The Banff Spring Snail
One majorly endangered animal are the Banff Spring Snail. They are only found in the thermal springs found at the Cave and Basin national Historic and along Sulphur Historic. They are the Banff's National Park's most endangered life form. The Largest Snails are about the size of a kernel corn but the majority are about have that. They cling the algae, bacteria, sticks or rocks at the water's surface where they must go the breath. Unlike most sails the Banff Spring Snail's have a shell that spiral to the right instead of the left. The reduction of the Banff Spring Snail population and range is atribute the human use of hot springs. They are most vulnerable at the beginning of the tourist season. The snails live in an area fed by the Upper Hot Springs, one of he resort town's most popular tourist attractions. Most of them live where the water gurgles up from the ground. But that source is drying up, and there are predictions next spring will be particularly hard on the snails In 2000 it was classified as endangered by the Canadian Species at Risk Act. Ducks, Robins and Rodents feed off these snails. Without them in existence these animals would be forced to eat other things which would ultimately effect the food web in Banff, Alberta, Canada.
Some major threats include:
Some major threats include:
- water flow stoppages
- flow reductions and fluctuations (natural and human-caused)
- thermal water flow redirections (natural and human-caused)
- limited or low quality habitat
- humans soaking and swimming
- population lows and genetic inbreeding
- human-caused habitat trampling and local disturbance
- human limb-dipping (touching the water with hands or feet)
- stochastic events (such as storms)
- others (such as predation, competition, collecting, and twitch-ups)
How to prevent extinction and increase population size:
- Make everyone aware of this issue
- Have towns people and tourists cut down on their water
- Relocate the snails to an aquarium where they can be taken of and reproduce so they are no longer endangered.
- fine for swimming in their water ways