Florida Tree Snails

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.

The United States has four native genera of Bulimulidae: Rhabdotus, Drymaeus, Orthalicus, and Liguus. 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 have been most recently summarized by Pilsbry (1946). The arboreal representatives feed on epiphytic growths such as algae, fungi, and lichens on trees.

Orthalicus reses (Say) is a federally listed, threatened species due to restricted range and habitat destruction and cannot be legally collected without a federal permit. Liguus fasciatus (Muller) has been proposed as an endangered species in the past but has not been so designated. Most of the other native Florida bulimulids appear to be wide-ranging and numerous. Except for scientific study, these snails should not be collected as they are not agricultural pests and may actually be beneficial, because they feed on epiphytic growths.  To view this entire article including identifying various snails species, please visit http://www.entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/gastro/tree_snails.htm

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