Oregon Forestsnail

The Oregon Forestsnail (Allogona townsendiana) is a species of terrestrial snail, endemic to the Pacific Northwest. It is characterized by a pale, flared apertural lip and an exterior shell surface that wears over time to show the calcareous layers underneath. The Oregon Forestsnail shows preference towards a specific forest habitat type containing rich, moist soil with a broadleaf canopy and typically stinging nettle in the understory. This species has a slow dispersal rate, which limits their capacity to colonize new areas and exacerbates their vulnerability to anthropogenic activities that result in habitat loss and fragmentation.

In 2006, A Rocha established an inventory and monitoring project focused on the Oregon Forestsnail, and has identified and assessed key areas of suitable habitat for the species throughout the Little Campbell River watershed. The team discovered one small population in 2013 and continues to monitor it, aiming to observe and mitigate any potential impacts to the population and its surrounding habitat. Sites of known or suspected suitable habitat are periodically visited in order to assess other possible populations. Surveys for Oregon Forestsnail are typically conducted in March through June, prioritizing warm, rainy days with increased snail activity.

Conservation Status

*S: Subnational status; *2: imperiled.