Leiostyla tesselata
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Leiostyla tesselata faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to urban development and agricultural expansion across its limited range in Madeira. The species is particularly vulnerable to invasive plant species that alter the native vegetation structure of its forest habitats. Climate change poses an additional threat through altered precipitation patterns that affect the humid microclimates essential for this terrestrial gastropod's survival.
Habitat
This endemic land snail inhabits the native laurel forests (laurisilva) of Madeira, requiring humid microhabitats with dense vegetation cover. It is typically found in leaf litter and among moss-covered rocks in shaded forest areas at mid-elevations.
