Noonday
Globe in North Carolina
DESCRIPTION BIOLOGY,
AND HABITAT
The noonday globe is a moderately sized (3/4 inch wide and 1/2 inch high)
land snail. Its shell is shiny and reddish in color. The surface of the
shell is sculptured with rather course lines. The area around the shell
opening (aperture) is white, and a long curved ?tooth? is located on
the inside portion of the aperture. The animal?s body is black. Because
this snail is so rare and restricted in distribution, very little is known
of its biology. The species? reproductive behavior is unknown, and its
food habits are also mystery. However, other related - species in the genus
Mesodon feed on the subsurface hair-like structures (mycelia) of fungi.
The species appears to be most active during wet weather, when it is frequently
found out on the surface of vegetation rather than under the leaf litter
on the forest floor. Snails are used as food by other animals.
Gnawed shells of a closely related snail, Mesodon clarki clarki,
have been found in the dens of small rodents, and a very common carnivorous
land snail, Haplotrema concavum, was observed eating a noonday globe.
The noonday globe, which is found in association with 29 other snail
species, is known from only about 2 miles of high cliffs within the Nantahala
Gorge. The cliffs in this region are very wet and intersected by many small
streams and waterfalls. The forest is mature, with many large trees and
adiverse plant community. The forest
floor has a thick, rich humus layer, and the area has many exposed calcarious
(rich in calcium) rocks. Calcium, which is generally scarce in other cliffs
in the
area, is vital to snails because it is a major component of their shells.
The rich, moist calcium soils, and the mature forest community likely account
for the tremendous
variety of snails that inhabit the area.
WHY IS THE NOONDAY GLOBE SO RARE?
The noonday globe was likely never widely distributed. Steep wet slopes
with calcareous rocks are rare in western North Carolina. However, the
species was likely somewhat more widely distributed within the gorge before
the gorge was altered for a railroad and a highway. Both projects altered
the forest community along the river. The associated loss of the forest
canopy allowed more sunlight to penetrate the gorge and likely dried the
lower slope of the gorge. This habitat alteration also allowed such non-native
plants as Kudzu and Japanese honeysuckle to invade some roadside areas,
which changed the area?s natural plant and animal community.
WHY SHOULD WE BE CONCERNED
ABOUT THE LOSS
OF SPECIES?
Extinction is a natural process that has been occurring since long before
the appearance of man. Normally, new species develop through a process
known as speciation, at about the same rate that other species become extinct.
However, because of air and water pollution, forest clearing, loss of wetlands,
and other man-induced environmental changes, extinctions are now occurring
at a rate that far exceeds the speciation rate. Each extinction diminishes
the diversity and complexity of life on earth. The loss of a single species
may result in few environmental repercussions; however all life on earth
is interconnected. If enough ?living connections? are broken, whole
ecosystems could fail, the balance of nature could be forever altered,
and our own survival could be jeopardized. Furthermore, the diversity of
animal and plant life provides us with food and many of our life-saving
medicines. When a species is lost, the benefits it may have provided are
gone forever.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP
Be concerned with the preservation of the natural quality and biological
diversity of the Nantahala Gorge. Watch for illegal dumping of waste, destruction
of the natural cliff habitat, illegal collection of rare and federally
protected species (It is a Federal offense punishable by as much as a $50,000
fine and one year in jail for taking a noonday snail), and changes in the
quality of the gorge ecosystem. Report the occurrence of such events to
the U.S. Forest Service. The plant and animal life that inhabit natural
places like Nantahala Gorge are now dependent on us for survival. These
natural places with their diversity of life can benefit and be enjoyed
by all of us; with our help, they can be there for future generations.
Species Distribution from known occurrences. Species may occur in similar habitats in other counties.Green counties indicate observed within 20 years. Yellow counties indicate an obscure data reference to the species in the county. Red counties indicate observed more than 20 years ago.
Species Location Map based on information provided by the North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program.
For additional information regarding this Web page, contact John Fridell, in Asheville, NC, at john_fridell@fws.gov
Visit the North Carolina ES Homepage
Visit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Home Page
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