Eastern Banded Tigersnail (Anguispira kochi kochi): recovery strategy 2025

Official title: Recovery Strategy for the Eastern Banded Tigersnail (Anguispira kochi kochi) in Canada

Species at Risk Act
Recovery Strategy Series
Adopted under Section 44 of SARA

2025

Part 1 – Federal Addition to the Recovery Strategy for the Eastern Banded Tigersnail (Anguispira kochi kochi) in Ontario, prepared by Environment and Climate Change Canada

Preface

The federal, provincial, and territorial government signatories under the Accord for the Protection of Species at Risk (1996)^{Footnote 2} agreed to establish complementary legislation and programs that provide for effective protection of species at risk throughout Canada^{Footnote 3}. Under the Species at Risk Act (S.C. 2002, c.29)^{Footnote 4} (SARA), the federal competent ministers are responsible for the preparation of recovery strategies for listed Extirpated, Endangered, and Threatened species and are required to report on progress within five years after the publication of the final document on the Species at Risk (SAR) Public Registry.

The Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada Agency are the competent ministers under SARA for the Eastern Banded Tigersnail and have prepared the federal component of this recovery strategy (Part 1), as per section 37 of SARA. To the extent possible, it has been prepared in cooperation with all relevant jurisdictions, wildlife management boards, indigenous organizations and others as per section 39(1) of SARA. SARA section 44 allows the competent minister to adopt all or part of an existing plan for the species if it meets the requirements under SARA for content (sub-sections 41(1) or (2)).The Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) led the development of the attached recovery strategy for the Eastern Banded Tigersnail (Part 2) in cooperation with Environment and Climate Change Canada. The Province of Ontario also led the development of the attached Government Response Statement (Part 3), which is the Ontario Government’s policy response to its provincial recovery strategy and summarizes the prioritized actions that the Ontario government intends to take and support towards species’ recovery.

Success in the recovery of this species depends on the commitment and cooperation of many different constituencies that will be involved in implementing the directions set out in this strategy and will not be achieved by Environment and Climate Change Canada, the Parks Canada Agency, or any other jurisdiction alone. All members of the public are invited to join in supporting and implementing this strategy for the benefit of the species and society as a whole.

This recovery strategy will be followed by one or more action plans that will provide information on recovery measures to be taken by Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Parks Canada Agency and other jurisdictions and/or organizations involved in the conservation of the species. Implementation of this strategy is subject to appropriations, priorities, and budgetary constraints of the participating jurisdictions and organizations.

The recovery strategy sets the strategic direction to support the recovery and/or survival of the species. It provides all persons in Canada with information to help take action on species conservation, including identification of critical habitat to the extent possible. Where available, critical habitat spatial data is found in the Critical Habitat for Species at Risk National Dataset^{Footnote 5}.

When critical habitat is identified, either in a recovery strategy or an action plan, SARA provides a legal framework that enables the protection of that critical habitat.

In the case of critical habitat identified for terrestrial species, including migratory birds, SARA requires that critical habitat identified in a federal protected area, referred to in SARA ss. 58(2), be described in the Canada Gazette within 90 days after the recovery strategy or action plan that identified the critical habitat is included in the Public Registry. The prohibition against destruction of critical habitat under subsection (ss.) 58(1) will apply 90 days after the description of that critical habitat is published in the Canada Gazette.

For critical habitat located on federal lands that are not a federal protected area, as in SARA ss. 58(2), the competent minister must make an order applying the ss. 58(1) prohibition against destruction of critical habitat if it is not already legally protected by a provision in, or measure under, SARA or any other Act of Parliament. If the competent minister does not make the order, a statement must be included on the Species at Risk Public Registry setting out how the critical habitat, or portions of it are legally protected on those federal lands.

If there are portions of critical habitat of a migratory bird to which the following applies:

1. habitat to which the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994 applies, and
2. not on federal land, within the exclusive economic zone, or on the continental shelf of Canada, and
3. not within a migratory bird sanctuary

SARA requires that the Minister recommend that the Governor in Council make an order to prohibit destruction of critical habitat, if the competent minister forms the opinion that there are no provisions in, or measures under, SARA or other Acts of Parliament that legally protect them. If the competent minister does not make the recommendation, a statement must be included on the Public Registry setting out how those portions of critical habitat for the migratory bird are legally protected.

For any other part or portion of critical habitat located on non-federal lands (including the portions of critical habitat of a migratory bird that are not habitat to which the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994 applies), if the competent minister forms the opinion that any portion of critical habitat is not protected by provisions in or measures under SARA or other Acts of Parliament, or the laws of the province or territory, SARA requires that the Minister recommend that the Governor in Council make an order to apply the ss. 61(1) prohibition against destruction of critical habitat. The discretion to protect critical habitat on non-federal lands that is not otherwise protected rests with the Governor in Council.

Acknowledgements

This federal addition was prepared by Elisabeth Shapiro and Shady Abbas (Environment and Climate Change Canada Canadian Wildlife Service - Ontario). Reviews and input were provided by Krista Holmes and Marie-Claude Archambault (ECCC–CWS–ON), Ken Tuininga (formerly ECCC–CWS–ON), Julie Perrault (ECCC-CWS), Tammy Dobbie and Kim Borg (Parks Canada Agency) and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. Acknowledgement and thanks is given to all other parties that provided advice and input used to help inform the development of this recovery strategy.

Additions and modifications to the adopted document

The following sections have been included to address specific requirements of the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA) that are not addressed in the Province of Ontario’s Recovery Strategy for the Eastern Banded Tigersnail(Anguispira kochi kochi) in Ontario (Part 2) and/or to provide updated or additional information.

