Mount Kaputar high elevation and dry rainforest land snail and slug community in the Nandewar and Brigalow Belt South Bioregions - profile

Indicative distribution

Loading map...

Key:

known

predicted

The areas shown in pink and/purple are the sub-regions where the species or community is known or predicted to occur. They may not occur thoughout the sub-region but may be restricted to certain areas. ( click here to see geographic restrictions). The information presented in this map is only indicative and may contain errors and omissions.

Scientific name: Mount Kaputar high elevation and dry rainforest land snail and slug community in the Nandewar and Brigalow Belt South Bioregions

Conservation status in NSW: Endangered Ecological Community

Commonwealth status: Not listed

Gazetted date: 20 Dec 2013

Profile last updated: 06 Oct 2023

Description

The charismatic ‘giant pink slug’ has become the ‘face’ of the TEC. It is florescent pink in colour and grows to around 15 cm long and 3 cm wide, making it quite unmistakable. The pink slug feeds in the cover of night on algae and mosses growing in the forest canopy.

While most members of the TEC are vegetarian, three snails are cannibalistic. These predators follow the trail of other snails and slugs and are known to enter the shell of their prey leaving their victim no means of escape.

Mount Kaputar high elevation and dry rainforest land snail and slug community in the Nandewar and Brigalow Belt South Bioregions

The Mount Kaputar snail and slug Endangered Ecological Community (EEC) is an assemblage of 11 native land snails and one slug known from high elevation and dry rainforests of the Mount Kaputar region. The identification and listing of this land snail community under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act (1995) is the first of its kind in Australia.

Species characterising this gastropod community include several endemics (Coenocharopa ‘Mt Kaputar’, Cralopa kaputarensis, Scelidoropa nandewar, Thersites sp. 1, and Vitellidelos kaputarensis) as well as species occurring as isolated populations(Austrochloritis kaputarensis, Discocharopa stenomphala, and Kaputarenesta nandewarensis). Other species known to be part of this community may be more widely distributed (e.g. Diphyoropa'Nandewar'; Austrorhytida nandewarensis, and Brevisentis kaputarensis). There is also a bright pink slug(Triboniophorus aff. Graeffei), which is likely endemic, that characterises thecommunity.

Distribution

Known from the Mount Kaputar National Park the EEC may also occur elsewhere in the region where suitable habitats exist. The EEC is restricted to higher altitudes (above about1000m) and dry rainforest (including semi-evergreen vine thicket) areas at lower elevations (above 500m) in and around Mount Kaputar. The area greater than 1000m ASL consists of about 107km²; estimates of dry rainforest remnants below 1000m ASL are less than 1km².

Habitat and ecology

Dominant trees associated with this EEC include Snow Gum (Eucalyptus pauciflora), Ribbon Gum (E. viminalis), Mountain Gum (E. dalrympleana), Rough-barked Mountain Gum (E. volcanica), Silvertop Stringybark (E. laevopinea) and Red Stringybark (E. macrorhyncha).
Non-eucalypt dominated vegetation assemblages associated with this EEC include Kunzea sp., Tea Tree (Leptospermum polygalifolium) wet heath on high elevation rocky outcrops and dry rainforest (including semi-evergreen vine thicket) down to about 500 m.
The land snail and slug EEC tends to occur in habitat with low average temperatures, and high rainfall and humidity, resulting in favorable moisture conditions for the land snails and slugs.
They shelter among the decomposing leaf litter, forest debris, rocks and logs.
During dry period species from this community may stay in shaded areas and move deep into rock crevices. They can enter aestivation (dormancy) and may seal their shell with a membrane of dry mucus to reduce metabolic rate and prevent water loss.

Regional distribution and habitat

Click on a region below to view detailed distribution, habitat and vegetation information.

Threats

Anthropogenic climate change is a major threat through further reduction and fragmentation of geographic extent as well as by modification of species composition.
Fire kills animals directly and removes essential foraging and shelter microhabitat.
Feral pigs degrade land snail habitats by digging over soil and leaf litter, turning logs and loose rocks and trampling ground vegetation, they also prey directly on larger species.
Inappropriate road track and path design can be a significant barrier to the movement and dispersal of land snails.
Predation by black rats (Rattus rattus).
Limited knowledge of the community (e.g. species taxonomy, ecology, distribution) and relevant threats.
Competition and habitat degradation caused by feral goats.
Impacts from fire management operations such as the construction of trails, hand tool lines and water points.

Recovery strategies

A targeted strategy for managing this species has been developed under the Saving Our Species program; click here for details. For more information on the Saving Our Species program click here

Activities to assist this species

Develop a fire management plan for Mt Kaputar that incorporates protection of high elevation rainforest habitats in consultation with land snail species expert.
Incorporate land snail movement and dispersal patterns in park management planing, avoiding restricting populations with roads, tracks and paths.
Incorporate feral pig control in high elevation dry rainforest into the Northern Plains regional pest control strategy.
Use known habitat limiting factors to identify potential areas to search for additional populations to determine entire distribution.

IBRA Bioregion	IBRA Subregion	Known or predicted	Geographic restrictions region

Brigalow Belt South	Liverpool Plains	Known	None
Brigalow Belt South	Northern Basalts	Known	None
Nandewar	Kaputar	Known	None
Nandewar	Peel	Known	None

Related information

Get involved

Report a sighting

Nature conservation

Threatened species