Bruneau Hot Springsnail
Pyrgulopsis bruneauensis
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Overview
The Bruneau hot springsnail, scientific name Pyrgulopsis bruneauensis, is a species of very small freshwater snail that has a gill and an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Hydrobiidae. This species is endemic to the United States, Bruneau River in Idaho. Its natural habitat is thermal springs. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Pyrgulopsis bruneauensis faces severe threats from groundwater depletion and habitat modification in its extremely limited range. Agricultural irrigation, geothermal development, and water diversions have significantly reduced spring flows in the Bruneau River drainage. The species' survival is further compromised by invasive species introductions and sedimentation from livestock grazing that degrades the delicate spring ecosystems it depends upon.
Habitat
This critically endangered freshwater snail is endemic to thermal springs and spring-fed streams in the Bruneau River drainage of southwestern Idaho. It requires constant water temperatures between 15-30°C and clean, well-oxygenated spring waters with specific mineral compositions.
Conservation measures underway
Other threatened species in HYDROBIIDAE
Threatened in United States
Frequently asked questions
Why is Bruneau Hot Springsnail classified as Critically Endangered?
Where does Bruneau Hot Springsnail live?
What are the main threats to Bruneau Hot Springsnail?
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