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Home/Species/ Chiricahua Talussnail

Sonorella virilis

Pilsbry, 1905

Chiricahua Talussnail

G1Critically Imperiled (G1G2) Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G1Critically ImperiledGlobal Rank
High - mediumThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.113717
Element CodeIMGASC9620
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryInvertebrate Animal
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumMollusca
ClassGastropoda
OrderStylommatophora
FamilyHelminthoglyptidae
GenusSonorella
Concept Reference
Turgeon, D. D., J. F. Quinn, Jr., A. E. Bogan, E. V. Coan, F. G. Hochberg, W. G. Lyons, P. M. Mikkelsen, R. J. Neves, C. F. E. Roper, G. Rosenberg, B. Roth, A. Scheltema, F. G. Thompson, M. Vecchione, and J. D. Williams. 1998. Common and scientific names of aquatic invertebrates from the United States and Canada: Mollusks. 2nd Edition. American Fisheries Society Special Publication 26, Bethesda, Maryland. 526 pp.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2020-10-21
Change Date2020-10-21
Edition Date2020-10-21
Edition AuthorsFlower, C. (2020)
Threat ImpactHigh - medium
Range Extent100-250 square km (about 40-100 square miles)
Number of Occurrences6 - 20
Rank Reasons
This species has a very limited range with few occurrences and is threatened by habitat loss due to ongoing drought.
Range Extent Comments
This species is endemic to the Chiricahua Mountains, Cochise County, Arizona, USA.
Occurrences Comments
Eleven subpopulations have been recorded by Arizona’s Natural Heritage Program (HDMS), from Rucker Canyon, Silver Peak, Cave Creek Canyon, north Fork Pinery Canyon, Bonita Canyon, south Fork Canyon and Creek, Shaw Peak, and east Turkey Creek. Some records are historical, however, there have been surveys from 2020 in Cave Creek Canyon and South Fork Creek.
Threat Impact Comments
Threats include destruction or disturbance of talus slopes (disturbance from recreation or management activities can destabilize the talus slopes and alter the habitat), and growing drought conditions. Their habitat is vulnerable to actions that "might remove talus, increase interstitial sedimentation or erosion, open vegetal canopy, alter runoff or discharge patterns, or otherwise change moisture conditions in ways that might be lethal to a local population of Sonorella” (Fonseca 2009).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Reported in Bequaert and Miller (1973) from 5,400 – 8,400 feet. Sonorella virilis was collected on N side of cliff and below cliffs (Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, accessed 2008); under rocks in creek, in deep rock piles of canyon, on slides of south slope under bushes, and under single rocks of mine in canyon Florida Museum of Natural History, accessed 2008). Also collected from under rocks in wooded ravine, in rockslides, and in limestone rockpiles (Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, accessed 2008). As a group, the talussnail is a rock snail usually found in taluses or “slides” of coarse broken rock, generally found in crevices one to several feet below the surface, sealed to stones by their mucus (SDCP 2005).
Terrestrial Habitats
Bare rock/talus/scree
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN1
ProvinceRankNative
ArizonaS1Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentPervasive (71-100%)Serious - moderateHigh (continuing)
1.3 - Tourism & recreation areasPervasive (71-100%)Serious - moderateHigh (continuing)
11 - Climate change & severe weatherPervasive - largeSerious - moderateHigh (continuing)
11.1 - Habitat shifting & alterationPervasive - largeSerious - moderateHigh (continuing)
11.2 - DroughtsPervasive - largeSerious - moderateHigh (continuing)

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Roadless Areas (1)
Arizona (1)
AreaForestAcres
ChiricahuaCoronado National Forest76,876
References (6)
  1. Bequaert, J.C. and W.B. Miller. 1973. The mollusks of the arid southwest with an Arizona checklist. University of Arizona Press: Tucson, Arizona. 271 pp.
  2. Fonseca, J. 2009. Draft Review of Talus Snail (<i>Sonorella</i>) Occurrence and Threats in Pima County. Pima County Office of Conservation Science and Environmental Policy. April 2009. Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD). 2003. Pectis imberbis. Unpublished abstract compiled and edited by the Heritage Data Management System, Arizona Game and Fish Department, Phoenix, AZ. 5 pp.
  3. Gilbertson, L.H., and W.R. Radke. 2006. A new species of <i>Sonorella </i>(Pulmonata: Helminthoglyptidae) from Arizona, with notes on predation and evasive behaviors. American Malacological Bulletin 21(1/2):17-22.
  4. Naranjo-Garcia, E. 1989. Four additional species of <i>Sonorella</i> (Gastropoda: Pulmonata: elminthoglyptidae) from Sonora, Mexico. The Veliger 32(1): 84-90.
  5. Roth, B. 1996. Homoplastic loss of dart apparatus, phylogeny of the genera, and a phylogenetic taxonomy of the Helminthoglyptidae (Gastropoda: Pulmonata). The Veliger, 39(1): 18-42.
  6. Turgeon, D. D., J. F. Quinn, Jr., A. E. Bogan, E. V. Coan, F. G. Hochberg, W. G. Lyons, P. M. Mikkelsen, R. J. Neves, C. F. E. Roper, G. Rosenberg, B. Roth, A. Scheltema, F. G. Thompson, M. Vecchione, and J. D. Williams. 1998. Common and scientific names of aquatic invertebrates from the United States and Canada: Mollusks. 2nd Edition. American Fisheries Society Special Publication 26, Bethesda, Maryland. 526 pp.