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) is adopting the Recovery Strategy for the Eastern Banded Tigersnail (Anguispira kochi kochi) in Ontario (Part 2) with the exception of section 2.0 Recovery. In place of section 2.0, ECCC has established a population and distribution objective and performance indicators, and is adopting the Government of Ontario’s government-led and government-supported actions of the Eastern Banded Tigersnail Ontario Government Response Statement (Part 3) as the broad strategies and general approaches to meet the population and distribution objective.

Under SARA, there are specific requirements and processes set out regarding the protection of critical habitat. Therefore, statements in the provincial recovery strategy referring to protection of the species’ habitat may not directly correspond to federal requirements. Recovery measures dealing with the protection of habitat are adopted; however, whether these measures will result in protection of critical habitat under SARA will be assessed following publication of the final federal recovery strategy.

Recovery feasibility summary

Based on the following three criteria^{Footnote 6} that Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) uses to establish recovery feasibility, recovery of the Eastern Banded Tigersnail is considered technically and biologically feasible.

1. Survival characteristics: Can survival characteristics^{Footnote 7} be addressed to the extent that the species’ risk of extinction or extirpation as a result of human activity is reduced?

Yes. There are two survival characteristics of Eastern Banded Tigersnail that need to be addressed in order to reduce the species’ risk of extirpation as a result of human activity: redundancy^{Footnote 8} and connectivity^{Footnote 9}. With respect to redundancy, the snail has been confirmed in Ontario at several sites on Pelee Island as well as Middle Island, representing the northern limit of their range. The snail has a small distribution, with both the extent of occurrence (EOO), and index of area of occupancy (IAO) well below the thresholds for an endangered conservation status (See: COSEWIC 2021). This is because the species survival has an increased risk of catastrophic loss or extirpation from a single, local event which could result in the loss of locations, subpopulations and number of mature individuals. To reduce this risk, species survival can be supported by halting the observed continuing declines in EOO, IAO, as well as the quality of suitable habitat patches. Connectivity is the second survival characteristic that can be addressed. Prior to human-caused habitat loss and degradation, the snail occupied small areas of suitable habitat (for example, Lake Erie islands of 3-42 ha), which were sufficient to sustain subpopulations (COSEWIC 2017). Most patches of habitat still occupied by the species fall within this range and is believed to be able to sustain viable Eastern Banded Tigersnail subpopulations (COSEWIC 2017). The snail is currently estimated to occupy 98 ha of habitat (COSEWIC 2017). An additional 17 ha of unoccupied habitat in protected areas on Pelee Island is thought to be suitable (COSEWIC 2017). Overcoming barriers to dispersal currently preventing the snail from colonizing this habitat may result in small increases to EOO and IAO, and could improve local connectivity.

2. Independence: Is the species currently able to persist in Canada independent of deliberate human interventions, and/or will it eventually be able to achieve and maintain independence in the state where condition (1) is met (that is, after key survival characteristic(s) are addressed, such that it is not reliant on significant, direct, ongoing human intervention?

Yes, with uncertainty. Eastern Banded Tigersnail currently persists in Canada independent of deliberate human intervention. Habitat stewardship and threat mitigation associated with human disturbance must continue to be addressed to support species survival (survival characteristics of redundancy and connectivity discussed above). Such activities would be considered indirect habitat management, as they are implemented to moderate the overall success of populations in their environment, and are not directly related to the regeneration or mortality of individuals. In addition, there are potential and emerging threats (for example, climate change and severe weather) that may impact the species and its habitat. There remain uncertainties as to whether additional human intervention could support species survival or recovery. Adaptive management strategies should be supported as new information becomes available. Successful implementation will require continued cooperation amongst all levels of government, nature conservation organizations, Indigenous communities, and private land owners.

3. Improvement: Can the species’ condition be improved over when it was assessed at risk?

Yes. The condition of a species refers to the combination of factors that contribute to a species' risk of extinction or extirpation (ECCC 2020). The documented loss of several subpopulations and sites was likely due to habitat loss, and habitat modifications as a result of hyper-abundant Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritis). The current condition can be improved by preventing the loss of additional locations, which can be achieved by implementing the human interventions (recovery actions) described within Eastern Banded Tigersnail Government Response Statement (Part 3) and by protecting critical habitat described under section 7 of this federal addition. It is expected that the survival characteristics of redundancy and connectivity will be improved by continuing to work with the provincial government, municipalities, Indigenous communities, private landowners, and nature conservation organizations. If additional extant subpopulations or sites are identified through targeted surveys in suitable habitat, and habitat quality is maintained or improved, then the species’ conditions could be further improved over when it was first assessed as at risk.

1. COSEWIC Species assessment information

Date of assessment: April 2017

Common name (population): Eastern Banded Tigersnail

Scientific name: Anguispira kochi kochi

COSEWIC status: Endangered

Reason for designation: This large terrestrial snail remains in small isolated habitat patches on Middle and Pelee Islands, in Lake Erie. The loss of subpopulations on some smaller islands were probably due to habitat destruction from overabundant Double-crested Cormorants, which colonized the islands in the early 1980s, as well as human activities. Habitat loss and alteration on Pelee Island likely led to subpopulation declines and fragmentation. Climate change is the most serious threat.

Canadian occurrence: Ontario

COSEWIC status history: Designated Endangered in April 2017

^*COSEWIC (Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada)

2. Species status information

The Eastern Banded Tigersnail is listed as Endangered^{Footnote 10} on Schedule 1 of the Species at Risk Act (SARA) (S.C. 2002, c. 29). In Ontario, the species is also listed as Endangered^{Footnote 11} under the Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA) (S.O. 2007, c. 6) and receives species and habitat protection under the ESA.

