diversity of the Bulimulidae is in northern South America to Brazil, with representatives spreading northward through Central America and the Caribbean to the southeastern United States (Solem 1969, Breure 1979).
Is Bulimulus native to Florida?
The last three genera are native to Florida. There is also one recently introduced genus in Florida, Bulimulus, which is primarily terrestrial (Thompson 1976). The systematic relationships of the native species were summarized by Pilsbry (1946).
What is a tree snail?
Tree snail is a common name that is applied to various kinds of tropical air-breathing land snails, pulmonate gastropod mollusks that have shells, and that live in trees, in other words, are exclusively arboreal in habitat. Some other species of air-breathing land snails may sometimes be found on tree trunks, or even in the foliage of trees, ...
What is the name of the Samoan tree snail?
Samoana - in addition, various species in the genus Samoana are known under the common name "Moorean Viviparous Tree Snail" or "Polynesian Tree Snail". Samoana abbreviata - known as the short Samoan tree snail.
Where do snails live?
Many snails are found in trees, but only a few are exclusively arboreal for most or all of their life cycle. Tree snails are normally found on the ground only during egg-deposition or when dislodged from their perches. They are frequently large, up to 70 mm long, but tend to be smaller in colder areas. They are restricted to tropical and semi-tropical regions by their need for high humidity and warm temperatures. Tree snails are included in several families, but the Bulimulidae and the Pupillidae are the only two represented on the United States mainland. In the Americas, the center of diversity of the Bulimulidae is in northern South America to Brazil, with representatives spreading northward through Central America and the Caribbean to the southeastern United States (Solem 1969, Breure 1979). The bulimulids are not exclusively arboreal as many species live in leaf-mold, under or near rocks, or on rock faces. However, all native Florida bulimulids are arboreal.
What is the largest tree snail in Florida?
Shell lacking flame-like stripes . . . . . banded tree snail, Orthalicus floridensis (Pilsbry 1891). This is the largest Florida tree snail, and is tan with two to three spiral brown bands and one to four dark brown vertical growth lines. Both the margin of the aperture and the parietal callus are dark brown.
Where are the Florida Keys tree snails?
Florida Keys tree snail, Orthalicus reses nesodryas (Pilsbry 1946). This subspecies is endemic to the Florida Keys, from Lower Matecumbe Key to Key West, and can be found on a variety of host trees. Figure 10. The Florida Keys tree snail, Orthalicus reses nesodryas Pilsbry 1946. Credit: Bill Frank, www.jaxshells.org.
What are the colors of liguus shells?
Liguus shells are brilliantly colored and are frequently marked with yellow, green, pink, and brown. The bulimulid shell surface is smooth, sometimes glossy, and with protuberances. Live snails are most often found in native hammock trees and shrubs, but frequently live in citrus groves and backyards. Figure 2.
What are the two groups of snails that are found in the United States?
Tree snails are included in several families, but the Bulimulidae and the Pupillidae are the only two represented on the United States mainland.
Where can I find Drymaeus dormani?
It is found on citrus and native trees in southeastern Florida south of Lake Okeechobee to the Florida Keys and parts of the Caribbean. Figure 6.
Where are manatee tree snails found?
The markings can be faint to lacking in some specimens. This species is endemic to North and Central Florida north of Lake Okeechobee, and has been reported on palmetto, orange and grapefruit trees (Pilsbry 1946). Figure 5.
Where are Florida tree snails found?
Florida tree snails (. Liguus fasciatus. ) have historically been found in Collier, Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe counties (Deisler -Seno 1994).
What are some examples of tree snails?
Examples would include moving tree snails prior to utility and road maintenance activities (e.g., vegetation clearing, tree trimming, mowing) and activities associated with development, such as land clearing, when accompanied by measures to avoid or minimize impacts to Florida tree snail habitat.
How long is a Florida tree snail?
The Florida tree snail has a conical shell 40 to 70 mm (1.6 to 2.7 in) in length. The shell color is extremely variable and can be matte or glossy (Pilsbry 1946). There are 58 named color morphs of the Florida tree snail (Jones et al. 1981, Roth and Bogan 1984, Emmel and Cotter 1995; Figure 1).
Where is the New Guinea flatworm found?
invasive New Guinea flatworm (. Platydemus manokwari ) This primarily nocturnal predator was first discovered in South Florida in 2012, although this was not reported until 2015, and has now become common in many parts of South Florida (Collins and Cook 2019).
How long does it take for a tree snail to mature?
They reach sexual maturity in approximately 2.5 years (Emmel and Cotter 1995). During the dry season (November to March) tree snails protect themselves against desiccation by secreting a mucus seal that locks the snail to the tree. This period of inactivity is called aestivation.
How many eggs do tree snails lay?
Nests are laid in the humus layer at the base of trees 3 to 6 weeks following copulation. The mean clutch size for tree snails is 19 eggs, and hatching is synchronized with a heavy rain in April or May (Voss 1976).
What is the threat to Florida tree snails?
