Cumberland Plain Land Snail - profile

Indicative distribution

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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: Meridolum corneovirens

Conservation status in NSW: Endangered

Commonwealth status: Not listed

Gazetted date: 08 Aug 1997

Profile last updated: 06 Jul 2019

Description

Superficially similar to the familiar exotic Garden Snail (Helix aspera). It differs most obviously in its 25 - 30 mm diameter shell. While this shell may be almost any shade of brown, it is always uniform in colour, while that of Helix consists of dark patches on a pale background. A green or yellow tinge may be present. The Cumberland Land Snail also has a more flattened shell that is very thin and fragile, compared with the thick shell of the Garden Snail.

The under side of the shell, especially in living individuals, tends to have a glossy appearance and is semitransparent, enabling the observer to see the animal colour and some internal organs. The upper side of the shell has a coarse wrinkly appearance. In adult shells the edge of the aperture is reflected, forming a slight lip. This is typically white in colour. However, the feature is absent in both juvenile and sub-adult individuals. The juveniles have a more angular shell and tend to have an open area in the central part of the underside of the shell, known as the umbilicus. Generally, in adults the umbilicus is closed or partially covered. Sometimes there is a reddish brown patch around the umbilical area.

M. corneovirens can also be easily confused with other members of the genus Meridolum, especially those found along the edges of its’ range.

Distribution

Lives in small areas on the Cumberland Plain west of Sydney, from Richmond and Windsor south to Picton and from Liverpool west to the Hawkesbury and Nepean Rivers at the base of the Blue Mountains. known from over 100 different locations, but not all are currently occupied, and they are usually isolated from each other as a result of land use patterns.

Habitat and ecology

Primarily inhabits Cumberland Plain Woodland (a critically endangered ecological community). This community is a grassy, open woodland with occasional dense patches of shrubs. It is also known from Shale Gravel Transition Forests, Castlereagh Swamp Woodlands and the margins of River-flat Eucalypt Forest, which are also listed communities.
Lives under litter of bark, leaves and logs, or shelters in loose soil around grass clumps. Occasionally shelters under rubbish.
Can dig several centimetres into soil to escape drought.
Is a fungus specialist. Unlike the Garden Snail, does not eat green plants. It is generally active at night.
Little is known of its biology, including breeding biology. It is known to be hermaphroditic, laying clutches of 20-25 small, round, white eggs in moist, dark areas (such as under logs), with the eggs taking 2-3 weeks to hatch. There is a suggestion that the species breeds throughout the year when conditions are suitable.

Regional distribution and habitat

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

Sydney Basin

Threats

Clearing and degradation of Cumberland Plain Woodland remnants.
Weeds are considered a threat to the species, altering the composition of the litter that grows the fungi on which the species feeds.
Fires at inappropriate times, or too frequently, will destroy the habitat required by the species, or burn the groundcover in which it can be sheltering, leading to direct loss of individuals.
Heavy grazing by domestic stock in areas the species occupies will reduce the amount of cover available and lead to loss by trampling and habitat change.
As the species shelters under fallen logs, removal of this material for firewood or in 'clearing up' can result in loss of ground habitat at sites occupied by the species.
There is generally a poor understanding of other threats to this species.
Predation of the species by carnivorous snails is known, and should be considered in translocation actions
Slashing can lead to a loss of ground shelter habitat.
Changes to vegetation structure and composition that result from weed invasion and seral shift.

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

Preserve remaining pockets of habitat from further urban development.
Controlling weed invasion of habitat is considered an important activity in managing the species at the sites it occupies.
Develop best practice guidelines for land managers/ property owners with identified CPLS populations or suitable habitat for the management of the lands. Guidelines should outline the possible threats of overgrazing, regular mowing, slashing, log or leaf litter removal or clean-up activities and the impacts it can have on species habitat. Appropriate timing regimes or alternatives that enable land management but can sustain the local population/habitat should also be developed as a part of the guidelines.
Undertake further research to gain better knowledge of the species ecology, genetics, distribution and natural movements between populations (i.e. is immigration and emigration still occurring or are the populations highly segregated leading to inbreeding).
Undertake further research/monitoring to determine the impacts of translocation of individuals to new habitat sites due to development of existing habitat sites.
Identify and investigate avenues for the sharing of data/research information in relation to the species from other state and government agencies, academic institutions and non-government agencies.
Identify high priority lands for the conservation of the species within the known habitat distribution areas or within high conservation lands based on the size of the remnant patch, the connectivity of the patch to other habitat areas, the quality and availability of habitat within remnant patches, estimates of existing populations within the remnants and the current and proposed future land uses of the land in question (e.g. is the land zoned for conservation/environment). Any lands that are designated for future development should be removed as potential high priority lands.
Develop appropriate ecological burn management and weed management plans for areas with known populations or with suitable habitat.

Information sources

NSW Scientific Committee (1997) Cumberland Plain land snail - Endangered species determination - final

IBRA Bioregion	IBRA Subregion	Known or predicted	Geographic restrictions region

Sydney Basin	Burragorang	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Cumberland	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Sydney Cataract	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Wollemi	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Yengo	Known	None

Images

Cumberland Land Snail Image 1 of 4.
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