Mitchell's rainforest snail
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| Thersites mitchellae | ||||||||||||||
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| Thersites mitchellae |
Mitchell's Rainforest Snail Thersites mitchellae is a large, nocturnal snail that is native to Australia. Its shell, measuring up to 5.5cm across, is reddish brown to black with two distinct yellow bands. The body is black.
Not much is known about the ecology of Mitchell's Rainforest Snail, however scientists assume that the main threats to this once common species is the loss of habitat due to land clearing and development. It used to be common in rainforests and swampy parts of northern coastal lowlands, but over the years its habitat has been decimated by land clearing and farming.
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 NSW. A significant population of the invertebrate 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.
[edit] References
Threatened Species Profile for Mitchell's Rainforest Snail
