CNDDB News Blog

Every type of organism deserves our respect, especially those who were already ancient before the dinosaurs first arrived on the scene.

When hearing "snail" most people think of a typical non-native garden snail. Nature is much more interesting than that. California boasts at least 240 named species of land snails, some of which are known only from a handful of field collections. 71 of these snails are considered imperiled and are tracked by CNDDB. Each of these species survives using staggeringly complicated biochemistry and carries along with it a long history of evading extinction by adapting at a snail’s pace.

Since snails are often found in cool, moist environments, many of these species will face increased pressures in the coming decades due to climate change. Some of California’s snail species will likely go extinct before ever being described. The people who are remembered as the legends in a given field of science are often just the first people who decide to investigate a topic in detail. New snail discoveries are made by curious amateurs. If you want to do some cutting-edge conservation science, you may find delving a bit into malacology quite rewarding.

The Shasta sideband snail (Monadenia troglodytes troglodytes) was originally known from a set of shells found in a cave with ice age fossils of extinct creatures such as the Shasta ground sloth. The 1933 publication that first described the shells said they belonged to an extinct species. Later research determined these snails are very much alive. They are restricted to limestone outcroppings in the vicinity of Shasta Lake. The US Forest Service now includes M. t. troglodytes on its list of sensitive species and NatureServe categorizes it as Critically Imperiled.

The Shasta sideband shown here was found in 2017 only a few steps away from a paved public road. The next time you’re in snail country, walk slow and keep your eyes open. You never know what you might find! If you spot anything rare, be sure to share your findings with CNDDB through our Online Field Survey Form.

Calling all time travelers! The California Academy of Science’s Invertebrate Zoology Department (CAS-IZ) has launched a new crowd-sourcing effort to transcribe specimen labels from key collections.

CAS-IZ’s Invertebrate Time Machine is the most recent addition to the Notes from Nature transcription project hosted on Zooniverse, one of the most widely-used platforms for "people-powered" research. Christina Piotrowski, CAS-IZ Collections Manager, emphasized the urgency of the undertaking: "On our changing planet, there's an ever-increasing need for scientists to study the hundreds of millions of natural history specimens housed in global museum collections. Like a huge biological time machine, these diverse specimens provide 'snapshots' of Life on Earth through time and space in ways no other resource can. Museum collections have long been accessed by researchers to answer critical global questions, but we must now bring these museum specimens 'off the shelves' by digitizing their data, increasing global accessibility to irreplaceable snapshots of our ever-changing natural world."

Since 1853, CAS has led the way in biodiversity research. Their collections are an invaluable resource for the scientific community at large, and to CNDDB in particular. This is a chance for all of us to give back, and lend a hand to this venerable California institution.

Start transcribing today on the Invertebrate Time Machine home page, and enjoy your epic travels!

Branchinecta lynchi – vernal pool fairy shrimp
Submitted by Sean M. O’Brien of Helm Biological Consulting

Sean discovered some vernal pool fairy shrimp in a vernal pool east of the city of Madera. These creatures may be tiny but have a large list of interesting features! They were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1994. They grow to be less than an inch in size and use their many legs to swim on their backs. These legs also aid in their breathing and feeding. They use their legs to free algae and plankton from the water body surfaces. They produce a thick gluey mixture and combine this with their food before eating it. Even with many legs, vernal pool fairy shrimp are defenseless and only live in temporary bodies of water where aquatic predators cannot survive. Vernal pool fairy shrimp are endemic to Oregon and California and have suffered population declines due to the destruction and degradation of vernal pools for the sake of urban and agricultural endeavors. Currently, the CNDDB has 791 vernal pool fairy shrimp occurrences that span from Shasta County to San Diego County. Great job, Sean, for capturing a picture of this tiny but mighty species!

Malacothamnus jonesii – Jones’ bush-mallow
Submitted by Jason Dart and Kristen Anderson

This mallow is a favorite of butterflies and pollinators as well as hummingbirds attracted by all the little insects. This, along with its velvety grey color, makes it a sought-after plant in native nurseries but it can also be found in the wild along the southern California coast in chaparral and cismontane woodland. Jason Dart and Kristen Anderson found the plant growing in the wild in San Luis Obispo County and submitted their observation to the CNDDB. Malacothamnus jonesii was originally listed in the 1974 first edition of the CNPS Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants as rare but not endangered and is currently considered a California Rare Plant Rank 4.3 plant (limited distribution in California; not very threatened in California). These delicate pink flowers can be seen blooming from as early as March through the summer into October, so there is still a little time to see them. A very big thank you to both Jason and Kristen for all the important work you share and this awesome photo!

Do you have some great photos of rare plants or wildlife detections? Submit them along with your findings through our Online Field Survey Form and see if your photos get showcased!