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Photo by Terrell Hyde and W.A. Smith, WDNR
Wing Snaggletooth (Gastrocopta procera) State Threatened, is distinguished by a pupa-shaped shell and several to many "teeth" or folds within the aperture. Shell size is approximately 2.2-3mm long. The somewhat glossy shell is cinnamon-brown in contrast to others of the genus, which are white or transparent. This snail is a calciphile and occurs on hill or "goat" prairies with southern or western exposures in western Wisconsin. Populations may exist in an area of only a few square meters. The animals probably prefer to live under organic debris.
The table below provides information about the protected status - both state and federal - and the rank (S and G Ranks) for Wing Snaggletooth (Gastrocopta procera). See the Working List Key for more information about abbreviations. Counties shaded blue have documented occurrences for this species in the Wisconsin Natural Heritage Inventory database. The map is provided as a general reference of where occurrences of this species meet NHI data standards and is not meant as a comprehensive map of all observations.
Note: Species recently added to the NHI Working List may temporarily have blank occurrence maps.
| Summary Information | |
|---|---|
| State Status | THR |
| Federal Status in Wisconsin | none |
| State Rank | S3 |
| Global Rank | G5 |
| Tracked by NHI | Y |
| WWAP | SGCN |
Note: a species guidance document is not available at this time. Information below was compiled from publication PUB-ER-085-99 (now out-of-print).
Identification: Several species of snaggletooth snails occur in Wisconsin. They are distinguished by a pupa-shaped shell and several to many "teeth" or folds within the aperture. The lip of the rounded aperture of G. procera is heavily callused within and the 5 folds, of which the upper is bifed (two-pronged), are prominent but not nearly filling the aperture. The somewhat glossy shell is cinnamon-brown in contrast to others of the genus which are white or transparent. The shell is marked by lightly impressed striate lines, has five to six whorls with sutures that are noticeably deep, and measures less than 1/8th inch (2.5 mm) in length.
Habitat: This snail is a calciphile and occurs on hill or "goat" prairies with southern or western exposures in western Wisconsin. Populations may exist in an area of only a few square meters. The animals probably prefer to live under organic debris. In states to the south, the species inhabits woodland areas as well, but is restricted in Wisconsin to open sites, which warm early enough in the spring to provide a growth season of at least 160 frost-free days, typical of the western Wisconsin hill prairies and glades.
State Distribution: Occurs in Buffalo, Crawford, Grant, La Crosse, Pierce and Trempealeau and Vernon Counties of Wisconsin.
Management Guidelines: Prairie burn management, which removes the thatch layer, will cause snail mortality. However, closure of the open prairie habitat by invasion of woody plants will eventually result in the loss of many species of the grassland community including this snail. Brush cutting and direct herbicide applications on basal bark and stumps are useful in occupied sites. Heavy grazing is detrimental to habitat and snail populations. Where burning is necessary, use long rotations and multiple units of snail habitat.
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Chicago Field Museum Specimen. Marks are mm.
Photo by Terrell Hyde and W.A. Smith, WDNR.
The table below lists the natural communities that are associated with Wing Snaggletooth. Only natural communities for which Wing Snaggletooth is "high" (score=3) or "moderate" (score=2) associated are shown. See the key to association scores for complete definitions. Please see the Wildlife Action Plan to learn how this information was developed.
| Natural community | Score |
|---|---|
| Dry Prairie | 3 |
| Algific Talus Slope | 2 |
| Dry Cliff | 2 |
| Moist Cliff | 2 |
The table below lists the ecological landscape association scores for Wing Snaggletooth. The scores correspond to the map (3=High, 2=Moderate, 1=Low, 0=None). For more information, please see the Wildlife Action Plan.
Ecological priorities are the combinations of natural communities and ecological landscapes that provide Wisconsin's best opportunities to conserve important habitats for a given Species of Greatest Conservation Need. The 10 highest scoring combinations are considered ecological priorities and are listed below. More than 10 combinations are listed if multiple combinations tied for 10th place. For more information, please see the Wildlife Action Plan.
* Ecological priority score is a relative measure that is not meant for comparison between species. This score does not consider socio-economical factors that may dictate protection and/or management priorities differently than those determined solely by ecological analysis. Further, a low ecological priority score does not imply that management or preservation should not occur on a site if there are important reasons for doing so locally.
Conservation actions respond to issues or threats, which adversely affect species of greatest conservation need (SGCN) or their habitats. Besides actions such as restoring wetlands or planting resilient tree species in northern communities, research, surveys and monitoring are also among conservation actions described in the WWAP because lack of information can threaten our ability to successfully preserve and care for natural resources.