NatureServe has not provided ranks for this subspecies; however, ranks for the Banded Tigersnail (Anguispira kochi) are available (NatureServe 2020). In Canada, Banded Tigersnail is considered vulnerable (N3), and in the United States it has been assessed as secure (N5). The global rank for the species is secure (G5). Sub-national ranks for Banded Tigersnail can be found in Appendix 2.

3. Species information

3.1 Species population and distribution

The Eastern Banded Tigersnail is known only from North America. Its range extends from southern Ontario southward to Tennessee in the south, Pennsylvania to the east, west to Missouri, and across Michigan. The Canadian population of the Eastern Banded Tigersnail occurs only in southwestern Ontario at the northern extent of its range (COSEWIC 2017).

In Canada, the Eastern Banded Tigersnail occurs as six extant subpopulations^{Footnote 12}: one on Middle Island, and five on Pelee Island (Fish Point Provincial Nature Reserve, Stone Road Alvar, Middle Point Woods/Florian Diamante Nature Reserve, Richard and Beryl Ivey Property/Winery Woods and Gibwood Property). In some instances, multiple properties comprise these subpopulations. The status of two additional subpopulations are unknown and require further information (one subpopulation on Pelee Island (east of West Shore Road) and another on Hen Island^{Footnote 13}). The species is thought to be extirpated from two subpopulations on Middle Sister Island and East Sister Island based on recent survey effort and current habitat conditions (COSEWIC 2017). The species is also thought to be extirpated from mainland subpopulations at the Clements Property, Alvinston, as well as on North Harbour Island as suitable habitat is not present (COSEWIC 2017). It is also thought that the Alvinston record may be erroneous (Wyshynski et al. 2019), and is not considered further in this recovery strategy. A previously identified subpopulation at Devonwood Conservation Area in Windsor (COSEWIC 2017) was determined to be erroneous. It has since been removed from the provincial species record (Natural Heritage Information Centre, R. Craig, pers. comm. 2022), and is not included in this recovery strategy. Further detail on subpopulations is in Figure 1 and Table 1.

Figure 1 – Eastern Banded Tigersnail subpopulations in Canada

Specimen Collector and Collection dates: ^aCOSEWIC (2017); ^bClapp (1916) and Goodrich (1916); ^cOldham (1997); ^dHolt (1916) Canadian Museum of Nature; ^eLischka (2012), Forsyth Collection as in COSEWIC 2017. ^fFresh shells are unweathered and unbleached in appearance with an intact periostracum (outer shell coating) (COSEWIC 2014; Pearce 2008). Old or weathered shells have lost their periostracum and are estimated to have been dead for 5-10 years (COSEWIC 2014; Pearce 2008). As such, subpopulations with records of fresh shells are considered to still be extant .

4. Threats

4.1 Threats assessment

The Eastern Banded Tigersnail threat assessment is based on the IUCN-CMP (International Union for Conservation of Nature - Conservation Measures Partnership) unified threats classification system (Version 2.0) (Salafsky et al. 2008). Threats are defined as the proximate activities or processes that have caused, are causing, or may cause in the future the destruction, degradation, and/or impairment of the entity being assessed (population, species, community, or ecosystem) in the area of interest (global, national, or subnational). Limiting factors are not considered during this assessment process. For purposes of threat assessment, only present and future threats are considered. Historical threats, indirect, or cumulative effects of the threats, or any other relevant information that would help understand the nature of the threats are presented in the Description of Threats section (Section 4.2).

4.2 Description of threats

The overall threat impact for this species is High-Low^{Footnote 14}; an assessment that reflects the uncertainty associated with severity scores for threats 11.2 Droughts and 11.3 Temperature Extremes. The overall threat impact for Eastern Banded Tigersnail considers the cumulative impact of multiple threats. Threats are listed in order as they appear in the Threats Classification Table (Table 2). The scope, severity, and/or impact of many potential threats is unknown. This is expected given the knowledge gaps surrounding this species.

The primary threats to Eastern Banded Tigersnail are recreational activities, habitat shifting and alteration, droughts, temperature extremes, and storms and flooding. The provincial recovery strategy provides more information on threats (Part 2- See Section 1.6 (Threats to Survival and Recovery)). These threats have been reorganized into the corresponding threat categories as identified under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Conservation Measures Partnership unified threats classification system (Version 2.0) have been added in parentheses after each threat sub-heading. Threats which were ranked by COSEWIC as ‘negligible’ are not included. These include threat 4.1 Roads and railroads, 6.3 Work and other activities, 7.1 Fire and fire suppression, and 9.3 Agriculture and forestry effluents. Discussions of these threats can be found in section 1.6 of the Ontario recovery strategy under the following headings: ‘Transportation and service corridors’, ‘Human intrusions and disturbances’, and ‘Pollution’.

Historic habitat loss and fragmentation such as land clearing for agriculture in the 19^th century was not included. Extant occurrences of Eastern Banded Tigersnail are known from protected areas on Pelee Island and Middle Island, where this is not considered to be a threat.

