Mitchell's rainforest snail (''Thersites mitchellae'') is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of large, air-breathing
land snail
A land snail is any of the numerous species of snail that live on land, as opposed to the sea snails and freshwater snails. ''Land snail'' is the common name for terrestrial gastropod mollusks that have shells (those without shells are known as ...
, a
terrestrial
Terrestrial refers to things related to land or the planet Earth.
Terrestrial may also refer to:
* Terrestrial animal, an animal that lives on land opposed to living in water, or sometimes an animal that lives on or near the ground, as opposed to ...
pulmonate
Pulmonata or pulmonates, is an informal group (previously an order, and before that a subclass) of snails and slugs characterized by the ability to breathe air, by virtue of having a pallial lung instead of a gill, or gills. The group includ ...
gastropod
The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda ().
This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, from freshwater, and from land. T ...
mollusc
Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is esti ...
in the family
Camaenidae
Camaenidae is a family of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Helicoidea, the typical snails and their allies. This is one of the most diverse families in the clade Stylommatophora.
These ...
.
This species is native to
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
. 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
nocturnal
Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnal meaning the opposite.
Nocturnal creatures generally have highly developed sens ...
animal feeds upon leaf litter, fungi and lichen, making these substances its primary diet. Despite the fact the Mitchell's rainforest snail is nocturnal, it can be spotted year-round and has no specific season in which it may disappear or hibernate
Distribution and threats
The snail used to be commonly found in
rainforests
Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainforest ...
and swampy parts of northern coastal lowlands and prefers palms and fig trees within rainforests. It also used to be found throughout coastal floodplain wetlands, coastal swamp forests, eastern riverine forests, littoral rainforests, northern warm temperate rainforests, and subtropical rainforests.
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 km
2 of remnant lowland rainforest, scattered around the
Tweed
Tweed is a rough, woollen fabric, of a soft, open, flexible texture, resembling cheviot or homespun, but more closely woven. It is usually woven with a plain weave, twill or herringbone structure. Colour effects in the yarn may be obtained ...
,
Byron
George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and Peerage of the United Kingdom, peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and h ...
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 SnailRainforest Snail - Northern Rivers: Distribution and vegetation associations in the Northern RiversThe IUNC Red List of Threatened Species - Thersites mitchellaeThersites mitchellae — Mitchell's Rainforest SnailMitchell's Rainforest Snail - Priority actions
External links
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3075383
Camaenidae