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Continuing in the relatively new annual tradition, my
wife's family, three generations, in-laws included, convened of an
Indian Summer reunion at The Homestead. Located just north of Manchester
Ctr., it is sited in the valley of the famous Batten Kill amongst the
northernmost of the Taconic Range, with the peaks of Mts. Equinox,
Little Equinox, Owl's Head, Aeolus, Netop and Dorset defining the
southern and western skyline.
Three years ago, while the other participants were occupied
with mountain-climbing, shopping sprees, tractoring about, or TV
football viewing, I began the practice of setting out for a fieldtrip or
two during each weekend event, 2003: <http://www.jaxshells.org/vermont.htm>, and the Jan.-Feb., 2004
Shell-O-Gram 45(1): 2-6; 2004:
<http://www.jaxshells.org/vermontnew.htm> and the Sept.-Dec.,
2004
Shell-O-Gram 45(5): 6-8.
Each of the last two years I have made two collecting trips - one to a
marble quarry new to my itinerary and one to a former station on the
bank of West Branch (of the Batten Kill) walking distance from headquarters. These two
ecosystems differ considerably: montane hardwood forest with a
microhabitat rich in calcium vs. the perennially very wet, mostly
herbaceous riparian lowland with a relative lack of calcium. As the
reader can see (below), the two support
 somewhat different faunas as one
might expect. This is particularly evident in the most abundant species
(e. g., Cochlicopa lubrica, Carychium
exiguum, Gastrocopta tappaniana, Vertigo elatior,
Oxyloma retusum, and Zonitoides nitidus in the wet lowland
vs. all other Gastrocopta spp., Vertigo gouldii, Discus
catskillensis, Nesovitrea binneyana, Striatura spp.,
Zonitoides arboreus, and the largest snails (Polygyridae in the
main) at the quarry sites. Despite this collecting strategy, when
the reader views the cumulative species account in the lists below, it
will be clear that I have gone well past the point of diminishing
returns. Nonetheless, there are few new and exciting finds as well as
better and occasionally far more numerous specimens to be studied. Add
to this the simple enjoyment the Vermont landscape, and one might
understand why these annual surveys offer a simple pleasure to which I
have come to look forward.
Here follows an account of the field trips of the last two years.
Particularly noteworthy are the discovery of a nice living colony of
Vertigo elatior near The Homestead, the first Guppya sterkii
in New England, and the elusive Gastrocopta corticaria, which I
have never found alive in half a century of landsnailing.
[Click on the
individual species depicted in the two composite micrographs below for a
more detailed image.]
Grass and soil sample, left bank
West Branch (of the Batten Kill), 1 mi. NNE
Manchester Center, Bennington Co., VT. H. Lee! 9:30-10 AM, Sun.,
10/2/05.
Cochlicopa lubrica
(Müller, 1774) Glossy Pillar
Carychium exiguum (Say, 1822) Obese Thorn
Columella simplex (Gould, 1841) Toothless Column
Gastrocopta
tappaniana (C. B. Adams, 1842) White Snaggletooth (44)
Vertigo elatior Sterki, 1894 Tapered
Vertigo (44; replaces misidentified V. pygmaea)
Vertigo ovata Say, 1822 Ovate
Vertigo
Punctum minutissimum (I. Lea, 1841) Small Spot See:
scanning electron micrograph
Oxyloma retusum (I. Lea, 1834) Blunt Ambersnail
Euconulus fulvus (Müller, 1774) Brown Hive
Nesovitrea electrina (Gould, 1841) Amber Glass
Glyphyalinia
wheatleyi (Bland, 1883) Bright Glyph (45)
Zonitoides nitidus
(Müller, 1774) Black Gloss
12 species, three new county records,
of which three (indented) are
state records; (cumulative Bennington Co.
species count).
Leaf litter sample, Gettysburg (marble) Quarry, 2 mi. N.E. Dorset,
Bennington Co., VERMONT. H. Lee! 11:00-11:30 AM , Sun., 10/2/05.