IUCN Threat #6. Human intrusions and disturbance

Threat 6.1 Recreational Activities (Low)

There has been a marked increase in tourism on Pelee Island since the ferry service expanded in 1992 (Ontario Newsroom 2015), and again in 2019 (Ontario Newsroom 2019). This can be expected to continue based on global tourism and ecotourism trends (COSEWIC 2017). The island attracts significant numbers of birders, photographers, tourists, hunters, and researchers, with over 60,000 visitors and residents travelling to the island each year (Ontario Newsroom 2015). Fish Point Provincial Nature Reserve and Stone Road Alvar are two sites which attract high numbers of visitors; the former had approximately 7,500 visitors in 2005 (Ontario Parks 2005; COSEWIC 2017). At Fish Point Provincial Nature Reserve, most visitors use the main park trail, which goes through forest and beach habitat (COSEWIC 2017). The risk posed to Eastern Banded Tigersnail by pedestrian trampling has not been studied in Canada, but snails were observed to cross or feed on trails during fieldwork in 2013-2015 (COSEWIC 2017). This behaviour was observed throughout the species’ active season, particularly during damp morning conditions, or during the day after rain (COSEWIC 2017). Fewer snails were observed on NCC’s Pelee Island properties where paths are wider and visitor numbers are lower (COSEWIC 2017). While Pelee Island is open to visitors year round, Middle Island is not open to the public from March 1 to September 1 annually, to protect the colonial waterbird nesting colony (Parks Canada Agency 2023). During this time, the island can only be accessed by permit for scientific research or ecosystem management activities (Parks Canada Agency 2023). As such, recreational activities do not pose a significant threat to the Middle Island subpopulation. Middle Island is managed as a “Zone 1- Special Preservation Area” which is the most protected classification in the Parks Canada Zone system (Parks Canada Agency 2023).

See section 1.6 of the provincial recovery strategy: “Human intrusions and disturbances”.

IUCN Threat # 7. Natural system modifications

Threat 7.3 Other ecosystem modifications (Unknown)

There are a number of unknowns related to the impact that invasive plants may have on Eastern Banded Tigersnail and its habitat. Invasive plant species are of concern as they prevent native plant establishment (Vidra et al. 2007); displace native plant species and alter soil nutrient cycles (Boutin et al. 2011; Stoll et al. 2012; Catling et al. 2015); and hinder restoration activities (Berger et al. 2004; Boutin et al. 2011; Catling et al. 2015). Invasive plants, such as Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) and grass species in the Poaceae family, are found within Eastern Banded Tigersnail habitat on both Pelee and Middle Islands (Nature Conservancy of Canada 2008; Boutin et al. 2011). Invasive species such as Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica) have been documented to reduce snail species richness, and especially affected long-lived gastropod species (Stoll et al. 2012). However, the direct effect of invasive species on the Eastern Banded Tigersnail has not been assessed (COSEWIC 2017).

Hyper-abundant Double-crested Cormorants nest on Middle Island along with several other species of colonial waterbirds. While the direct effect of nesting cormorants on Eastern Banded Tigersnail has not been assessed, the disappearance of the snail from two other Lake Erie islands has been attributed to the bird (COSEWIC 2017), as has the extirpation of Broad-banded Forestsnail from several Lake Erie islands including Middle Island (COSEWIC 2014). Double-crested Cormorant populations across Lake Erie have increased consistently since the early 1980s, and well-established nesting colonies can be found on several Lake Erie Islands (COSEWIC 2017). Nesting cormorants reduce suitable snail habitat by breaking tree branches and degrading microhabitat structures, and accumulations of guano reduce plant species richness, kill trees, and lead to increases in non-native species (Boutin et al. 2011; Nicolai et al. 2011, 2012). Guano accumulation also results in soil acidification and reduced calcium availability which can directly impact snail life processes and physiological function (Breuning-Madsen et al. 2010). Snail growth and reproduction rates may be reduced due to loss of available calcium for shell formation (Wareborn 1979; Fournié and Chétail 1984; Dallinger et al. 2001; Hotopp 2002). While Double-crested Cormorants are well established on Middle Island, population management activities have been taking place since 2008 (Thorndyke and Dobbie 2013). It is considered unlikely for the birds to become established on Pelee Island due to their preference for small islands that are typically free of mammalian predators (Sandilands 2005) and have limited human presence (COSEWIC 2017).

Earthworms (Lumbricus rubellus) are not native to Canada, and were likely introduced to North America sometime between the 16^th and 19^th centuries (CABI 2013). Earthworms are known to alter forest floor habitat through the consumption of leaf litter, and by modifying the physical and chemical properties of soil (Addison 2009; CABI 2013). Although such changes are expected to impact native invertebrates (Addison 2009; CABI 2013), and despite the presence of earthworms on Pelee Island (Reynolds 2011), changes in leaf litter and soil composition have not been documented in Eastern Banded Tigersnail habitat (COSEWIC 2017).

See section 1.6 of the provincial recovery strategy: ‘Ecosystem and habitat modification’.

IUCN Threat # 8. Invasive and other problematic species and genes

Threat 8.1 Invasive non-native/alien species (Unknown)

Wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) are known to eat snails, and despite difficulties associated with confirming this through Wild Turkey diet studies, the birds are considered a potential predator of Eastern Banded Tigersnail (Sandilands 2005; COSEWIC 2017). Wild Turkeys scratch to find food and in so doing, can disturb snail habitat and eat any uncovered snails. Wild Turkeys were extirpated from southwestern Ontario in the early 1900s (COSEWIC 2014). They were successfully reintroduced to the region in the mid-1980s, (Sandilands 2005). Despite there being no historical records of Wild Turkey on Pelee Island (Jones 1912a-d), 25 breeding turkeys were released in 2002, and hundreds of turkeys can now be found on the island (COSEWIC 2014). Wild turkey hunting is allowed on Pelee Island during the spring, and hunters are limited to two tags each (OMNRF 2022).

