Conservation Situation of Native Land Snails Threatened by Actions for Eradication of Exotic Species in Brazil, South America

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1 Scientific Discovery Biological Evidence 2012, Vol.2, No.1, 1-2 Open Access Conservation Situation of Native Land Snails Threatened by Actions for Eradication of Exotic Species in Brazil, South America A. Ignacio Agudo-Padrón Project Avulsos Malacológicos, Caixa Postal (P.O. Box) 010, , Centro, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, SC, Brasil Corresponding author Biological Evidence 2012, Vol.2, No.1 doi: /be Received: 18 Sep., 2012 Accepted: 25 Sep., 2012 Published: 26 Sep., 2012 This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article as: Agudo-Padrón, 2011, Conservation Situation of Native Land Snails Threatened by Actions for Eradication of Exotic Species in Brazil, South America, Biological Evidence, Vol.2, No (doi: /be ) Abstract A diagnostic about the conservation status of the Brazilian native land snails, severely threatened by human actions attempts for the eradication of the invasive exotic mollusk species Achatina (Lissachatina) fulica (Bowdich, 1822) is presented. Purposely introducer in the country in 1988 for human food purposes (continental malacoculture), this species ended up being officially banned later in 2003, triggering hasty public actions, directly involving the unprepared Brazilian population through the means of social communication, aimed at their control and eradication of the environment. Consequence of this procedure, premature and alarmist, today many species of native and endemic terrestrial snails, poorly known scientifically, are under increased threat of extinction situation in Brazil and, very probably, in other South American countries. Keywords Exotic invasive mollusk species eradication; Achatina (Lissachatina) fulica; Native and endemic land snails; Conservation situation status; Brazilian country A serious and worrying malacological conflict of conservation is present today in Brazil (and other South American countries): on behalf of public funding carried forward in and attempt to control and eradication of the vast Brazilian territory of exotic invasive African snails Achatina (Lissachatina) fulica, representative of the Family ACHATINIDAE Swainson, 1840, controversially together large and medium endemic native terrestrial snails, currently in evident situation of threatened extinction, are being indiscriminately decimated for the population as a result of public alarmist campaigns (Photo slide). Photo slide ( The conservation status of native continental mollusks and the parallel occurrence of invasive alien species in the southern region of the country, by example, have been subjected to recent extensive discussions and questions. Today, the exotic invasive Achatina (Lissachatina) fulica is present in all Brazilian territory, and the Atlantic Slop of the Southern Cone already settled in the country of Argentina. Observing the current situation in practice (referential notices and field experience), the public bad conducted actions for the control/eradication of Achatina (Lissachatina) fulica in Brazil, officially opened in 2003 with the 1

2 prohibition of the species in the country initially introduced in 1988 through the Paraná State, PR, Southern region, and a second time at the beginning of the 1990s, through the Santos Port in Praia Grande, São Paulo State, SP, Southeastern region (Armellini & Santana, s/d) and consequent premature release into the environment of animals in livestock management regime (continental malacoculture or escargot farming) for fear of possible law sanctions, today are becoming an important element much more damaging to our suffered native and endemic terrestrial mollusks itself occurrence in wildlife of the giant African invasive snail, unconsciously accelerating the extinction process of the first, by which they urgently need to be re-evaluated and re-oriented by the corresponding authorities. Annotation for photos: Photo 1: Encouraged by public campaigns bad conducted, the population unprepared capture and destroys indiscriminately every snail that is one its way (upper). Following growth of the exotic Achatina (Lissachatina) fulica: as the size, native snail species can come easily be confused with these (below). Photo 2: Southern Brazil endemic land snails Mirinaba planidens (Michelin, 1831). Photo 3: Native arboreal snails Drymaeus papyraceus (Mawe, 1823), little representatives of the Family BULIMULIDAE. Photo 4: Florestal native snails Orthalicus cf. prototypus Pilsbry, 1899 captured simultaneously with African snails in semi-rural areas in Northeastern Brazil. Photo 5: Native South American snails Megalobulimus oblongus (Müller, 1774) and invasive African snails Achatina (Lissachatina) fulica (Bowdich, 1822). Who is who for the laymen? Acknowledgements Our sincere thanks to MD Veterinarian Maurício Carneiro Aquino, University Federal of Alagoas - UFAL, Maceió, Alagoas, Northeastern Brazil, for their timely regional information and photographic material. References Agudo-Padrón A.I., 2010, The mollusc fauna of Santa Catarina State, Southern Brasil: knowledge gained from 13 years of research, IUCN/SSC Newsletter Tentacle, 18: Agudo-Padrón A.I., 2011, Threatened freshwater and terrestrial mollusks of Santa Catarina State, Southern Brazil (Mollusca, Gastropoda et Bivalvia): check list and evaluation of regional threats, Biodiversity Journal, 2(2): A. Ignacio Agudo-Padrón, 2012, Mollusc Fauna in the Atlantic Slope Region of the Southern Cone of South America: a Preliminary Biogeographical Interpretation, International Journal of Aquaculture, 2: Gregoric D.E.G., Núñez V., Vogler R., and Rumi A., 2011, Invasion of the Argentinean paranense rainforest by the gian african snail Achatina fulica, American Malacological Bulletim, 29(1-2): Thiengo S.C., and Fernández M.A., 2005, Achatina fulica in Brasil: the current situation, IUCN/SSC Newsletter Tentacle, 13: 7 2

3 Photo 1: Encouraged by public campaigns bad conducted, the population unprepared capture and destroys indiscriminately every snail that is one its way (upper). Following growth of the exotic Achatina (Lissachatina) fulica: as the size, native snail species can come easily be confused with these (below). Photo 2: Southern Brazil endemic land snails Mirinaba planidens (Michelin, 1831). 3

4 Photo 3: Native arboreal snails Drymaeus papyraceus (Mawe, 1823), little representatives of the Family BULIMULIDAE. Photo 4: Florestal native snails Orthalicus cf. prototypus Pilsbry, 1899 captured simultaneously with African snails in semi-rural areas in Northeastern Brazil. 4

5 Photo 5: Native South American snails Megalobulimus oblongus (Müller, 1774) and invasive African snails Achatina (Lissachatina) fulica (Bowdich, 1822). Who is who for the laymen? 5