Cochlicopa morseana
(Doherty, 1878) Appalachian Pillar
Columella simplex (Gould, 1841) Toothless Column
Gastrocopta contracta (Say, 1822) Bottleneck Snaggletooth
Gastrocopta tappaniana (C. B. Adams, 1841) White Snaggletooth
Gastrocopta pentodon (Say, 1822) Comb Snaggletooth
Vertigo gouldii (A. Binney, 1843) Variable Vertigo
Vallonia
pulchella (Müller, 1774) Lovely Vallonia (46)
Vallonia costata (Müller,
1774) Costate Vallonia See: scanning electron micrograph
Punctum minutissimum (I. Lea, 1841) Small Spot See: scanning electron micrograph
Discus catskillensis (Pilsbry, 1896) Angular Disc
See: scanning electron micrograph
Discus whitneyi
(Newcomb, 1864) Forest Disc (47)
See: scanning electron micrograph
Euconulus fulvus (Müller,
1774) Brown Hive
Guppya
sterkii (Dall, 1888) Tiny Granule (48) First record from New England!
Glyphyalinia rhoadsi (Pilsbry,
1889) Sculpted Glyph (49)
Nesovitrea binneyana (E. S. Morse, 1864) Blue Glass
Striatura exigua (Stimpson, 1850) Ribbed Striate
See: scanning electron micrograph
Striatura ferrea E. S. Morse, 1864 Black Striate
Zonitoides arboreus (Say, 1817) Quick Gloss
Euchemotrema fraternum (Say, 1821) Upland Pillsnail
Neohelix albolabris (Say, 1817) Whitelip
Triodopsis tridentata (Say, 1817) Northern Threetooth
Xolotrema denotatum (Férussac, 1823) Velvet Wedge
22 species,
four new county records,
of which the two
indented are state records
(cumulative Bennington Co. species count).
Return to sodden low area, on stems of
grasses, wildflowers and nettles plus soil and vegetation sample,
left bank West Branch
(of the Batten Kill), 1 mi. NNE Manchester Ctr., Bennington Co.,
VERMONT. H. G. Lee! 11:15 AM to 12:15 PM, Fri., 9/15/06.
Cochlicopa lubrica (Müller,
1774) Glossy Pillar
Carychium exiguum (Say, 1822) Obese Thorn
Columella simplex (Gould, 1841) Toothless Column
Gastrocopta tappaniana (C. B. Adams, 1841) White Snaggletooth
Vertigo elatior Sterki, 1894 Tapered Vertigo [14 specimens, all
alive; only one taken on 10/05 visit]
Vertigo ovata Say, 1822 Ovate Vertigo
Punctum minutissimum (I. Lea, 1841) Small Spot
Oxyloma retusum (I. Lea, 1834) Blunt Ambersnail
Euconulus fulvus (Müller, 1774) Brown Hive
Nesovitrea electrina (Gould, 1841) Amber Glass
Zonitoides nitidus (Müller, 1774) Black Gloss
11 species; no addenda.
Leaf litter sample, Freedley (marble) Quarry, 4 mi. NNE Dorset,
Bennington Co., VERMONT. H. Lee! 12 noon to 1:00 PM Sat., 9/16/06.
Columella simplex
(Gould, 1841) Toothless Column
Gastrocopta
corticaria (Say, 1817) Bark Snaggletooth (50)
scanning electron micrograph
Vertigo gouldii (A. Binney,
1843) Variable Vertigo
Vallonia costata (Müller, 1774) Costate Vallonia
Punctum minutissimum (I. Lea, 1841) Small Spot
Discus catskillensis (Pilsbry, 1896) Angular Disc
Euconulus fulvus (Müller, 1774) Brown Hive
Nesovitrea electrina (Gould, 1841) Amber Glass
Nesovitrea binneyana (E. S. Morse, 1864) Blue Glass
Striatura exigua (Stimpson, 1850) Ribbed Striate
Striatura ferrea E. S. Morse, 1864 Black Striate
Striatura milium (E. S. Morse, 1859) Fine-ribbed Striate
12 species; one new county record; only
three other New England county records for Bark Snaggletooth
(cumulative Bennington Co. species list count).
Cumulative list of landsnails collected in Bennington Co., VT. The
last update was reported in Shell-O-Gram 45(5), Sept.-Dec.,
2004. The current tally includes eight addenda resulting from the
10/2/05 and 9/16/06 collections and marked with asterisks. There is
one deletion: Vertigo pygmaea, which was previously
considered a new county record.