Large flocks have been observed near Eastern Banded Tigersnail habitat; 250 birds were observed in a field beside Fish Point Provincial Nature Reserve in November 2010 (COSEWIC 2017). Scratched and disturbed ground at the Florian Diamante Nature Reserve has also been attributed to turkeys. The disturbance occurred at the exact spot where Eastern Banded Tigersnails were confirmed during 2015 surveys; no snails were found during 2016 surveys (COSEWIC 2017).

Another introduced avian species found in Eastern Banded Tigersnail habitat is Ring‑necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus). Like Wild Turkeys, pheasants also eat snails (Sandilands 2005), and the impact of pheasant predation is unknown. This species is native to Asia, but became well established in southern Ontario after being introduced in the 1890s (Peck and James 1983). The species was introduced to Pelee Island in the late 1920s, and the population quickly grew (Sandilands 2005). Pheasants are hunted on Pelee Island, and 25,000 birds are released annually to supplement the population (COSEWIC 2014).

Although not documented, competition with exotic terrestrial snails, such as Grovesnail (Cepaea nemoralis), is a potential threat (Grimm et al. 2009). Grovesnail, as well as several invasive slug species are known to occur at Fish Point Provincial Nature reserve (COSEWIC 2014).

See section 1.6 of the provincial recovery strategy: ‘Invasive competitors and predators’.

IUCN Threat # 11. Climate change and severe weather

Threat 11.1 Habitat shifting and alteration (Low)

It is thought that changes to the natural erosion and deposition processes in Lake Erie will result in increased erosion rates along Fish Point, however no quantitative data is currently available (COSEWIC 2014). Reduced ice cover in winter paired with increased frequency of intense storms which generate large waves and storm surges can cause shoreline erosion (Wuebbles et al. 2020). While erosion was observed at Fish Point Provincial Nature Reserve between 2013 and 2014, the greatest abundance of Eastern Banded Tigersnail was found in the centre of Fish Point Provincial Nature Reserve, which is unlikely to be impacted by erosion in the short-term (COSEWIC 2017). However, approximately 5% of snails at Fish Point Provincial Nature Reserve are found close to the east shore, within an area that could be lost as a result of erosion in the future (COSEWIC 2017).

Threat 11.2 Droughts (High-Low); 11.3 Temperature Extremes (High-Low)

There are uncertainties related to the threat posed to Eastern Banded Tigersnail by droughts and temperature extremes. Climate change models project that southwestern Ontario will experience an increased frequency of extreme weather events such as drought and extreme temperatures (Varrin et al. 2007; Expert Panel on Climate Change Adaptation 2009). It is unknown how Eastern Banded Tigersnail will respond to the effects of climate change, however the species is thought to be highly vulnerable to climate change based on its specific microhabitat requirements, limited thermal tolerance and low dispersal ability (COSEWIC 2017). Snails may be particularly vulnerable to the combination of rising temperatures and increased drought frequency (Pearce and Paustian 2013). Overwintering mortality in terrestrial snails can be caused by temperature, starvation, carbon loss, and moisture loss (Horne 1973; Osborne and Wright 2018). In the Lake Erie region, frost dates have shifted for both fall and spring seasons resulting in longer frost free seasons (Dobson et al. 2020); and a decrease in snow cover (Suriano et al. 2019). Large snails are especially susceptible to freezing (Ansart et al. 2014). One way that Eastern Banded Tigersnail may be impacted by increasing average temperature is changes to snow cover. Hibernating snails are reliant upon snow cover for insulation during winter (Ansart et al. 2014). When frosts occur in the absence of insulating snow cover, it can result in spring snail mortality events of up to 90% (Nicolai and Sinclair 2013).

Drought and high temperatures can bring snails close to critical physiological limits, resulting in an increased risk of desiccation and mortality. While snails have evolved strategies to cope with periods of drought, these are often energetically costly and such costs are compounded by limited ability to forage and reproduce during such drought events (Nicolai and Ansart 2017). In some snail species, unusually hot and dry periods can increase mortality by up to 70% (Nicolai et al. 2011). Increased incidences of drought are expected within Eastern Banded Tigersnail’s Canadian range. The likelihood of surviving such droughts may depend on the presence of sheltering microhabitat features, and ability to seek out such shelter (Nicolai et al. 2011; Dahirel et al. 2015).

Threat 11.4 Storms and flooding (Low)

The absence of Eastern Banded Tigersnail from previously occupied subpopulations Pelee Island and Middle Island is attributed to frequent flooding from intensifying storm events (COSEWIC 2017). Such storms are considered a major natural disturbance on Middle Island, and may have caused large die-offs of several snail species on the south side of Middle Island between 2013-2015 (Dobbie and Kehoe 2008; COSEWIC 2017). In recent years, flooding due to storm events has been observed on Middle Island. Small areas of low lying forest were inundated, and remained wet for long periods of time (Dobbie pers. comm. 2021). While the impact of such events on Eastern Banded Tigersnail is unknown, increased overall snail activity was observed on the island in late summer compared to previous drought years; increased moisture levels may have had some net benefit for snails (Dobbie. pers. comm. 2021) Increased precipitation due to climate change may increase the proportion of Eastern Banded Tigersnail habitat that experiences regular flooding (COSEWIC 2017).

See section 1.6 of the provincial recovery strategy: ‘Climate change and severe weather’.

5. Population and distribution objectives

Under SARA, a population and distribution objective must be established for listed Endangered, Threatened, and Extirpated species when recovery is deemed feasible.