Historically, the major threat to the Florida tree snail has been habitat loss due to human development (Emmel and Cotter 1995). For example, habitat loss of hardwood hammocks in the Upper Keys was estimated to be 31% from 1991 to 2004 (Karim and Main 2009).
Description
Behavior
- The Stock Island tree snail lives exclusively in trees, hiding in holes, bark crevices, and leaf clusters. It feeds on lichen, fungi, and algae, and is most active between June and December after a rainfall.Nests are constructed in soft dirt that is rich in leaf-mold directly at the base of the host tree. The nests are excavated initially with the ...
Habitat
- The Stock Island tree snail inhabits a wide range of tropical hardwood trees and has adapted to several types of exotic ornamentals. It apparently has no host tree preference and has been found on such native trees as sweet acacia, saffron plum, gumbo-limbo, icaco-coco plum, and mahogany. Non-native trees include Jamaica caper, lead tree, and tamarind. It is most common …
Distribution
- The historic range encompassed Stock Island and Key West in Monroe County, Florida. The snail has since disappeared from Key West. When the snail was placed on the federal list in 1978, the population was estimated between 200-800 individuals, found at two sites on Stock Island. In 1986, a survey conducted by The Nature Conservancy determined that a major portion of the ha…
Threats
- The causes of the species' decline are not certain, but fragmentation of hardwood hammocks, changes in microclimate, and increased predation have been suggested as possible reasons for its loss. The snail's remaining range is so restricted, almost any natural or man-made disaster could render the species extinct. Much of the ground area near inhabited trees has been paved t…
Conservation and Recovery
- The precipitous decline of the snail population has forced FWS personnel to consider translocating snails and eggs to a more protected location. The population has declined to such a low level, however, that translocation might actually exterminate the snail. A second problem with translocation is that no suitable habitat appears to remain in the Florida Keys. Biologists have lit…
Contact
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Division of Endangered Species 1875 Century Blvd, Ste 200 Atlanta, Georgia 30345 http://southeast.fws.gov/
Reference
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1982. "Stock Island Tree Snail Recovery Plan." U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Atlanta.
Overview
Orthalicus reses, common name the Stock Island, Florida tree snail, is a species of large tropical air-breathing land snail, a tree snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Orthalicidae. It was first described in 1830 by the American naturalist Thomas Say. The holotype, a specimen probably collected in Key West, was subsequently lost. Over a hundred years later, in 1946, the Ame…
Ecology
Originally, Orthalicus reses occurred exclusively in hardwood hammocks of the Keys. Orthalicus reses survives best in hammocks with smooth-barked native trees that support relatively large amounts of lichens and algae. In the Florida Keys, Orthalicus is limited to the higher portions of the islands that support hammock forests (minimum elevations of 5 to 11 feet).
Lower Keys hammocks consist of thick forests of tropical trees and shrubs which grow in limest…
Taxonomy
Orthalicus reses is a species within the genus Orthalicus, a group of large, arboreal pulmonate snails in the family Orthalicidae. The genus Orthalicus occurs primarily in Central and South America. Two species occur in North America, Orthalicus reses and Orthalicus floridensis Pilsbry, both of which are restricted to South Florida. The Stock Island tree snail (Orthalicus reses) was first described by Thomas Say in 1830, based on a snail which was probably collected in Key West. …
Description
Orthalicus reses is a snail with a large, conical shell that is approximately 45 to 55 mm in length. The thickness of the shell varies, but is usually more lightweight and translucent than other species of Orthalicus. The external ground color of the shell is white to buff, with three poorly developed spiral bands and several flame-like purple-brown axial stripes that stop at the lower …
Distribution
Henry Augustus Pilsbry suggested, in 1946, that Orthalicus reses reses arrived in Florida from Central America and the Caribbean shortly after the emergence of the Florida peninsula in the late Pleistocene. Snails that were sealed in place on floating tropical trees may have been cast ashore on the Florida peninsula by high winds and hurricanes. This form of dispersal has been suggested for bot…
Behavior
Orthalicus reses reses snails are active mainly during the wet season, i.e. May through November, during which time breeding, feeding, and dispersal takes place. Dry periods (December through April) are spent in aestivation, during which time the snail forms a tight sealed barrier between the aperture and a tree trunk or branch. Snails secrete this mucus seal (an epiphragm) that cements their shell to a tree in order to protect them from desiccation during the dry period. Snails may co…
Population biology
The abundance and range of Orthalicus reses reses declined throughout the 20th century. Rigorous estimates of Orthalicus reses reses numbers are not known for any population. Orthalicus reses reses status is currently assessed by the numbers of discrete populations that are known. Accordingly, potential trend information only includes observations of whether various populations continue to persist. However, for most populations, even the area occupied is poorl…
Conservation
Orthalicus reses reses is listed as threatened on the United States Fish and Wildlife Service list of endangered species, since 2 August 1978. It was originally listed as Orthalicus reses. However, Othalicus reses comprises two recognized taxa, and only Orthalicus reses reses is threatened. In the time of listing, the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission favored listing, since intensive development has reduced the range to Stock Island. Leslie Hubricht and Alan Solem sup…