Fauna Spotters logo

El Questro Station Camaenid Land Snail (Amplirhagada questroana)

Amplirhagada questroana is an air-breathing terrestrial land snail in the family Camaenidae and is endemic to Australia. It is recorded from a small number of locations in the Kimberley. Its habitat and ecology are poorly known, and its WA Priority 1 status makes careful checks important before clearing.

Conservation status

Western Australia, WA Threatened and Priority Fauna List: Priority 1.

Seasonal planning

Species-specific seasonal information is not known. Plan surveys and precautionary work controls year-round unless a suitably qualified ecologist establishes a better-supported site-specific approach.

Breeding season: Not recorded.

Activity pattern: Not recorded.

Seasonal information is not known.

  • Survey and works planning: Planning window only. No taxon-specific activity or seasonal survey data are available, so do not assume any period is a low-risk time.

Identification: Appearance and size

This is a terrestrial camaenid snail, but its field identification features are poorly known.

It is an air-breathing land snail in the family Camaenidae. Shell shape, colour, distinguishing features and body size have not been documented.

Identification: Similar species

No similar species or characters for separating this snail from other Amplirhagada have been identified. Do not confirm an identification from a general land-snail appearance alone.

Identification: Field signs

Species-specific field signs and detectability are not known. As general land-snail survey practice, look for live snails and shells, and record uncertain finds for expert identification.

Distribution: Known records

Records indicate a restricted known distribution in Western Australia, but its full range is not established.

Atlas of Living Australia records show seven records in WA at three distinct 0.1-degree locations, with reported latitudes from -16 to -16 and longitudes from 127.8 to 128. Records outside WA were excluded as likely errors. The data do not provide named record localities or precise coordinates.

Distribution: WA region and status

The WA list identifies the Kimberley region. DBCA lists the species as Priority 1 because it is poorly known and recorded from few locations, with none on conservation lands. Priority 1 is a DBCA priority category, not a listing under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016. No national listing is given.

Habitat: Recorded habitat

Habitat use has not been documented for this species.

Vegetation, landform, soils and other habitat used by Amplirhagada questroana have not been described.

Habitat: Planning implication

Do not assume that a particular vegetation type or ground feature is suitable or unsuitable for this species. Treat proposed clearing within the known Kimberley record area as requiring site-specific assessment.

Foraging habitat: Diet

Diet and feeding sites have not been documented.

Diet and feeding behaviour are not recorded for this species.

Foraging habitat: Survey implication

Do not target or rule out a site based on assumed food plants or feeding substrates. Record any observed feeding sign without attributing it to this species unless identification is confirmed.

Breeding habitat: Breeding information

Breeding biology and breeding habitat are poorly known.

Breeding season, egg-laying sites, clutch size and development have not been documented.

Breeding habitat: Precaution

Do not use an assumed breeding season to time works or surveys. Where the species may occur, apply precautionary checks and work controls throughout the year.

Sheltering habitat: Shelter information

Shelter sites and seasonal sheltering behaviour have not been documented.

Species-specific information on shelter, dormancy or refuges is not recorded.

Sheltering habitat: General search practice

As general practice when surveying land snails, inspect accessible ground-level cover and crevices carefully for snails or shells. Minimise disturbance, and return any moved natural cover to its original position.

Threats: Known pressures

Specific threats to the species have not been identified.

The DBCA Priority 1 category indicates that the species is poorly known and recorded from few locations; it does not establish a particular threat.

Threats: Works risk

Clearing can remove or disturb fauna and ground features where a land snail is present. Because habitat and detectability are poorly understood, use precautionary site assessment rather than assuming an absence from a brief inspection.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

No species-specific survey method or detectability data are known. Plan surveys cautiously and document them clearly.

Check the proposed works against the known Kimberley distribution and available fauna records. Treat the Atlas coordinates as broad record locations, not as precise site boundaries.

Survey methodology: 2. Field search

As general land-snail practice, conduct a careful visual search for live snails and shells in accessible ground-level cover and crevices. Avoid damaging or removing cover, and replace anything temporarily moved.