Population and distribution objective

• The long-term (30-year) population and distribution objective is to maintain the current distribution (Extent of Occurrence^{Footnote 15} (EOO; 102 km²) and Index of Area of Occupancy^{Footnote 16} (IAO; 36 km²)) of Eastern Banded Tigersnail in Canada, as well as any expansions to the EOO and IAO due to new observations of the species

Short-term statement toward meeting the population and distribution objective

• The short-term (10-year) statement is to maintain and enhance suitable habitat for Eastern Banded Tigersnail at existing subpopulations by reducing threats and addressing data deficiencies

Rationale

The Eastern Banded Tigersnail was assessed as endangered by COSEWIC and listed under SARA due to its limited range in Canada and a projected continuing decline in EOO, IAO, extent and quality of habitat, and number of locations and subpopulations, which is expected to result in a corresponding decline in population size (COSEWIC 2017). Historical habitat loss in the 19^th century likely reduced available habitat for Eastern Banded Tigersnail in Canada (COSEWIC 2017). Habitat degradation due to Double-crested Cormorant colonization on several Lake Erie islands has further reduced the snails range since the 1980s, likely causing the snail’s extirpation on several islands (COSEWIC 2017). The subpopulation on Middle Island likely continues to be impacted by the birds, and a number of other poorly understood ongoing threats may continue to degrade habitat quality and reduce habitat area on both Pelee Island and Middle Island.

The population and distribution objective addresses maintaining the species’ current distribution in Canada. Given that suitable habitat is no longer available at extirpated sites, and that the threat posed by Double-crested Cormorants is still present on several Lake Erie islands, it would be inappropriate to focus recovery efforts on expanding the species beyond its current range at this time. Instead, the focus is to maintain and enhance habitat at existing subpopulations and sites by reducing localized threats. If the threat of Double-crested Cormorants is reduced at extirpated sites, restoration opportunities can be considered in the future. It is also not possible to set a quantitative population objective at this time as very little demographic information is currently available. However, if the species distribution naturally expands, or if new occurrences are discovered, these new occurrences are included in the population and distribution objective.

Maintaining the EOO and IAO will primarily require habitat management as described in the short-term statement. This addresses the continuing decline in area, extent, and quality of habitat noted in the COSEWIC assessment (COSEWIC 2017). Maintaining the EOO and IAO will also require mitigation of known threats and determining the impact of potential threats. Meeting the population and distribution objective will also include addressing knowledge gaps relating to the species’ biology, microhabitat requirements, population trends, and direct threats, and will require refining population size estimates. Working towards the short-term statement will require working with partners to manage snail habitat at both the landscape and microhabitat scales, preventing the loss of habitat via erosion, and reducing the impact posed by recreational activities. The impact of several threats (for example, invasive and non-native species, problematic native species, natural ecosystem modifications, and climate change) are unknown; activities that can be undertaken to reduce their impacts are unclear and require further study.

This federal population and distribution objective is consistent with the province of Ontario’s Government Response Statement developed under the provincial ESA, which outlines the provincial government’s goal for the recovery of the species and summarizes the prioritized actions the government intends to take and support (see Part 3 for more information). The Government of Ontario’s goal for the recovery of Eastern Banded Tigersnail is to maintain the current distribution in existing locations in Ontario by filling knowledge gaps, reducing threats, maintaining, and enhancing habitat to improve connectivity (MECP 2020).

6. Broad strategies and general approaches to meet objectives

The government-led and government-supported action tables from the Eastern Banded Tigersnail Government Response Statement (Part 3) are adopted as the broad strategies and general approaches to meet the population and distribution objective. ECCC is not adopting the approaches identified in section 2.3 of the Recovery Strategy for the Eastern Banded Tigersnail (Anguispira kochi kochi) in Ontario (Part 2).

7. Critical habitat

7.1 Identification of the species’ critical habitat

Section 41(1)(c) of SARA requires that recovery strategies include an identification of the species’ critical habitat, to the extent possible, as well as examples of activities that are likely to result in its destruction. Under Section 2(1) of SARA, critical habitat is “the habitat that is necessary for the survival or recovery of a listed wildlife species and that is identified as the species’ critical habitat in the recovery strategy or in an action plan for the species”.

Identification of critical habitat is not a component of provincial recovery strategies under the Province of Ontario's ESA. Under the ESA, when a species becomes listed as endangered or threatened on the Species at Risk in Ontario List, it automatically receives general habitat protection. The Eastern Banded Tigersnail currently receives general habitat protection under the ESA. In some cases, a habitat regulation may be developed that replaces the general habitat protection. A habitat regulation is a legal instrument that prescribes an area that will be protected^{Footnote 17} as the habitat of the species by the Province of Ontario. A habitat regulation has not been developed for the Eastern Banded Tigersnail; however, the provincial recovery strategy includes a recommendation on the area that should be considered in developing a habitat regulation for the species (see Part 2, section 2.4).

Critical habitat for the Eastern Banded Tigersnail in Canada is identified as the extent of biophysical attributes (see Section 7.1.2) wherever they occur within areas described in Section 7.1.1, below. Areas containing critical habitat for the Eastern Banded Tigersnail are presented in Figures 2 and 3. The UTM grid squares (Figures 2 and 3) are part of a standardized grid system that indicates the general geographic areas containing critical habitat, which can be used for land use planning and/or environmental assessment purposes.

