Species composition of land snails in ban thi and Xuan Lac commune belong to Nam Xuan Lac species and landscape conservation area, Cho Don district, Bac Kan province

Abstract

Nam Xuan Lac Species and Habitat Conservation Area, Cho Don District, Bac Kan Province is one of the typical areas of limestone mountains in the North of Vietnam with low-impact natural forests and rugged topography to create conditions for many species of plants and animals to live. Survey results on the species composition of land snails in Xuan Lac and Ban Thi communes of Nam Xuan Lac species and habitat conservation area have identified 49 species and subspecies of 34 genera, 12 families, 4 orders, 3 subclasses. In which, the Heterobranchia subclass is the most diverse with 34 species (accounting for 69.39%); Stylommatophora order has the most diverse species composition, with 33 species (accounting for 67.35%); family Camaenidae has the largest number of species with 16 species (accounting for 32.65%). The species composition of the land snails in the study is quite rich in taxonomy, consistent with the general characteristics of the land snails fauna in the mountainous areas in the northern of Vietnam, and in the South East Asia and Southern China. The diversity of land snails is considered quite high with Shannon index H'' = 3.5. The study results also identified 7 species of economic value. These species are used by the local people for food. Exploitating activities are most from April to July each year. With the current strong exploitation activities, the resources of land snails will be increasingly exhausted, and some species may be threatened.