Back • Sculptiferussacia clausiliaeformis Alonso & Ibáñez, 1992
Countries of Occurrence:
Spain - Canaries
Archipelago(s):
Canaries
Assessor/s:
Groh, K., Alonso, M.R. & Ibáñez, M.
Reviewer/s:
Cameron, R., Seddon, M.B., Teixeira, D. & Neubert, E.
Contributor/s:
Facilitators / Compilers/s:
This small land snail is endemic to the Canary Islands (Spain), where it is restricted to the mountain tops and north-facing slopes on the Jandía Peninsula, western Fuerteventura. It is only known from five closely adjacent locations on the Peninsula, while an additional subpopulation became extinct in the 1990s. Both the area of occupancy (AOO) and the extent of occurrence (EOO) are estimated at 20 km2, which indicates a very restricted range.
The potential threats to the species are habitat degradation due to goat overgrazing and trampling, intensification of recreational activities in the Natural Park where this species occurs and expansion of construction and paths inside the range of the species. It is assessed as Near Threatened (NT), based on its small area, occurrence at five locations and the present threats, which operate at a low level over 20% of the area. If additional threats are recognized in the area, then a reassessment will be required.
This small spindle-shaped land snail is endemic to the Canary Islands in Spain (Alonso et al. 2002). It is only known from the Jandía Peninsula in western Fuerteventura, where it is found in a restricted area on mountain tops and north-facing slopes, within an area of occupancy (AOO) and an extent of occurrence (EOO) lower than 20 km2.
One subpopulation was lost during the 1990s after a track was constructed for access to the beach below, reducing the known sites from six to five (Ibáñez and Alonso 2008). However, at present all five subpopulations appear to be stable.
This species is restricted to mountainous areas, where it is found mainly on peaks and in almost inaccessible cliffs facing north, between 600 and 800 m. These north facing, very steep, straight slopes receive moisture from the trade winds, which produce a rainfall of about 300 mm per year, namely, two or three times more than in the rest of the island. The predominant vegetation on these slopes are the remnants of an ancient forest.
The main threat to the species is habitat deterioration due to overgrazing and trampling by goats, creation of new paths and construction of buildings for tourism and recreational activities (Ibáñez and Alonso 2008). Particularly, overgrazing may affect even the most inaccessible habitats. This threat is likely to significantly impact up to 20% of the area of occupancy (AOO) of the species. An additional threat is intensification of recreational activities in the Natural Park where this species is found, with use of off-road vehicles and pedestrian traffic along the paths, which may affect about 10% of the AOO, along the crests.
The species is listed as Endangered in Verdu and Galante (2008). Several conservation actions have been proposed, such as restrictions on grazing and creation of a reserve for this and other endemic species (namely, Canariella eutropis, Cryptella susannae and Hemicycla paeteliana, which occur in the same area) (Ibáñez and Alonso 2008). Most of the Peninsula is protected by its status as the Parque Natural de Jandía (Site of Community Importance, Habitats Directive, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC 2016).