Species

BackCylichnidia ovuliformis (R.T. Lowe, 1831)

Cylichnidia ovuliformis (R.T. Lowe, 1831)

  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum:
  • Class: Mollusca
  • Order: Gastropoda
  • Family: Ferussaciidae
VU Vulnerable
IUCN Red List Status:

Countries of Occurrence:
Portugal - Madeira

Archipelago(s):
Madeira

Assessor/s:
Seddon, M.B.

Reviewer/s:
Cameron, R., Groh, K. & Böhm, M.

Contributor/s:
Abreu, C., Cameron, R., Colville, B. & Norris, A.

Facilitators / Compilers/s:


Assessment Rationale:

This species is endemic to the Madeiran islands, where it is restricted to Porto Santo, around Pico do Facho. These habitats are potentially threatened by disturbance in habitats, as two of the five sites have some conifer plantation and changes in management practice (such as clear felling) and increase in recreational use could impact the species; hence it has been listed using Vulnerable D2. The other three sites could be vulnerable to over grazing or fires, with subsequent increase in slope erosion. This is the only living taxa in this genus, and hence requires conservation efforts to preserve phyletic diversity. If the current threats accelerate, the species would qualify as Endangered (B2ab(iii)).

Geographic Range:

This species is endemic to the Madeiran islands, where it is restricted to Porto Santo where it is found towards the summits of Pico do Facho, Pico Brancho, Pico do Concelho and Pico da Ana Ferreira (Seddon 2008).

Regions:
Portugal - Madeira
Extent of Occurrence (EOO):
(km2)
Area of Occupancy (AOO):
20 (km2)
Elevation Lower Limit:
(m)
Elevation Upper Limit:
(m)
Biogeographic Realms:
Palearctic
Presence:
Extant
Origin:
Endemic Madeira
Seasonality:
Resident

Population:

There is no information on population trends, however it has been located in each of the surveys by H. Waldén (1970s-1980s), Seddon (1980s-1990s) and Cameron (1990s-2000s) and so is consistently present (Seddon, 2008).

Habitat and Ecology

The species is ground dwelling, usually found under stones and logs, between the ground and the stone. It may also live in crevices within the soil and leaf-litter at base of trees and rock crags (Seddon 2008, Seddon pers. comm).

Major Threat(s):

These habitats are potentially threatened by habitat disturbance, as the Pico do Facho and Pico de Brancho have some conifer plantation and changes in management practice, such as clear felling, and increase in recreational use could impact the species. Other sites have open grassland and over-grazing and erosion could impact the species there.

Conservation Actions

The island and its land snail fauna are recognized by the regional government as requiring conservation actions and currently work is ongoing to produce management plans.