Mollusks

Alabama Snails and Mussels

The precipitous decline of North American freshwater mollusks has resulted in increased awareness of this fauna over the past two decades. With the most diverse assemblage of mussels and one of the most diverse assemblages of aquatic snails in the world, Alabama often has been the focal point of this interest. This state is, or was historically, home to 174 species of freshwater snails and 173 species of freshwater mussels. Of these, one hundred two snail and 11 mussel taxa never have been collected outside the boundaries of Alabama. When taxa endemic to drainages that Alabama shares with adjacent states are included, these numbers increase to 115 snails and 58 mussels. As would be expected with such a level of endemism, many species have very restricted distributions and specialized habitat requirements, making them highly vulnerable to extinction.