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Daedalochila auriculata (Say, 1818) Ocala Liptooth At Turnbull Creek Bridge |
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St. Johns County, Florida |
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| Live Daedalochila auriculata found near the Turnbull Creek Bridge on 11/7/2008. The specimens measure 14.9 and 15.1 mm., respectively. | |
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After studying
satellite imagery, and "driving" past the location using Google's
Street View, the State Road 16 (SR-16) bridge over Turnbull Creek was
identified as having good potential for housing a population of the
elusive Daedalochila auriculata. Therefore, on 9/21/2008 this
reporter visited the location. After arriving on site, the two southern bridge approaches were investigated first with negative results - possibly due in part to very thick vegetation, a good portion of which was large sand spurs. The much less vegetated northwestern bridge approach also yielded no evidence of Daedalochila. Finally, the northeastern bridge approach (GPS: 29.57124N 081.27236W - WGS-84 Datum) was searched, and ultimately three empty Daedalochila shells (one juvenile) and a single living specimen (see page two) were found beneath vegetation in the roadside swale. A return visit was made to the site on 9/23/2008 and a more thorough search was conducted. However, only three additional empty were found. Return visits to the site were made on 10/8/2008 and 11/7/2008. During the first visit one additional living specimen was found in vegetation immediately adjacent to Turnbull Creek. During the latter visit two additional live specimens were found in the same area. Since the county had recently mowed the swales prior to the second visit, the remaining bridge approaches where no Daedalochila had previously been found were thoroughly searched. Ultimately two empty Daedalochila auriculata shells were found near the creek on the northwestern bridge approach. An additional follow-up visit was made to the site on 8/1/2009. During this visit three live Daedalochila auriculata and one empty shell were found on the northeastern bridge approach immediately adjacent to the creek. six of the seven living specimens thus far found at Turnbull Creek have come from this same small area. The site was revisited on 8/4/2009 and a recently deceased Daedalochila auriculata was found on the paved roadside of the southwestern bridge approach thus indicating that the species is present there as well. During a follow-up visit to the site on 5/21/2011, six empty D. auriculata shells were found on the southeastern bridge approach thus confirming that the species is in fact present on all four bridge approaches. |
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Daedalochila habitat on the northeastern end of the SR-16 bridge (9/21/2008) |
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