Carychium
exile H. C. Lea, 1842 Ice Thorn
Carychium exiguum (Say, 1822)
Obese Thorn
Cochlicopa lubrica (Müller, 1774) Glossy Pillar
Cochlicopa
morseana (Doherty, 1878) Appalachian Pillar
Columella simplex (Gould, 1841) Toothless Column
Gastrocopta armifera (Say,
1821) Armed Snaggletooth
Gastrocopta contracta (Say, 1822)
Bottleneck Snaggletooth
Gastrocopta corticaria (Say, 1817) Bark Snaggletooth *
Gastrocopta pentodon (Say,
1822) Comb Snaggletooth
Gastrocopta
tappaniana (C. B. Adams, 1841) White Snaggletooth *
Pupoides albilabris (C. B.
Adams, 1841) White-lip Dagger
Vertigo
elatior Sterki, 1894 Tapered Vertigo *
Vertigo gouldii (A. Binney, 1843) Variable
Vertigo
Vertigo ovata Say, 1822 Ovate
Vertigo
Vertigo ventricosa (E. S. Morse, 1865) Five-tooth Vertigo
Vallonia costata (Müller, 1774) Costate
Vallonia
Vallonia excentrica Sterki, 1893 Iroquois Vallonia
Vallonia pulchella (Müller, 1774) Lovely
Vallonia *
Haplotrema concavum (Say,
1821) Gray-foot Lancetooth
Punctum minutissimum (I. Lea, 1841) Small Spot
Helicodiscus parallelus (Say, 1817) Compound Coil
Helicodiscus
shimeki Hubricht, 1962 Temperate Coil
Anguispira alternata (Say,
1817) Flamed Tigersnail
Discus catskillensis (Pilsbry, 1896) Angular Disc
Discus whitneyi
(Newcomb, 1864) Forest Disc *
Catinella vermeta (Say, 1829)
Suboval Ambersnail
Novisuccinea
ovalis (Say, 1817) Oval Ambersnail
Oxyloma retusum (I. Lea, 1834)
Blunt Ambersnail
Euconulus fulvus (Müller, 1774) Brown Hive
Guppya
sterkii Dall, 1888) Tiny Granule; first record from New England! *
Glyphyalinia indentata (Say,
1822) Carved Glyph
Glyphyalinia rhoadsi
(Pilsbry, 1889) Sculpted Glyph *
Glyphyalinia wheatleyi
(Bland, 1883) Bright Glyph *
Hawaiia
minuscula
(A. Binney, 1841) Minute Gem
Mesomphix cupreus (Rafinesque, 1831) Copper Button
Mesomphix
inornatus (Say, 1822) Plain Button
Nesovitrea binneyana (E. S. Morse, 1864)
Blue Glass
Nesovitrea electrina (Gould,
1841) Amber Glass
Paravitrea
multidentata (A. Binney, 1841) Dentate Supercoil
Striatura exigua (Stimpson,
1850) Ribbed Striate
Striatura ferrea E. S. Morse, 1864 Black Striate
Striatura milium (E. S. Morse, 1859) Fine-ribbed Striate
Zonitoides arboreus (Say, 1817) Quick Gloss
Zonitoides nitidus
(Müller, 1774) Black Gloss
Vitrina angelicae Beck, 1837 Eastern Glass-snail
Appalachina sayana (Pilsbry,
1906) Spike-lip Crater
Euchemotrema fraternum (Say, 1821) Upland Pillsnail
Neohelix albolabris (Say, 1817) Whitelip
Triodopsis tridentata (Say, 1817) Northern Threetooth
Xolotrema
denotatum (Férussac, 1823) Velvet Wedge
50 species; 23
new county records, of which 10 are
new state records
(indented) vs. Hubricht (1985).
As noted in the Jan.-Feb., 2004
Shell-O-Gram report, the only other VT county with a substantial
number of recorded landsnail occurrences is nearby Windsor, which has a
relatively paltry 20 species (Hubricht, 1985). Would an energetic
collector be able to demonstrate that the difference between these
neighboring jurisdictions is due to nothing more than lack of field
work? Probably so, but just maybe there's something especially
salubrious for the snails inhabiting this corner of the state. Maybe
someday we'll discover the answer.
A
version of this communication appeared in print:
Lee, H. G., 2008 ["September, 2006 - June, 2007"]. Native snail surveys
in Bennington County, Vermont. New York Shell Club Notes 377:
8-15. April. |
