Amphidromus cognatus
Encyclopedia
The Cognate Land Snail, Amphidromus cognatus is a large camaenid
land snail
endemic to Australia.
length ranging from 21–33 mm (0.8–1.3 inches) and a diameter of 12–17 mm (0.5–0.7 inches). The ground colour of its shell is yellow, often with a peripheral spiral brown band, a purplish apical suffusion and a light yellow or white lip.
.
The snail was first described in 1907, from three specimens found at Port Essington
on the Cobourg Peninsula
before 1850, although it was not found there since. Several sightings were made between 1976 and 1980, at one site on Bathurst Island and three sites at Melville Island.
by the IUCN (World Conservation Union). The species is not listed on the Australian government
's list of threatened fauna, but the Northern Territory
government considers it Vulnerable.
Camaenidae
Camaenidae is a family of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Helicoidea.This is one of the most diverse families in the clade Stylommatophora....
land snail
Land snail
A land snail is any of the many species of snail that live on land, as opposed to those that live in salt water and fresh water. Land snails are terrestrial gastropod mollusks that have shells, It is not always an easy matter to say which species are terrestrial, because some are more or less...
endemic to Australia.
Description
Amphidromus cognatus is large, with a shellGastropod shell
The gastropod shell is a shell which is part of the body of a gastropod or snail, one kind of mollusc. The gastropod shell is an external skeleton or exoskeleton, which serves not only for muscle attachment, but also for protection from predators and from mechanical damage...
length ranging from 21–33 mm (0.8–1.3 inches) and a diameter of 12–17 mm (0.5–0.7 inches). The ground colour of its shell is yellow, often with a peripheral spiral brown band, a purplish apical suffusion and a light yellow or white lip.
Distribution
Amphidromus cognatus has only been found in a restricted geographic range in Australia's Northern TerritoryNorthern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
.
The snail was first described in 1907, from three specimens found at Port Essington
Port Essington
Port Essington is an inlet and historic site located on the Cobourg Peninsula in the Garig Gunak Barlu National Park in Australia's Northern Territory...
on the Cobourg Peninsula
Cobourg Peninsula
The Cobourg Peninsula is located 350 kilometres east of Darwin in the Northern Territory, Australia. It is deeply indented with coves and bays, covers a land area of about 2,100 km², and is virtually uninhabited with a population ranging from about 20 to 30 in five family outstations, but...
before 1850, although it was not found there since. Several sightings were made between 1976 and 1980, at one site on Bathurst Island and three sites at Melville Island.
Conservation status
Amphidromus cognatus is considered Near ThreatenedNear Threatened
Near Threatened is a conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa that may be considered threatened with extinction in the near future, although it does not currently qualify for the threatened status...
by the IUCN (World Conservation Union). The species is not listed on the Australian government
Government of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
's list of threatened fauna, but the Northern Territory
Government of the Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is governed according to the principles of the Westminster system, a form of parliamentary government based on the model of the United Kingdom...
government considers it Vulnerable.