CAMAENID LAND SNAILS FROM WESTERN AND CENTRAL AUSTRALIA

WA Museum Records and Supplements | Updated 9 years ago

Introduction: This is the first ofa series of reports on the semi-arid zone dominant land snails of Western and Central Australia, which belong to the family Camaenidae, sensu lato. More than 150 species are available at present from the area covered, which comprises Western Australia and the southern half of the Northern Territory. Limited material has made inclusion of the northern half of the Northern Territory impossible. Most of the species currently are undescribed, and the initial purpose of these reports is to survey the generic and specific diversity. Data accumulated in this process will enable generalizations concerning patterns of reproductive strategy, character displacement in both species recognition features and feeding specializations, plus divergent ecologic tactics used in coping with both seasonal and aseasonal rainfall, periodic bush fires, and predation by vertebrates. This study is a joint project of the Western Australian Museum, Perth and the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago.