Bruneau Hot springsnail (Pyrgulopsis bruneauensis)

Kingdom: Animalia

Class: Gastropoda

Order: Neotaenioglossa

Family: Hydrobiidae

Listing Status:   

Quick links:Federal RegisterRecoveryCritical HabitatConservation PlansPetitionsLife HistoryOther Resources

General Information

The tiny Bruneau hot springsnail (Pyrgulopsis bruneauensis) is only about 2 millimeters in size. It is only found in geothermal springs and seeps along an 8-kilometer length of the Bruneau River in Southwest Idaho. It prefers wetted rock faces of springs and flowing water, with large cobbles and boulders. The principal threat to the Bruneau hot springsnail is the reduction and/or elimination of geothermal habitat as a result of groundwater withdrawal, primarily for agriculture. Temperature in the springs is the predominant factor that determines the springsnail's distribution and abundance; the springsnail requires constant springwater temperatures to survive. The Service's 5-year Review for the Bruneau hot springsnail in 2007 concluded that the original listing classification as endangered remains unchanged. The threats that were present at the time of the springsnail's listing remain today: Groundwater levels are not stable or increasing, and a decline in the number of geothermal springs occupied by the springsnail has also occurred. Bruneau hot springsnail populations show declining trends, and connectivity between the remaining colonies has been reduced. Current conservation measures are falling short of addressing the highest-ranking threats to the species. Despite previous conservation efforts, threats to the Bruneau hot springsnail persist and it is in danger of extinction. We are working with the State of Idaho and other partners in conservation, including private landowners, toward the shared goal of reducing threats and ultimately recovering this species so that it no longer needs protection under the ESA. Conservation actions include: Implement actions to increase and stabilize geothermal water levels. These actions might include: - voluntary conservation easements (lease/purchase water rights), - and possibly compensation for reduced use of the aquifer (reduce water withdrawals from the geothermal aquifer) Continued monitoring of water levels and snail distribution Habitat restoration efforts near Hot Creek (including barriers) Control of non-native fish known to prey upon the springsnail Ensure that regulatory measures are adequate to permanently protect the springsnail from future groundwater reduction

• States/US Territories in which the Bruneau Hot springsnail is known to occur:  Idaho

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» Critical Habitat

No critical habitat rules have been published for the Bruneau Hot springsnail.

» Conservation Plans

No conservation plans have been created for Bruneau Hot springsnail

» Petitions

No petition findings have been published for the Bruneau Hot springsnail.

» Life History

No Life History information has been entered into this system for this species.

» Other Resources

NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.