Sub-globose snake pyrg

Conservation efforts halt decline of a rare aquatic springsnail

The sub-globose snake pyrg is a tiny aquatic springsnail that lives in one spring in the West Desert of Utah — it's the only place in the world where you can find this snail. The snails are only about the size of a poppy seed, but collectively, they play an important role in their spring ecosystem. As they feed on algae and decaying plants, they help keep the spring looking clean — they are like tiny, slow-moving janitors.

In recent years, many springsnails throughout the Great Basin have been petitioned for listing under the Endangered Species Act due to the threats they face. Specifically, threats such as groundwater pumping and the introduction of non-native species have the potential to harm springsnail populations. The sub-globose snake pyrg is considered a species of greatest conservation need in the Utah Wildlife Action Plan and was one of these petitioned springsnails.

Before the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service made its decision on whether the sub-globose snake pyrg warranted protection under the Endangered Species Act, biologists from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and Bureau of Land Management checked to see how the snail was doing. During surveys in 2019, the biologists noticed a potential decline in the abundance and distribution of the sub-globose snake pyrg as well as two non-native fishes that had not been previously observed in the spring.

The DWR, BLM and USFWS met to address this new threat to the snail, and within four months, they developed a conservation agreement and strategy to preserve the sub-globose snake pyrg. Some of the actions listed in the conservation agreement were implemented immediately. These included:

• Additional surveys and monitoring.
• Non-native fish removal.
• Installation of a fish barrier.

Utah's Species Protection Account — matched with State Wildlife Grant funds from the federal government — provided much of the funding for these conservation actions.

While there is still much to do to conserve the sub-globose snake pyrg, the USFWS concluded in 2020 that this snail did not warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act, in part, because of the partnership between the DWR and the BLM. The conservation agreement demonstrated the commitment to protect this snail and its habitat, and the conservation strategy outlined the timeline for needed conservation actions. An analysis conducted by the USFWS concluded that there is a high likelihood that these efforts will be effective at conserving this springsnail into the future.