Daedalochila auriculata (Say, 1818) Ocala Liptooth At Twelve Mile Swamp (Page Two)

    Believing that additional sites housing a Daedalochila auriculata population might exist in the general area along International Golf Parkway, the road west of this site was surveyed. This ultimately resulted in finding another small Daedalochila auriculata population at the western entrance to the Twelve Mile Swamp Wildlife Management Area on 9/15/2009 - a location about 1.25 miles distant.

    Because of this success, it was decided to survey International Golf Parkway to the east although the topography appeared much less hospitable for Daedalochila. As a first step, on 10/3/2009 a visit was made to the intersection of St. Marks Pond Boulevard and International Golf Parkway - a location .8 mile distant that had a permanent source of moisture which appears to be necessary for the species survival. Soon after arrival, a single live Daedalochila auriculata and a single empty shell were found in the lower roadside swale along the east side of St. Marks Pond Boulevard. In addition, a number of live Daedalochila uvulifera (Shuttleworth, 1852) [Peninsula Liptooth] and many empty shells of that species were also found in the same area. A return visit to the site the next day yielded one additional empty Daedalochila auriculata shell as well as many more Daedalochila uvulifera (images of the two species).

    Convinced that a large D. auriculata population was nearby, on 10/8-9/2009 the south side of International Golf Parkway east of the intersection with St. Marks Pond Boulevard was surveyed and several dozen live specimens were found in the lower roadside swale as well as a few empty shells (image of specimens found on (10/9/2009). This population extends at least 500 feet east of the intersection on the south side of the boulevard (habitat image). During a follow-up visit to the site on 10/11/2009, the north side of International Golf Parkway was surveyed and a single live D. auriculata was found there as well.

    The site was periodically monitored throughout the remainder of 2009 and during the first eight months of 2010. During a visit on 8/21/2010 a number of empty D. auriculata shells were found in the roadside swale adjacent to a drainage ditch on the east side of St. Marks Pond Boulevard some 450 yards south of International Golf Parkway. It appears likely that the snail population extends even further south along this unpaved thoroughfare.

Daedalochila habitat at the intersection of St. Marks Pond Boulevard and International Golf Parkway (10/4/2009)