The cavesnail was listed under the emergency provisions of the Act in December 2001 after biologists noted a sharp drop in the cavesnail population. The emergency listing remained in effect for 240 days while the Service reviewed public comments and made a final decision about listing the cavesnail. The final rule formally listing the species as endangered appears in the August 14, 2002, Federal Register.
"The plight of the Tumbling Creek cavesnail is, unfortunately, typical of many cave species," said William Hartwig, Regional Director for the Services Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region. "They are seldom seen and often forgotten. But they can be barometers of the health of our natural systems, especially when we understand their dependence on clean water, something that is vital to all life."
Tumbling Creek cavesnails live only in an underground stream that flows through Tumbling Creek Cave in southwestern Missouris Taney County. These cavesnails measure about one tenth of an inch in length, with a white body and pale yellow shell. The species lives beneath rocks in portions of the stream where there is usually little or no silt, and feeds on microscopic organisms in the creek.
The Tumbling Creek cavesnails population has been monitored for the last six years to get a clear picture of the species population trends. Surveys conducted over the past one and one-half years have found no snails in the survey area, although a few individuals were discovered upstream from the survey site.
Biologists believe the cavesnails drastic downturn in population may be due to deteriorating water quality in Tumbling Creek. Water that feeds into Tumbling Creek can be affected by erosion and other activities that occur on the land above -- especially those that increase silt and sediments in the creek, such as removal of streamside vegetation and overgrazing by livestock. Other threats include pollution from accidental chemical spills or dumping trash into sinkholes that are directly connected to underground waterways.
The Service will now focus on protecting the snail and its habitat, while working with partners in other state, federal, and local agencies, universities, and other organizations to develop a recovery strategy for the Tumbling Creek cavesnail. The Service will be responsible for developing a recovery plan, which outlines steps needed to protect the cavesnail, prevent extinction, and recover the species population. Actions that may help the Tumbling Creek cavesnail include continued monitoring of the remaining population, identification of specific threats to the water quality of Tumbling Creek, and working with landowners to reduce the potential for erosion and pollution of the underground water system.
More information on the Tumbling Creek cavesnail -- including the final rule listing the species as endangered -- along with information on other endangered species, may be found on the Services website at http://midwest.fws.gov
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish and wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95 million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses nearly 540 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 70 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
For further information about programs and activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region, visit our website at " facehttp://midwest.fws.gov
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