Dear Conchlers,
Reacting to Kurt's remarks I hope that the USDA and USFWS are monitoring
these messages and will put an end to transporting living snails from one
zoogeographical area to an other. More and more foreign elements turn up
everywhere. Just a few examples: North-American freshwater species like
Pseudosuccinea columella, Planorbella duryi and Physella heterostropha,  are
turning up in aquatic biotopes all over Israel. At least four species of
Pomacea have been introduced to Israel as so-called aquarium snails. Two of
them: the South American species Pomacea canaliculata and P. bridgesi, have
turned up already in water reservoirs. From S.E. Asia we got Radix
rubiginosa and from Europe the recent populations of Radix auricularia.
Physella acuta, the most successful among the "Israeli" freshwater snails
occurs everywhere; even in the most polluted rivers. This species originally
described from Southern Europe, is in fact most probably also of New World
origin.
90% of all the landsnails encountered in Israeli gardens are of foreign
origin among others Vallonia excentrica & V. costata, Rumina decollata & R.
saharica, Oxychilus translucidus, Lehmannia valentiana,Deroceras reticulatum
& laeve, Xerotricha conspurcata,  Xeroclausa meda, Cochlicella barbara,
Eobania vermiculata, Cantareus aspersus aspersus and Cantareus aspersus
megalostomus are all of European or Mediterranean origin. From the New World
we received Gastrocopta procera and G. cf. pellucida, Helicodiscus
singleyanus and Hawaiia minuscula. Tropical imports are represented by the
recently discovered Achatina fulica and Lamellaxis clavulinus.
Most were imported with horticultural products and aquarium plants; others
were specifically imported for attempts to grow them (Achatina, Pomacea and
most recently the Chinese mussel Cristaria plicata).
James, the situation in the USA including Hawaii is not very different.
Recently a whole congress has been devoted in the States to the problems of
how to cope with invasive mollusc species.
Helmut, also the number of foreign species encountered in your country
Austra, is growing rapidly. Have a look in the works by Frank, Reischuetz,
Fischer and others).
Sending living snails or mussels from one country to an other? Fine, but
only with the proper, official licenses.
Best regards,
Henk K. Mienis
National Mollusc Collection
Dept. Evolution, Systematics & Ecology
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
IL-91904 Jerusalem, Israel
E-mail: [log in to unmask]

----- Original Message -----
From: Kurt Auffenberg <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, February 15, 2001 3:06 PM
Subject: Re: AW: Re: Tropid


> Dear James/Helmut, etc.
> Let's hope USDA and/or USFWS aren't monitoring Conch-L.  I believe that it
> is against regulations to import living snails into the US without the
> proper permits....which can be extremely difficult to obtain...
>
> Kurt