Taxonomic inventories and assessments of terrestrial snails on the ...

ABSTRACT
The purpose <strong>of</strong> this study was to conduct coordinated taxonomic <strong>inventories</strong> <strong>and</strong>
<strong>assessments</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>terrestrial</strong> <strong>snails</strong> on the isl<strong>and</strong>s <strong>of</strong> Tinian (28 November to 2 December
2008) <strong>and</strong> Aguiguan (30 October to 3 November 2006) in the Commonwealth <strong>of</strong> the
Northern Mariana Isl<strong>and</strong>s as part <strong>of</strong> a natural resource pursuant to Cooperative Service
Agreement (MIPR No. M6738507POFM189) between the U.S. Fish <strong>and</strong> Wildlife Service
<strong>and</strong> U.S. Marine Corps. No living Partula gibba were observed at any <strong>of</strong> the 12
sampling stations on Tinian. On Aguiguan, no living Partula gibba or Partula langfordi
were observed at any <strong>of</strong> the seven sampling stations or any <strong>of</strong> the forested areas
investigated. Partula langfordi, endemic to Aguiguan, may be extinct now. The present
study indicates that the ground-dwelling <strong>snails</strong> <strong>of</strong> Tinian <strong>and</strong> Aguiguan have also
declined in a pattern similar to that <strong>of</strong> the tree <strong>snails</strong>.
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