Beddomeia capensis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Beddomeia capensis |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| (unranked): |
clade Caenogastropoda
clade Hypsogastropoda clade Littorinimorpha |
| Superfamily: |
Truncatelloidea
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| Family: |
Hydrobiidae
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| Genus: |
Beddomeia
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| Species: |
B. capensis
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| Binomial name | |
| Beddomeia capensis Ponder & Clark, 1993
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Beddomeia capensis is a very small freshwater snail. It lives in streams and has a special lid called an operculum. This snail is an endangered species. It is only found in a few small streams in Tasmania, Australia. Scientists have only found Beddomeia capensis in two tiny streams recently. The total length of these streams is less than 80 meters.
Contents
About This Snail
B. capensis snails are quite small. They are usually between 1 and 7 millimeters long. This makes them hard to spot in nature. Their shells can be clear or dark brown. The shells are mostly smooth. Sometimes, they have very faint patterns. A typical shell is about 2.2 to 2.7 millimeters long. It is about 1.4 to 1.7 millimeters wide.
It is very hard to tell male and female snails apart just by looking. They look very similar in size and shape. Scientists need to use a microscope to study their insides. This is how they figure out if a snail is male or female.
Where They Live and What They Eat
B. capensis snails live in two small streams on Table Cape in Tasmania. They like to live on or under stones, leaves, and wood. These snails actively graze on periphyton. Periphyton is a mix of tiny plants and algae. They prefer the underside of rocks and stream debris.
Scientists have recorded these snails in a few spots over the years.
- An unnamed stream near Table Cape Lighthouse: Snails were found here in 1989, 2005, and 2011.
- A small stream on a cliff face: Snails were found here in 1995 and 2004.
- Other places like Murdering Gully and a stream east of Table Cape also had snails in 1989.
- A tributary of Big Creek also had them in 1989.
In the places where they are still found, there are a moderate to high number of snails. However, the areas they live in are very small.
Why They Are in Danger
Losing Their Homes
The biggest danger to freshwater snails is when their homes are changed. This happens because of farming, logging, and mining. Building dams can also harm their homes. Since B. capensis lives in very small streams, they are easily affected. Farming activities can damage their habitat. The two places where they still live are near farms. They are in small patches of natural plant life. Snails have disappeared from three places where they used to live. This is likely because the streams were changed too much.
Competition from Other Snails
B. capensis snails are also at risk from other snail species. An invasive snail called the New Zealand mud snail (P. antipodarum) is a problem. This foreign snail can take over areas. It thrives in water that is not very clean. This makes it harder for B. capensis to survive.
Risk of Disappearing
The groups of B. capensis snails are spread out. They cannot easily mix with each other. This means they cannot share their genes. This makes the species more vulnerable. It increases their risk of disappearing completely.
See also
In Spanish: Beddomeia capensis para niños
