Expert Reasoning for Target 5:

LAND SNAIL COMMUNITIES

(unanimous agreement)

"Two land snail species of concern are Pleurodonte bainbridgei and Eurycratera jamaicensis. Both are large bodied snails that have suffered from extensive loss of habitat. Viable populations survive only in primary forest or old secondary forest. In recent years, Pleurodonte bainbridgei has been found alive only in the Cockpit Country, and just to the west near Elderslie. Eurycratera jamaicensis has been found alive in the Cockpit County, the Mount Diablo area, Dolphin Head, and the top of Shooters Hill, but formerly had a range encompassing most limestone areas west of the Blue Mountains."

"Of these two, I would nominate Eurycratera jamaicensis as being the the only species in a genus endemic to Jamaica. Pleurodonte bainbridgei is more threatened, but many other members of the genus Pleuodonte are in stable condition in Jamaica. Eurycratera is currently found more widely in the Cockpit and also outside the Cockpit and so gives more leverage for conservation efforts. Pleurodonte bainbridgei tends to co-occur with Eurycratera, having similar habitat requirements and . Therefore conserving Eurycratera habitat will protect P. bainbridgei."

"All members of the tree snail genus Anoma, which is endemic to Jamaica, are highly threatened. However, we have not found any Anoma alive in the Cockpit, although we have found fresh dead shells, so they would be a daunting target for conservation. They seem to require primary forest, so forest conservation in general is the best hope for Anoma."

"It may be that all of this is adequately housed under the general target of land snails."