The critical habitat identified in this federal recovery strategy will assist in meeting the species’ population and distribution objectives for the Eastern Banded Tigersnail formulated under section 5. A schedule of studies (Section 7.2) has been developed to provide the information necessary to complete the identification of critical habitat that will be sufficient to meet population and distribution objectives. If new or additional information becomes available, refinements to current critical habitat, or additional critical habitat may be identified in an amendment to this recovery strategy. For more information on critical habitat identification, contact Environment and Climate Change Canada – Canadian Wildlife Service at RecoveryPlanning-Planificationduretablissement@ec.gc.ca.

7.1.1 Areas containing critical habitat

In Canada, the presence and persistence of the Eastern Banded Tigersnail depends on an area greater than that occupied by individuals of the species. This species requires ecological and landscape features that promote and maintain biophysical attributes^{Footnote 18} which support its life processes (for example, reproduction and dispersal) through different seasons. Using a continuous ecological area to identify habitat increases the probability that all habitat elements necessary for foraging, mating and nesting, aestivating and hibernating are included.

The area containing critical habitat for Eastern Banded Tigersnail is:

1. the suitable habitat^{Footnote 19} where an Eastern Banded Tigersnail observation^{Footnote 20} occurs

7.1.2 Biophysical attributes of critical habitat

The biophysical attributes of critical habitat are characterized as follows:

• woodlands, treed alvar and dry-fresh deciduous forest
• rocky limestone ground with herbaceous vegetation cover or humus-rich sandy soil with significant leaf litter layer; and
• leaf litter, logs, and/or humus rich soil to buffer temperatures and maintain moist microhabitat

These biophysical attributes are consistent with the following Ecological Land Classification ecosites as described in the Ontario Recovery Strategy for the Eastern Banded Tigersnail: Pelee Island and Middle Island contain Chinquapin Oak-Nodding Onion treed alvar and dry-fresh Hackberry deciduous forest. Dry-fresh Sugar Maple‑White Ash deciduous forest and dry Black Oak woodland, and treed alvars are also used on Pelee Island (COSEWIC 2017).

Figure 2. Critical Habitat for Eastern Banded Tigersnail in Canada – Pelee Island. The area containing critical habitat for Eastern Banded Tigersnail in Canada, as described in section 7.1, is represented by the yellow shaded unit. Within this area, critical habitat only occurs where the biophysical attributes described in section 7.1.2 are found. The 1 km × 1 km UTM grid overlay (red outline) shown on this figure is a standardized national grid system used to indicate the general geographic area within which critical habitat is found.

Figure 3. Critical Habitat for Eastern Banded Tigersnail in Canada – Middle Island, Point Pelee National Park. The area containing critical habitat for Eastern Banded Tigersnail in Canada, as described in section 7.1, is represented by the yellow shaded unit. Within this area, critical habitat only occurs where the biophysical attributes described in section 7.1.2 are found. The 1 km × 1 km UTM grid overlay (red outline) shown on this figure is a standardized national grid system used to indicate the general geographic area within which critical habitat is found.

7.2 Schedule of studies to identify critical habitat

7.3 Activities likely to result in the destruction of critical habitat

Understanding what constitutes destruction of critical habitat is necessary for the protection and management of critical habitat. Destruction is determined on a case by case basis. Destruction would result if part of the critical habitat was degraded, either permanently or temporarily, such that it would not serve its function when needed by the species. Destruction may result from a single activity or multiple activities at one point in time or from the cumulative effects of one or more activities over time.

There are unknowns regarding the feasibility of recovery of the Eastern Banded Tigersnail because not a lot is known about the species in Canada. The primary, direct threats to the species are recreational activities and habitat shifting and alteration. However, a number of additional poorly understood threats may also impact the species (for example, climate change and severe weather, natural system modifications, invasive and other problematic species). While possible that they can be managed to some extent, it is unknown whether the main human-caused threats to Eastern Banded Tigersnail can be avoided or mitigated. Especially being at the northernmost extent of its global range which can increase the species’ susceptibility to climatic and stochastic subpopulation fluctuations.

It should be noted that not all activities that occur in or near critical habitat are likely to cause its destruction. Some activities that result in a short-term disturbance of critical habitat, without affecting individuals or residences, may improve the future quality of critical habitat, if managed appropriately. For example, maintaining some open canopy via selective tree removal.

Activities described in Table 4 are examples of those likely to cause destruction of critical habitat for the species; however, destructive activities are not necessarily limited to those listed.

8. Measuring progress

The performance indicators presented below provide a way to define and measure progress towards achieving the population and distribution objectives. Every five years, success of recovery strategy implementation will be measured against the following performance indicators:

• the current distribution (EOO 102 km²; IAO 36 km²) of the Eastern Banded Tigersnail in Canada have been maintained, including any expansions to the EOO or IAO due to new observations of the species
• efforts have been made to maintain and enhance suitable habitat at existing sites, reduce threats, and address data deficiencies

9. Statement on action plans

One or more action plans will be completed and posted on the Species at Risk Public Registry for Eastern Banded Tigersnail within 10 years as priorities and resources allow.

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Appendix A: Conservation ranks of Banded Tigersnail (Anguispira kochi)

Appendix B: Effects on the environment and other species

A strategic environmental assessment (SEA) is conducted on all SARA recovery planning documents, in accordance with the Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals^{Footnote 22}. The purpose of a SEA is to incorporate environmental considerations into the development of public policies, plans, and program proposals to support environmentally sound decision-making and to evaluate whether the outcomes of a recovery planning document could affect any component of the environment or any of the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy’s^{Footnote 23} (FSDS) goals and targets.

