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List of land snails of the Mariana Islands

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Samoana fragilis (fragile tree snail), a critically endangered snail endemic to Guam and Rota

The following is a list of terrestrial snails found in the Mariana Islands. The general term for land snails in Chamorro is akaleha’.[1] It has been estimated there are about 100 species of land snail on Guam, the southernmost Mariana Island, but about 20 of these have been introduced by human activities.[1]

Conservation

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Platydemas manokwari (New Guinea flatworm), an invasive species in the Mariana Islands
Partula desolata, an extinct species endemic to Guam, known only from an archeological dig

Nearly all of the native species of land snail are in decline throughout the Mariana Islands, and many have not been seen for decades. Some of the following species have not been seen since the time they were first collected. The southern islands of the Mariana archipelago are now almost devoid of native land snails. Land snails face threats from habitat destruction and from introduced predatory snails. The predatory Gonaxis snails and rosy wolfsnails (Euglandina rosea) were introduced as biocontrols against the invasive giant African land snail (Lissachatina fulica), but they also reduced the population of native snails. Since then, all three of these species are now reduced by another biocontrol, the New Guinea flatworm (Platydemas manokwari), which is also predating native snails.[1]

The tiny islet of Alupat off Guam has been identified as a potential site for a snail preserve, as it has not been invaded by New Guinea flatworms, rosy wolfsnails, or Gonaxis snails.[2]

Endemic snails

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Assimineidae (palmleaf snails)

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Diplommatinidae (staircase snails)

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Truncatellidae (looping snails)

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Partula salifana (Mount Alifana partula), endemic to Guam, now extinct
Partula gibba (Fat Guam partulid), endemic to Guam, a critically endangered species

Succineidae (amber snails)

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Vertiginidae (whorl snails)

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  • Ptychalaea sp. - undescribed species from Sarigan, Alamagan, Pagan, Agrihan, Asuncion, and Maug[3]

Non-endemic, possibly native snails

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Assimineidae (palmleaf snails)

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  • Omphalotropis granum - known from Australia, Melanesia and Micronesia; found on Guam, Saipan and Rota[3] Identified on Alupat and Cocos islands off Guam between 2016 and 2019[2]

Truncatellidae (looping snails)

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Ellobiidae (hollow-shelled snails)

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  • Melampus castaneus - widespread in western and central Pacific.[8]
  • Pythia scarabaeus - widespread in western Pacific; found on Guam, Rota, Aguiguan and Saipan[3] Identified on Alupat and Cocos islands off Guam between 2016 and 2019[2]

Introduced species

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African Giant Snail (Lissachatina fulica), an introduced species in the Marianas
  • Lissachatina fulica (Giant African land snail) - introduced to the Guam in 1945, and to Rota, Tinian, Saipan, Pagan and Agrihan between 1936 to 1939[3]
  • Pacificella variabilis - widespread in Pacific; found on Guam and Rota, possibly Sarigan, Alamagan, Agrihan, Asuncion and Maug[3]

Assimineidae (palmleaf snails)

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  • Bradybaena similaris (Asian trampsnail)- native to Asia but introduced to Mariana Islands in 1948; found in Guam and Saipan[3]
Mesembrinus multilineatus (lined treesnail), an introduced species commonly seen in the Mariana Islands
  • Coneuplecta calculosa (Tropical beehive snail) - known from India to Polynesia; in the Mariana Islands, found only on Agrihan[3]
  • Liardetia doliolum - probably native to Philippines; in the Mariana Islands, found on Guam, Tinian and Rota[3]
  • Euglandina rosea (rosy wolfsnail) - native to southeast US but introduced to Pacific Islands and Asia by 1957; found on Guam, Saipan and Agrihan[3]
  • Gonaxis kibweziensis - native to tropical east Africa; introduced to Aguiguan in 1950, Guam in 1954, and Pagan by 1992[3]
  • Gonaxis quadrilateralis - native to tropical east Africa; introduced to Guam in 1967; also introduced to Saipan by 1979 but may not have established[3]
  • Huttonella bicolor - native to Asia or Africa; perhaps a prehistoric introduction to Pacific Islands; found on Guam, Saipan and Pagan[3]
  • Allopeas gracile (graceful awlsnail) - probably native to New World tropics; in the Marianas, known from Guam, Tinian and Saipan, possibly Agrihan, Alamagan, Asuncion, Guguan, Maug, Pagan, and Sarigan[3]
  • Opeas hannense (dwarf awlsnail) - probably native to New World tropics[3]
  • Paropeas achatinaceum - native to Indonesia; found on Guam and Sarigan[3]
  • Subulina octona - native to New World tropics but prehistorically introduced to Pacific Islands; found on Guam, Aguiguan, Tinian, Saipan, Anatahan, and Pagan[3]

Succineidae (amber snails)

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  • Succinea luteola (Mexico ambersnail) - native to southeast US, but introduced to Guam by 2012[3]
  • Pupisoma dioscoricola - native to South Africa through southern Asia and Japan; introduced widely in the Pacific; found on Sarigan, Alamagan, Pagan, Agrihan, Asuncion, and Maug[3]
Veronicella cubensis (Cuban slug), an invasive species on Guam

Veronicellidae (leatherleaf slugs)

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Vertiginidae (whorl snails)

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  • Gastrocopta pediculus - probably native to Philippines and southeast Asia; found on Rota, Sarigan, Guguan, Alamagan Asuncion and Maug[3]
  • Gastrocopta servilis - native to west India; found on Guam and Saipan, possibly Rota, Sarigan, Guguan, Alamagan Asuncion and Maug[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Land Snails (Akaleha') of the Mariana Islands - Guampedia". www.guampedia.com. April 23, 2013. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Kerr, Alexander M (2019). "Land Snails of Alupat Island, a Fringing Islet of Guam, Mariana Islands" (PDF). Micronesica. 2: 1–6.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb cc cd ce cf cg ch ci cj ck cl cm cn co cp Kerr, Alexander M; Bauman, Scott (2013). "Annotated Checklist of the Land snails of the Mariana Islands, Micronesia" (PDF). Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  4. ^ Kerr, Alexander M (2018). "Land Snails of Dåno′ (Cocos Island), Mariana Islands". Pacific Science. 72 (2): 263–270. doi:10.2984/72.2.8 – via ResearchGate.
  5. ^ "Observations". iNaturalist. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  6. ^ Paulino, C. J. (June 12, 2022). "Palaina taeniolata". iNaturalist. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  7. ^ "Observations". iNaturalist. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  8. ^ "Melampus castaneus: main page". seaslugsofhawaii.com. Retrieved November 17, 2024.