Dear Conch-L'ers,

I spent a few days last week collecting Eocene fossil mollusks and
recent land snails in Texas.  I had been under the impression that Texas
was suffering from the worst drought imaginable.  Of course, the day I
planned to dig for fossils along the Brazos River, it was raining so
heavily that there were flash flood warnings.

At least all that rain was good for land snail collecting.  I found a
number of different Polygyras, a Rabdotus, a Praticollela and Helicinas
hanging on tall weeds and low branches like multicolored berries.

Now to a few questions:

1)  I encountered an abundant snail near the Bush Airport that I am
convinced is Bradybaena similaris.  Has this snail been introduced to
Texas?

2)  One of the small Polygyrids appears to be Triodopsis hopetonensis.
My literature shows this species as  living in North Carolina, Tennessee
and Alabama. Has T. hopetonensis spread as far west as Houston?

Thanks,

Phil Liff-Grieff
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La Crescenta, CA