A new native snail species has been discovered in Uintah County. The species, called the zoogenetes harpa snail or boreal top snail, was first discovered in Dry Fork Canyon in the Uinta Mountains on April 21st. It was then found in Big Brush Creek Canyon on May 20th with 8 live snails found to date. The Division of Wildlife Resources explains that the boreal top snail is a tiny land snail, only measuring about 4 millimeters in length as an adult. That’s the size of a grain of quinoa. While this species is fairly scarce, it has been confirmed in places such as Japan, Scandinavia, Russia, Canada, and the northern United States. What is special about this discovery is that this is the first time it has been found in Utah and biologists now believe the Uinta Mountains are part of this species’ native range. “Finding a new species is very exciting because it shows that there are still many things to be learned and discovered when it comes to the natural world, and it shows that there is still a lot that we don’t know yet,” DWR Native Aquatics Biologist Jordon Detlor said. “Because land snails feed on living and dead plant material and help break down leaf litter and rotting wood, they are an important piece of the puzzle for healthy, functional ecosystems,” Detlor said. “They in turn are a food source for different insects, small mammals and even some birds, including grouse and turkeys.” Learn more about this exciting new discovery at wildlife.utah.gov.
