The oblong rocksnail is found only in a five-mile stretch of the Cahaba River, and for decades was thought to be extinct until its rediscovery in 2011.
The oblong rocksnail is found only in a small stretch of the Cahaba River in central Alabama. The snail was proposed for listing as endangered on Oct. 31, 2023.An Alabama snail so rare that for decades it was thought to be extinct has been proposed for federal endangered species protections.The oblong rocksnail is known to inhabit only about 5.6 miles of the Cahaba River south of Birmingham, according to the Wildlife Service.
The Fish and Wildlife Service says the snail was once abundant in the Cahaba, but now can only be found in around 11% of its historic range. The snail populations were nearly wiped out due to habitat loss and decreasing water quality from excess sediment pollution, oil spills, agricultural and urban runoff and stormwater pollution in the Cahaba and its tributaries.
If the rocksnail is listed as endangered, any development or activities that require state or federal permits within the snail’s critical habitat would have to include plans to minimize the damage to the snail’s habitat. An Endangered Species Act listing generally does not limit the actions of private landowners on their own property.
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