Low-
Moderate
The population size of Limestone Point mountainsnail is critical and has a declining trend.
Many mountainsnail species and subspecies have specialized habitat requirements and very restricted ranges, low ability to disperse, and are vulnerable to disturbances such as logging, fire, unsustainable grazing, or introduced predators.
Most mountainsnail species and subspecies (roughly 91 percent) are considered imperiled or critically imperiled by NatureServe.
Description and Range
Physical description
Taxonomic note: Many of the Oreohelicidae that are considered distinct species are not yet formally described, and it is likely that additional rare species of Oreohelix will be discovered with further investigation.
Ecology and life history
The Limestone Point mountainsnail is a terrestrial gastropod of western North America.
This species of mountainsnail is associated with limestone outcrops and talus at mid-elevations in arid land.
Most mountainsnails can be found in association with damp areas such as depressions in open grasslands and woodlands; they are often associated with limestone outcrops, or areas with soil or rock with a fair percentage of lime.
Mountainsnails eat leaf litter, detritus, and microorganisms on the surface of logs, rocks, or soil.
These snails are hermaphroditic, having both male and female organs. They are live-bearers; the eggs hatch before leaving the uterus of the parent, and they raise their young within their shells until they reach a certain size.
It is not known how long they live, or how often they reproduce.
Geographic range
This Limestone Point mountainsnail is known from Lime Point, Asotin County, WA, and the Seven Devils Mountains and Snake River Canyon below the mouth of the Salmon River, Idaho. At Limestone Point, empty shells are scattered over the northeastern slope; no living specimens have been found in Washington in recent years, but additional season appropriate surveys are needed.
Climate vulnerability
Sensitivity to climate change
Low
There is limited information on the sensitivity of this species to climate change. It is closely associated at mid-elevations on limestone outcrops and talus. Activities or events that alter conditions, such as moisture levels and temperature, may make this species vulnerable.
Exposure to climate change
Moderate
- Increased temperatures
- Reduced soil moisture and/or drought
- Altered fire regimes
Conservation
Conservation Threats and Actions Needed
- Resource information collect needs
- Threat: Taxonomic uncertainty may mean one or more taxa are in greater decline
- Action Needed: Need taxonomic clarification
See the Climate vulnerability section for information about the threats posed by climate change to this species.
Resources
References
Burke, T. E. 2013. Land Snails and Slugs of the Pacific Northwest. Oregon State University Press, Corvallis, OR. 344 pp.
Duncan, N. 2005. Conservation Assessment for Oreohelix n. sp. 1, Chelan Mountainsnail. Originally issued as: Burke, T. E. Management Recommendations, February 1999. Revised October 2005. USDA Forest Service Region 6 and USDI Bureau of Land Management, Oregon and Washington. 22 pp.,
Gaines, W. L., A. L. Lyons, K. Weaver, and A. Sprague. 2011. Monitoring the short-term effects of prescribed fire on an endemic mollusk in the dry forests of the eastern Cascades, Washington, USA. Forest Ecology and management 261:1460-1465.
Jepsen, S., A. Carleton, and S. F. Jordan. 2012. Spring 2012 Blue Mountains terrestrial mollusk surveys. Final report to the Interagency Special Species Status/Sensitive Species Program. The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. 88 pp.
USFWS. 2011. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants: 90-day finding on a petition to list 29 mollusk species as threatened or endangered with critical habitat: proposed rule. Federal Register 76 (No. 193, October 5, 2011): 61826-61853.