Somatogyrus coosaensis
Overview
The Coosa pebblesnail, scientific name Somatogyrus coosaensis, is a species of small freshwater snails with a gill and an operculum, aquatic gastropod mollusks in the family Lithoglyphidae. This species is endemic to Alabama in the United States. Its natural habitat is the Coosa River.
Although the IUCN officially categorises the species as Critically Endangered, it also considers it as Possibly extinct, as it has not been recorded in several dozen years. This latter classification is also supported by The Nature Conservancy.
Somatogyrus coosaensis faces severe threats from dam construction and water regulation along the Coosa River system, which has fundamentally altered its spring-fed habitat requirements. Agricultural runoff and urban development have degraded water quality through sedimentation and chemical pollution, while invasive species compete for limited resources in the remaining suitable habitats.
Habitat
This freshwater gastropod inhabits spring-fed streams and seeps within the Coosa River drainage system in Alabama. It requires clean, well-oxygenated water with stable temperatures and specific substrate conditions found in natural spring environments.
