A new terrestrial snail species (Gastropoda: Bulimulidae) from the Región de Antofagasta, northern Chile

• Published in: PeerJ (San Francisco, CA) Vol. 5; p. e3538
• Main Authors: Araya, Juan Francisco, Breure, Abraham S H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States PeerJ, Inc 05-07-2017; PeerJ Inc
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Biogeography; Bulimulidae; Charopidae; Chilean Coastal Range; Gastropoda; Mollusca; Mollusks; New species; Orthalicoidea; Peru; Physical characteristics; Scutalus; Shells; South America; Studies; Stylommatophora; Taxonomy; Zoology; Chile; Orthalicoidea; South America; Land mollusc; Pulmonata; Scutalus; Stylommatophora; Bolivia; Peru; Chilean Coastal Range
• ISSN: 2167-8359; 2167-8359
• DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3538

A new species of
Albers, 1850 (Gastropoda: Bulimulidae),
sp. n., is described from a coastal area of northern Chile. Empty shells of this new species were found buried in sand and under boulders and rocks in the foothills of the Chilean Coastal Range at Paposo, Región de Antofagasta. This new species is distinguished from all other Chilean terrestrial snails by its slender shell with a flared and reflected aperture, and by the presence of a columellar fold. This is the first record of
in Chile, and the southernmost record for this endemic South American bulimulid genus. The presence of this species in Paposo highlights the need for further research and for conservation guidelines in coastal areas of northern Chile, which have comparatively high levels of biodiversity and endemism.