IUCN SSC Mid-Atlantic Island Invertebrates Specialist Group

Species

Back • Leiostyla abbreviata Lowe, 1852

Leiostyla abbreviata Lowe, 1852

Madeiran Land Snail

  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum:
  • Class: Mollusca
  • Order: Gastropoda
  • Family: Lauriidae
CR Critically Endangered
IUCN Red List Status:
  • EX
  • EW
  • CR
  • EN
  • VU
  • NT
  • LC
  • DD
  • NE

Countries of Occurrence:
Portugal - Madeira

Archipelago(s):
Madeira

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Assessor/s:
Seddon, M.B.

Reviewer/s:
Abreu, C., Cameron, R., Groh, K., Cuttelod, A. & Neubert, E.

Contributor/s:
Teixeira, D.

Facilitators / Compilers/s:

Assessment Rationale:

This species is endemic to Madeira, where all records in the last 50 years are from the fossil deposits at Canical on the Pta de Sao Lourenco. Wollaston (1878) recorded that it was almost unique as living shells, but gave no locality and no-one has located this species despite surveys. Regnier et al. (2009) noted that this species was extinct, but it is listed as Critically Endangered (Possible Extinct) B2ab(iii), as given the number of deep remote valleys that remain poorly accessible and surveyed, as well as possibility that it occurs in unsurveyed offshore islets around the Ponta da Sao Lourenco.

Geographic Range:

This species is endemic to Madeira, where all records in the last 50 years are from the fossil deposits at Canical on the Pta de Sao Lourenco (Seddon 2008). Wollaston (1878) recorded that it was almost unique as living shells, but gave no locality and no-one has located this species despite intensive surveys between 1978 and 1999, some specifically for the species in areas believed to have been recorded by Wollaston (1878).

Regions:
Portugal - Madeira
Extent of Occurrence (EOO):
(km2)
Area of Occupancy (AOO):
4 (km2)
Elevation Lower Limit:
(m)
Elevation Upper Limit:
(m)
Biogeographic Realms:
Palearctic
Presence:
Extant
Origin:
Endemic Madeira
Seasonality:
Resident

Population:

This species has not been recorded living in the last 150 years.

Habitat and Ecology

The habitat of this species is unknown, but probably around crags based on similar looking species.

Major Threat(s):

The threats are uncertain, as the precise location maybe erroneous, but probably habitat change due to urban development on the south coast.

Conservation Actions

This species is listed on the EU Habitats and Species Directive Annex II and the Council of Europe Bern Convention Appendix 2. Further survey work on the south coast in remote ravines to determine if the species is still extant.