Samoan Land Snails Identification Guide

(data last revised 29 June 2001)

Use this image-based identification guide to help identify Samoan land snails.

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Guide to Species of Samoana

Listed below are images and full details of species within this genus.


Species: Samoana abbreviata (Mousson, 1869)

Distribution:Tutuila.
Natural Range:Samoa.
Status:Endemic.
Habitat:Forest.
Adult Size:Height, 21 mm, width, 14 mm.
Identification:Dextral, which distinguishes it from Samoana canalis and Samoana conica.
Remarks:Listed as a candidate for endangered/threatened status by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1994, though considered possibly extinct at that time; now listed as a "species of concern". Listed as "data deficient" by IUCN in 1996, that is, probably threatened but IUCN has insufficient information to make that determination. Extremely rare but still present in 1998.

Species: Samoana canalis (Mousson, 1865)

Distribution:Savai'i, 'Upolu, ?Tutuila.
Natural Range:Samoa.
Status:Endemic.
Habitat:Forest.
Adult Size:Height, 23-29 mm; width, 14-18 mm.
Identification:Sinistral. Shell brown. Very similar to Samoana conica but distinguished by its darker color and by the lack of sculpture; Samoana conica is pale-colored and has more obvious but very fine spiral sculpture.

Species: Samoana conica (Gould, 1847)

Distribution:'Upolu, Tutuila.
Natural Range:Samoa.
Status:Endemic.
Habitat:Forest.
Adult Size:Height, 24-26 mm; width, 16-17 mm.
Identification:Sinistral. Shell color pale. Very similar to Samoana canalis but distinguished by its pale color and by the very fine spiral sculpture, especially on the spire; Samoana canalis is brown and lacks the sculpture.
Remarks:Listed as a candidate for endangered/threatened status by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1994; now listed as a "species of concern". Listed as threatened by IUCN in 1996. On Tutuila, it remains (in 1998) more common than S. abbreviata but less common than Eua zebrina.

Species: Samoana stevensoniana (Pilsbry, 1909)

Distribution:Savai'i, 'Upolu.
Natural Range:Samoa.
Status:Endemic.
Habitat:Forest.
Adult Size:Height, 22-25 mm; width, 13-14 mm.
Identification:Very similar to S. canalis but dextral.

Species: Samoana thurstoni (Cooke & Crampton, 1930)

Distribution:Ofu.
Natural Range:Samoa.
Status:Endemic.
Habitat:Forest near the summit and on the upper slopes of Ofu.
Adult Size:Height, 19 mm; width, 12 mm.
Identification:Differs from Eua zebrina, the only other partulid on Ofu, by having a greenish-yellow shell with no transverse patterning.
Remarks:Very few individuals have ever been seen. Undoubtedly severely threatened. Listed as a candidate for endangered/threatened status by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1994; now listed as a "species of concern". Listed as threatened by IUCN in 1996.

No Images:
Samoana canalis biconica (Pilsbry, 1909)
Samoana canalis semilineata (Mousson, 1869)


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