Survey methodology: 3. Record and verify

Record date, search area, conditions, effort, exact find location and photographs where practicable. Note uncertainty in field records and seek expert confirmation for potential records. A non-detection does not prove absence.

Vegetation associations

Source-checked associations and automatically indexed candidates are separated below. An association does not establish site presence, preference or dependence.

No species-specific vegetation association has been indexed or source-checked in this evidence library. This is an evidence gap, not evidence of no association.

Ecosystem associations

Source-checked associations and automatically indexed candidates are separated below. An association does not establish site presence, preference or dependence.

No species-specific ecosystem association has been indexed or source-checked in this evidence library. This is an evidence gap, not evidence of no association.

Soil and substrate associations

Source-checked associations and automatically indexed candidates are separated below. An association does not establish site presence, preference or dependence.

No species-specific soil association has been indexed or source-checked in this evidence library. This is an evidence gap, not evidence of no association.

Water and wetland associations

Source-checked associations and automatically indexed candidates are separated below. An association does not establish site presence, preference or dependence.

No species-specific water association has been indexed or source-checked in this evidence library. This is an evidence gap, not evidence of no association.

Fauna records and mapped habitat: Not yet analysed

Record locations can be overlaid with mapping, but record frequency alone does not measure habitat preference. No species is excluded from desktop assessments by this analysis.

No quality-controlled record-to-map analysis has been completed for this species. The existing generalised distribution dots and indicative range polygons have not been treated as precise occurrence coordinates.

A defensible run needs dated, independently attributable records, coordinate uncertainty, duplicate and captive-record checks, layer versions and regional scope. Preference and absence require additional survey-effort and detection evidence.

Habitat limitations and contrary evidence: No supported exclusion recorded

Not recorded is not the same as cannot occur. Low suitability, resident habitat, breeding habitat and occasional movement are different conclusions.

This library has not established a vegetation, ecosystem or soil-type exclusion for this species. This does not mean all habitat is suitable; the evidence needed to justify an exclusion has not been assembled.

Habitat limitations and contrary evidence: Before using a negative association

  • Confirm the taxon, geographic region, life stage and habitat function covered by the evidence.
  • Check survey methods, season, repeated effort and detectability before interpreting non-detection.
  • Investigate credible contradictory records and microhabitats absent from broad mapping.
  • Do not convert a missing map class, low record count or failed data request into species absence.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Confirm the work area

Use a precautionary approach because the species is poorly known and habitat and survey detectability are not documented.

Review the proposed clearing footprint and available records with the project ecologist. Identify uncertainty in the location data and plan checks accordingly.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Brief the crew

Explain that this is a terrestrial land snail with no reliable species-specific field description. Ask workers to stop and report live snails or potentially relevant shells rather than handling or moving them.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Set controls

Mark the approved disturbance boundary and any areas requiring further ecological assessment. Agree a stop-work and notification process before machinery enters the site.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Work to the boundary

Keep disturbance within the assessed footprint and respond promptly to any possible land-snail find.

Keep machinery and personnel within approved work areas. Avoid unnecessary disturbance of adjacent ground and natural cover.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Respond to a find

Pause work in the immediate area if a live snail or potentially relevant shell is found. Do not collect, relocate or handle it unless directed under the project procedure; notify the fauna spotter catcher or ecologist for assessment.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Document the response

Record the find, location, photographs, work activity and actions taken. Resume work only after the responsible environmental lead has assessed the situation and authorised the next step.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Close out records

Document outcomes and retain information to support future assessment of this poorly known species.

Compile survey effort, observations, non-detections and any confirmed identifications in the project fauna records. Keep location information as precise as project protocols allow.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Review controls

Check that disturbance stayed within the approved footprint and that any reported finds were managed and escalated under the project procedure. Pass relevant records to the project ecologist for appropriate reporting.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Reinstate disturbed ground

Restoration requirements and suitable habitat for Amplirhagada questroana have not been documented.

Where rehabilitation is required, follow the approved site plan and avoid introducing unapproved materials or moving fauna between locations. No species-specific planting or substrate prescription is available.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Check outcomes

Record rehabilitation actions and any subsequent land-snail observations. Do not describe an area as suitable habitat for this species without supporting assessment.

Sources