Page 70 - Land Snails of New Mexico

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southernedgeoftheSanAgustinPlains,CatronCo. 5. SonorellametcalfiMillerhasbeenreportedinNew
Mexico (somewhat tentatively)from thesouthernmost Organ Mountains; however, itis fairly widespread to the south in the Franklin Mountains, El Paso Co., Texas.
6. Humboldtiana ultima Pilsbry isknown only from the southernGuadalupeMountainsofNewMexico,but also occurs to the south in the Guadalupe Mountains and Sierra Diablo of Texas.
C. In categories C and D are species of restricted occurrenceinNewMexico,butoccurringelsewere aswell.InC arespeciesrestrictedtolimitedareas of mesic habitat:
1. C a r y c h i u m e x i g u u m (Say) is k n o w n at present in N e w Mexico only from along the Tularosa River Valley, near the Tularosa River from the village of Mescalero upstream to the headsprings of the river. It occurs widely in other parts of the United States.
becausemuch ofitspreferredmarsh-typehabitathas disappeared.ItisfoundlivingbelowBlueSprings, EddyCo.,andmay occurelsewhereinsimilarhabitats.
4. Linisatexasiana(Moricand)iswidespreadinTexas, butonlyknowninnaturalhabitatinNew Mexicofrom moist areas in Bitter Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, eastofRoswell,ChavesCo.Itoccursasanintroduced species in some urban areas, as in Artesia and Carlsbad.
D. AsinC,butindrier,montanehabitats:
1. Gastrocoptacochisensis(PilsbryandFerriss) 2. Gastrocoptadallianadalliana(Sterki)
3. VertigohinkleyiPilsbry
4. VertigoelatiorSterki
The first three species above are found in Arizona and México.InNewMexico,todate,theyareknownonlyfromthe Animas Mountains, Hidalgo Co. Vertigo elation is a montane species of northern affinities.
Insummary,itappearsthattheAnimasandBigHatchet Mountains are especially notable for the number of endemic species of restricted occurrences. The small segment of the Tularosa River Valley, along the Tularosa River between the village of Mescalero and the headsprings, also harbors two speciesofrestrictedoccurrenceinNew Mexico.Thevarious
2. Oxyloma retusum (Lea) has much the same
distribution as the previous species, occurring from the
headspringsoftheTularosaRiver,downstream asfaras
the village of Mescalero, and also along Fresnal Canyon
above High Rolls (Sacramento Mountains), according
toRaymondW.Neck(pers.comm.). isolatedmountainsofDoñaAnaCo.havearatherimpressive
3. Vertigo ovata (Say) is common as a fossil in number ofendemic species. springbrook and other aquatic-related deposits in the
state. Populations of living snails are rare, presumably
SPECIESNOT NATIVETO NEW MEXICO
Allspeciesbelow,exceptValloniapulchellaandPolygyra septemvolva, have been introduced from Europe--several from the Mediterranean region. The latter seem to be species especially pre-adapted for dispersal overseas by human agencies,andtheynow occurwidelyinvarioustemperateparts of the world where they have been introduced.
Vallonia pulchella (Müller, 1774). (lovely vallonia)
This widespread species is native to temperate Eurasia,
North Africa, and eastern North America. Pilsbry (1948:1024)
consideredittobenativeasfarwestasKentuckyandMissouri,
b u t n o t e d a l r e a d y t h a t it h a d b e e n i n t r o d u c e d i n t o m a n y p l a c e s
farther west, including Texas, the mountains states, and
California.Thistinysnailseemstobeanespeciallysuccessful
adventitiousspecies.Itoccursinlargenumbersinurbanareas
andthrivesingardenandlawnedgesandflowerbeds,around
the bases of shrubs, and in backyards. Pilsbry (1948:1024)
quoted a report of impressive numbers found in gardens "in the
heartofBrooklyn." Similarly,wehavefoundlargenumbersin
theheartofAlbuquerque,asaroundtheNewMexicoMuseum
ofNaturalHistory.ItoccursalongtheSantaFeRiverinSanta
Fe. The species is abundant under shrubs and foliage on the
campusesofNewMexicoStateUniversity,LasCruces,and occursmainlyinthemoresouthernstates.InNewMexico,we N e w Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro. It have found it in Albuquerque, Portales, Socorro, Roswell,
also has been taken in Aztec, Mountainair, Portales, Hobbs, Artesia, High Rolls, Silver City, Carlsbad, and Deming. In fact, it probably occurs in most towns and cities of the state. In addition, itseems more inclined than most introduced species to establish itselfoutsidetownsandcities.Freshshellshavebeentakenindrift oftheGallinasRiver atMontezuma (San Miguel Co.). Ithas been found living along Bluewater Canyon 6 miles east of Bluewater Lake (Cibola Co.). Farther south, it has been found along the TularosaRiverinOteroCo.,andinGrantCo.atseverallocalities
along the Gila River and near Mangas Spring,
Cecilioidesacirula(Müller,1774). (blindawlsnail)
R u m i n a decollata (Linnaeus, 1758). (decollate snail)
This minute species, of European origin, has been found in El Paso,Texas,veryneartheNewMexicostateline. Itishighly likelythatitoccursinadjacenturbanhabitatsinNew Mexicoas well. ItcanbeexpectedinotherurbanareasintheRioGrande ValleyofsouthernNew Mexico.
Rumina decollataisnativetotheMediterraneanarea.Ithas been introduced widely in the Americas. In the United States it