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Daedalochila uvulifera (Shuttleworth, 1852) Peninsula Liptooth Near St. Johns Bluff Rd., Duval Co., Florida |
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On 5/27/2010 during preparations on to participate in a shell show
at the Morocco Shrine Center at 3800 St. Johns Bluff Road South,
super snailer Brian Marshall discovered two empty Daedalochila
uvulifera shells on the grassy bank of
a small retention
pond on
the northwest periphery of the expansive Shriner property. Later the
same date this reporter and Harry G. Lee visited the site and found
an additional two empty shells. Over the next three days an additional
four empty shells were found including a
13.1 mm. specimen
which is unusually large for northeast Florida. Although the empty
shells were found over a distance of several hundred yards along the
northern portion of the Shriner property, no living specimens could be located
despite an intensive search.
Size comparison with St. Johns County
Population Specimens Theorizing that a living Daedalochila uvulifera population was nearby, Brian returned to the area on 5/31/2010 and discovered the living population near a retention pond behind 11236-100 St. Johns Industrial Parkway South - the street immediately north of the Shriner property. During his visit Brian collected 67 Daedalochila uvulifera including seven living specimens. This reporter visited the site later the same date and found an additional 16 living specimens as well as many empty shells in various stages of decay. Subsequently nearly two years later during 2012, a large federal credit union was built on the land immediately adjacent to the Daedalochila habitat at the retention pond and the snail friendly habitat was destroyed. Although the altered site was monitored periodically for a period of two years, no further live Daedalochila uvulifera were ever found. During the 2014 shell show at the Morocco Shrine Center live Daedalochila were found at that venue proving that the population had survived. This reporter visited the shrine center property on 8/3-4/2014 and nearly two dozen live Daedalochila uvulifera were seen under very low vegetation as well as a modest number of empty shells. |
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Retention pond where the live Daedalochila were found. The view is looking east towards St. Johns Bluff Road. The Shrine Center is to the right behind the tree line/drainage ditch. |
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Daedalochila uvulifera In Situ Found Near Retention Pond |
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