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The snail population fluctuates seasonally. During times when the numbers are critically low, the snail is most vulnerable to human disturbances or natural disasters (like the spring temporarily drying up). While scientists do not know exactly why the population fluctuates so much, it is probably due
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Conservation biologist Dwayne
Lepitzki believes that the leading cause of the thermal springs drying up and the decline in snail population is climate change. Until 1996, the only recorded instance of any Sulphur Mountain thermal spring drying up was the Upper Hot Spring in 1923, and now it's a
363:
Every four weeks researchers and volunteers count the snails and analyse the water chemistry. There is also a captive breeding program being performed, and if it is successful, the snails will be introduced back to the two additional springs where the species was historically present. Eggs are
356:
to changes in water temperature and chemistry or changes to the bacteria and algae. It is estimated that the population varies between 1,500 and 15,000 snails. At its lowest points, the entire population of snails can fit in an ice cream cone, and at its highest, in a one-litre milk carton.
371:, Upper Middle, Kidney, and Vermilion Cool springs. However, they are now present at the Upper middle and Kidney due to Parks Canada's Recovery actions in 2002 for the Upper Middle and 2003 for the Kidney spring. The snails are most populated at the
321:
The reduction in Banff Spring snail population and range is likely attributable to human use of the hot springs, although fluctuating water temperature is also a factor. In April 1997 it became the first living
352:. The goals of the program are to maintain self-sustaining populations of the snail, re-establish populations at all historic locations, and hopefully to downlist the species' status.
466:
Remigio, E.A.; Lepitzki, D.A.; Lee, J.S.; Hebert, P.D. (2001). "Molecular systematic relationships and evidence for a recent origin of the thermal spring endemic snails
81:
278:. The largest ones are only about one centimetre long, and like all of the Physidae, the shells are sinistral or coiled left-handed. The snails' diet consists of
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313:, an environment too harsh for most animals to survive in. Since its discovery, its range has shrunk to just five of the nine hot springs.
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is trying to protect the species through education, law enforcement, facility closure and scientific research. In 1996
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started a research and recovery program for the snail including the closure of the swimming pool at the
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to be placed on Canada's national list of species at risk. In 2000 it was classified as endangered by
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301:, Canada, and has been found nowhere else. It is very unusual because it is adapted to life in
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currently hatching in captivity; the time from laying to hatching is four to eight days.
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456:. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. 64 pp., page 13.
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The Banff
Springs snail was first identified in 1926 in the nine sulphurous
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526:. Species at Risk Public Registry. 2009-05-13. Archived from
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502:"Banff springs snails suffer because of climate change"
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549:"Parks Canada - Species at Risk - Species at Risk"
784:
429:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T165539A49748245.en
243:Based on molecular research, it appears that
793:IUCN Red List critically endangered species
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48:
29:
448:
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274:are approximately the size of unpopped
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524:"Species Profile: Banff Springs Snail"
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588:
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373:Cave and Basin National Historic Site
350:Cave and Basin National Historic Site
257:Description, habitat and distribution
803:Freshwater animals of North America
415:IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
397:
13:
14:
839:
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367:Snails were no longer present at
404:Lepitzki, D.; Ormes, M. (2017).
336:List of Wildlife Species at Risk
247:separated out as a species from
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828:Taxa named by William J. Clench
338:as being endangered in Canada.
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1:
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823:Gastropods described in 1926
508:. 2010-12-16. Archived from
7:
476:Canadian Journal of Zoology
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10:
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579:Environment Canada website
305:where the water is low in
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92:Scientific classification
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28:
23:
818:Endemic fauna of Alberta
474:(Pulmonata: Physidae)".
454:Canadian Species at Risk
253:about 10,000 years ago.
813:Endemic fauna of Canada
232:of small air-breathing
422:: e.T165539A49748245.
55:Critically Endangered
574:Parks Canada website
360:regular occurrence.
24:Banff Springs snail
16:Species of gastropod
385:Banff longnose dace
332:Species at Risk Act
295:Banff National Park
220:Banff Springs snail
40:Conservation status
808:Molluscs of Canada
780:
779:
752:Open Tree of Life
627:Physella_johnsoni
598:Physella johnsoni
590:Taxon identifiers
482:(11): 1941–1950.
468:Physella johnsoni
408:Physella johnsoni
334:listed it in the
330:and the Canadian
245:Physella johnsoni
225:Physella johnsoni
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201:Physella johnsoni
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555:. Archived from
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472:Physella wrighti
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311:hydrogen sulfide
291:Sulphur Mountain
234:freshwater snail
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183:P. johnsoni
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452:COSEWIC. 2005.
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303:thermal springs
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250:Physella gyrina
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568:External links
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559:on 2013-02-08.
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512:on 2016-03-03.
506:Keen for Green
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530:on 2013-06-10
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192:Binomial name
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557:the original
553:www.pc.gc.ca
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532:. Retrieved
528:the original
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433:. Retrieved
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346:Parks Canada
342:Parks Canada
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317:Conservation
309:and high in
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276:corn kernels
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145:Superorder:
18:
726:NatureServe
674:iNaturalist
287:hot springs
787:Categories
534:2009-08-17
391:References
280:periphyton
149:Hygrophila
139:Gastropoda
77:Endangered
369:Upper Hot
269:gastropod
266:pulmonate
177:Species:
115:Kingdom:
109:Eukaryota
798:Physidae
731:2.114632
692:10599762
613:Q3061785
607:Wikidata
379:See also
272:mollusks
238:Physidae
170:Physella
159:Physidae
155:Family:
129:Mollusca
125:Phylum:
119:Animalia
105:Domain:
60:IUCN 3.1
770:1309455
666:5189828
435:4 March
328:COSEWIC
324:mollusc
299:Alberta
263:aquatic
230:species
228:) is a
211:, 1926)
165:Genus:
135:Class:
82:COSEWIC
80: (
58: (
757:108758
744:175863
718:165539
679:228083
307:oxygen
261:These
209:Clench
765:WoRMS
705:76704
687:IRMNG
653:4HGZQ
640:28888
739:NCBI
713:IUCN
700:ITIS
661:GBIF
635:BOLD
470:and
437:2023
420:2017
218:The
648:CoL
622:ADW
484:doi
424:doi
293:in
289:of
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480:79
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445:^
418:.
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375:.
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439:.
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410:"
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222:(
207:(
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.