Euglandina rosea

• Overview
• Interesting Facts
• Common Names
• Description
• Biology
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Further Reading
• Notes

Overview

Mollusc. The predatory "rosy wolf snail" (also known as the "cannibal snail") is native to the south-eastern United States, especially Florida. It has been introduced to islands in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, also to Bermuda and the Bahamas, as a putative biological control agent for another alien species , the giant African snail (Achatina fulica). There is no good evidence that control of A. fulica has been effected, but E. rosea has caused the extinction of numerous endemic partulid tree snails in French Polynesia and has been heavily implicated in the extinction or at least decline of other species of snails wherever it has been introduced, notably in Hawaii.

Interesting Facts

Common Names

Description

Physical Description

Habitat

Much additional information can be obtained from the following publications and the references cited therein: Civeyrel, L. and Simberloff, D., 1996. A tale of two snails: is the cure worse than the disease? Biodiversity and Conservation 5: 1231–1252. Cowie, R.H. 2001. Can snails ever be effective and safe biocontrol agents? International Journal of Pest Management 47(1): 23-40. Griffiths, O., Cook, A. and Wells, S.M., 1993. The diet of the carnivorous snail Euglandina rosea in Mauritius and its implications for threatened island gastropod faunas . Journal of Zoology 229: 79–89. Hadfield, M .G., Miller, S.E. and Carwile, A.H., 1993. The decimation of endemic Hawai‘ian [sic ] tree snails by alien predators . American Zoologist 33: 610–622. Murray, J., Murray, E., Johnson, M.S . and Clarke, B ., 1988. The extinction of Partula on Moorea. Pacific Science 42: 150–153.

Typically found in the intertidal zone at the water's edge at a mean distance from sea level of 277 meters (910 feet).[1]

Biome: disturbed areas, natural forest , planted forests, scrub/shrublands, urban areas

Ecology: Euglandina rosea is the most widely introduced of the numerous species that have been used in attempts to control populations of Achatina fulica. However, there is no rigorous scientific evidence that E. rosea effectively controls A. fulica populations. It is now widely recognised that the A. fulica populations decline for other reasons. It is further widely recognized that E. rosea has been a major scourge of vulnerable native snail populations, to the extent of the extinction of a large number of endemic species. The most widely publicised impacts have been on the slow-reproducing endemic tree snails of the islands of the Pacific (Partulidae and Achatinellinae). Statements that E. rosea is entirely ground-dwelling are not true; it is frequently seen in trees . It will also go under water in search of its prey . Most governments and other authorities appear to be aware of the potential threat posed to native faunas by E. rosea. However, under pressure from voters to “do something” about Achatina fulica, they often at least consider the introduction of E. rosea (and other snail predators like the flatworm Platydemus manokwari). Many island people are not aware of their unique native faunas, or do not understand their precarious existence, but have heard that E. rosea can solve the Achatina fulica problem. The pressure to introduce E. rosea may then become intense, or people may resort to introducing it unofficially. The IUCN has formally condemned the deliberate introduction of E. rosea and other carnivorous snails. Nevertheless, with the continuing spread of Achatina fulica, the threat posed by the continued introduction of E. rosea is serious.

Biology

Diet

Euglandina rosea has been observed employing two different feeding strategies. During the first strategy the snail attacks, grasps, and consumes the intended prey alive The second strategy is similar but the Euglandina actually swallows the prey and its shell .

Reproduction

Cross-fertilizing hermaphrodite. Lays eggs .

Taxonomy

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Last scrutiny: 17-Oct-2001

Similar Species

Members of the genus Euglandina

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 3 species and subspecies in this genus:

E. rosea (Rosey Wolfsnail) · E. singleyana (Striate Wolfsnail) · E. texasiana (Glossy Wolfsnail)

More Info

• Search for Pictures: images.google.com
• Search for Scholarly Articles: Google Scholar
• Search using Scientific Name and Vernacular Names: All the Web | AltaVista Canada | AltaVista | Excite | Google | HotBot | Lycos
• Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books

Further Reading

• A catalog of recent Mollusca from all parts of the world. St. Petersburg, Fa: W.F. Webb, 19--. url p. 148, p. 15.
• A manual of the common invertebrate animals, exclusive of insects, by Henry Sherring Pratt. .. with over one thousand illustrations. Chicago, A.C. McClurg & co., 1916. url p. 524.
• Annual report - Western Society of Malacologists. Pomona, Calif., Western Society of Malacologists. url p. 10, p. 12.
• Biological studies on the citrus tree snail Drymaeus dormani (Binney), and the citrus rust mite Phyllocoptruta oleivora (Ashmead), as well as the effect of different acaricides on the citrus rust mite 1977. url p. 4.
• Bulletin / Smithsonian Institution, Bureau of American Ethnology. Washington: G.P.O., 1901-1971. url p. 149.
• Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College. 138 1969 Cambridge, Mass.: The Museum, 1863- url p. 419, p. 505.
• Cooperative economic insect report. Hyattsville, MD. [etc.]Plant Protection and Quarantine Programs Animal and Plant Health Service. url p. 1048, p. 17, p. 18, p. 180, p. 20, p. 517, p. 56, p. 608, p. 7, p. 8, p. 8, p. 8, p. 899.
• Global Biodiversity: status of the Earth's living resources WCMC url p. 152, p. 232.
• Hawaii's hidden treasures / by Cynthia Russ Ramsay; photographed by Chris Johns; prepared by the Book Division, National Geographic Society. Washington, D.C.: The Society, 1993. url p. 159.
• Madagascar: an environmental profile IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre url p. 82, p. 83.
• Manual of conchology, structural and systematic: with illustrations of the species. by George W. Tryon, Jr. Philadelphia: Published by the Author, 1885-1935. url , p. 191, p. 191, p. 192, p. 192, p. 358, p. 358, p. xii, p. xxvi.
• Name that animal; a guide to the identification of the common land and fresh-water animals of the United States, with special reference to the area east of the Rockies. With drawings by Olive Driver. Northampton? Mass., 1950 url p. 130.
• Occasional papers of the California Academy of Sciences. San Francisco: California Academy of Sciences, url p. 10, p. 23, p. 24, p. 79, p. 80, p. 91.
• Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. Washington, Biological Society of Washington url p. 660.
• Proceedings of the United States National Museum. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, [etc.] url p. 180.
• Texas conchologist. Houston, Houston Conchology Society url , , p. 23, p. 24, p. 26, p. 64, p. 65, p. 66, p. 67, p. 80, p. 82.
• The IUCN Invertebrate Red Data Book IUCN url p. 160, p. 163, p. 167, p. 170, p. 173, p. 174, p. 6, p. 9.
• The Nautilus. Melbourne, Fla., etc., American Malacologists, inc., etc. url , , , p. 100, p. 100, p. 101, p. 101, p. 102, p. 102, p. 103, p. 103, p. 108, p. 108, p. 124, p. 124, p. 125, p. 127, p. 128, p. 138, p. 141, p. 142, p. 144, p. 19, p. 19, p. 20, p. 21, p. 24, p. 249, p. 29, p. 31, p. 31, p. 31, p. 31, p. 51, p. 52, p. 52, p. 54, p. 54, p. 55, p. 56, p. 56, p. 59, p. 63, p. 66, p. 67, p. 67, p. 71, p. 72, p. 83, p. 94, p. 94, p. 97, p. 97.
• The World's Protected Areas. Status, Values and Prospects in the 21st Century UNEP-WCMC url p. 345, p. 90.
• The distributions of the native land mollusks of the Eastern United States / Leslie Hubricht. 24 1985 Chicago: Field Museum of Natural History, 1985. url p. 175, p. 177, p. 34, p. vi.
• Threatened non-marine molluscs of Europe Council of Europe url p. 23.

Notes

Contributors

• Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 and ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed February 7, 2012.
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed February 28, 2008. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 3 providers.
• Ruggiero M., Gordon D., Bailly N., Kirk P., Nicolson D. (2011). The Catalogue of Life Taxonomic Classification, Edition 2, Part A. In: Species 2000 and ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2011 Annual Checklist (Bisby F.A., Roskov Y.R., Orrell T.M., Nicolson D., Paglinawan L.E., Bailly N., Kirk P.M., Bourgoin T., Baillargeon G., Ouvrard D., eds). DVD; Species 2000: Reading, UK.

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal February 28, 2008:

• Academy of Natural Sciences: Academy of Natural Sciences Malacology Database
• Biologiezentrum der Oberoesterreichischen Landesmuseen: Biologiezentrum Linz
• Marine Science Institute, UCSB: Paleobiology Database
• National Chemical Laboratory: IndOBIS, Indian Ocean Node of OBIS

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2687961
• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: ITS-76981
• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 76981
• Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: IMGAS31010
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 14921

Footnotes

1. Standard Deviation = 1,233.290 based on 69 observations. Terrestrial altitude and ocean depth information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]

©2004-2012 David Stang. All rights reserved.