Pyrgulopsis neomexicana
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socorro_springsnail
Overview
The Socorro springsnail, scientific name Pyrgulopsis neomexicana, is an endangered species of minute freshwater snail with a gill and an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk or micromollusk in the family Hydrobiidae, the mud snails.
Pyrgulopsis neomexicana faces severe threats from groundwater depletion and aquifer drawdown in its limited spring habitats across New Mexico. Agricultural irrigation, municipal water extraction, and drought conditions have reduced spring flow rates, directly impacting the species' survival. The snail's extreme habitat specificity to individual spring systems makes it particularly vulnerable to hydrological changes, with some populations already experiencing local extirpations due to spring desiccation.
Habitat
This critically endangered freshwater snail is endemic to isolated spring systems and their associated pools in New Mexico's desert regions. The species requires constant spring flow with specific water chemistry and temperature conditions, typically inhabiting shallow areas with rocky substrates and aquatic vegetation.
