Sri Lanka's land snail fauna is very diverse & at least 80% of 253 recorded species are endemic. These include 5 endemic & relict land snail genera.
Land Snails of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is situated in one of the world’s 34 "biodiversity hotspots". Its land snail fauna is very diverse and at least 80% of the 253 recorded species are endemic (Raheem et al., 2008; Ranawana, 2006; Ranawana & Priyadarshana, 2012). These include 5 endemic and relict land snail genera (Ranawana, 2006). Land snails are not a monophyletic group and they comprise about 65% of the snail fauna in the country (Naggs & Raheem, 2005). The highest diversity and endemism of land snails are recorded in the rainforests of the southwestern part of the country, the so-called wet zone (Naggs et al., 2005). Many are confined to the mostly small remaining areas of fragmented rainforest where snail endemism is close to 100% (Naggs & Raheem, 2005). Samuel Woodward (1856) is considered the first to recognise the distinctive composition of Sri Lanka's snail fauna (Naggs & Raheem, 2005). Classification Snails along with slugs are a part of the phyla Molluscs, the second most …