Recovery planning is intended to benefit species at risk and biodiversity in general. However, it is recognized that strategies may also inadvertently lead to environmental effects beyond the intended benefits. The planning process based on national guidelines directly incorporates consideration of all environmental effects, with a particular focus on possible impacts upon non-target species or habitats. The results of the SEA are incorporated directly into the strategy itself, but are also summarized below in this statement.

Most broad strategies and approaches to recover the Eastern Banded Tigersnail are expected to have either no significant adverse impacts or to have a positive effect on the environments in which it is found, as well as on other species occupying these areas.

In Canada, Eastern Banded Tigersnail is restricted to Pelee Island and Middle Island (COSEWIC 2017). Species at risk found at these sites include: Red Mulberry (Morus rubra), Eastern Foxsnake (Pantherophis vulpinus), Broad-banded Forestsnail (Allogona profunda), Small-mouthed Salamander (Ambystoma texanum), Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), and Eastern Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida). Eastern Banded Tigersnail surveys and research may result in the location of other species at risk and/or identify the threats acting on them and the associated level of concern. Habitat conservation and management to ensure that suitable habitat is available from year to year is likely to benefit other species found within Eastern Banded Tigersnail’s core area. Similarly, increased public awareness of the species through outreach and communication, including information on identification, threats to it and actions that individuals can take to aid its recovery are likely to result in benefits to the suite of forest species through reduced recreational impacts.

Where necessary, the potential negative impacts associated with habitat modification, invasive species removal, shoreline alteration, and/or species management projects at Middle Island or as part of other federally funded projects will be addressed and corresponding mitigation measures will be developed in a project level environmental assessment under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. This is also completed for provincially owned sites under A Class Environmental Assessment for Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves. Environmental assessments may require follow-up to determine the success of the techniques implemented, and the accuracy of the effects predicted. This will allow for adaptive management, the mitigation of potential environmental effects, and continual adjustment and improvement of recovery efforts. New iterations of these plans will continue to be reviewed using these environmental assessment processes.

Part 2 - Recovery strategy for the Eastern Banded Tigersnail (Anguispira kochi kochi) in Ontario, prepared by S. Wyshynski, A.R. Eads and A. Nicolai for the Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks

Eastern Banded Tigersnail (Anguispira kochi kochi) in Ontario

Ontario Recovery Strategy Series

2019

Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks

Ontario

About the Ontario recovery strategy series

This series presents the collection of recovery strategies that are prepared or adopted as advice to the Province of Ontario on the recommended approach to recover species at risk. The Province ensures the preparation of recovery strategies to meet its commitments to recover species at risk under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the Accord for the Protection of Species at Risk in Canada.

What is recovery?

Recovery of species at risk is the process by which the decline of an endangered, threatened, or extirpated species is arrested or reversed, and threats are removed or reduced to improve the likelihood of a species' persistence in the wild.

What is a recovery strategy?

Under the ESA a recovery strategy provides the best available scientific knowledge on what is required to achieve recovery of a species. A recovery strategy outlines the habitat needs and the threats to the survival and recovery of the species. It also makes recommendations on the objectives for protection and recovery, the approaches to achieve those objectives, and the area that should be considered in the development of a habitat regulation. Sections 11 to 15 of the ESA outline the required content and timelines for developing recovery strategies published in this series.

Recovery strategies are required to be prepared for endangered and threatened species within one or two years respectively of the species being added to the Species at Risk in Ontario list. Recovery strategies are required to be prepared for extirpated species only if reintroduction is considered feasible.

What's next?

Nine months after the completion of a recovery strategy a government response statement will be published which summarizes the actions that the Government of Ontario intends to take in response to the strategy. The implementation of recovery strategies depends on the continued cooperation and actions of government agencies, individuals, communities, land users, and conservationists.

For more information

To learn more about species at risk recovery in Ontario, please visit the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry Species at Risk webpage.

Executive summary

The Eastern Banded Tigersnail is a large, terrestrial snail that has distinctive dark banding around its yellow-brown shell with an opening in the centre when viewed from below. There can be variations in shell size, thickness, and colour, as well as the visibility of bands, especially on weathered or older snails. The Eastern Banded Tigersnail hibernates from early October until April, and lays eggs in late spring and late summer. Terrestrial snails in general have a low physiological resistance to fluctuating environmental factors and a very low dispersal ability. The Eastern Banded Tigersnail is part of the unique faunas of the Carolinian ecosystem, and has significance for ecosystem functioning, research, and conservation.

The species range extends south to Tennessee, east to Pennsylvania, and west to Missouri. In Ontario, the Eastern Banded Tigersnail remains only on Pelee Island and Middle Island in Lake Erie. The species is listed as endangered in Ontario under the Ontario’s Endangered Species Act, 2007 due to its small range, decline and loss of subpopulations, and habitat alteration and fragmentation.

Threats to the Canadian population include, but are not limited to: climate change, habitat loss and degradation, ecosystem modification because of invasive and non-native species, predation, competition and disturbance from recreational activities. Climate change is the most serious threat to the persistence of the Eastern Banded Tigersnail, and will increase the likelihood of severe storms, flooding, and habitat erosion. Habitat on Middle Island is already severely altered by overabundant native Double-crested Cormorants. Eastern Banded Tigersnails are likely to be further impacted by competition with introduced slugs, increased predation pressure from Wild Turkeys and introduced snails, modifications to soil and leaf litter due to introduced plants and earthworms, as well as fire. Increasing tourism (trail development and traffic) may also impact the Eastern Banded Tigersnail, as well as pesticide run-off.

The recommended recovery goal is to maintain the current subpopulations of the Eastern Banded Tigersnail throughout their current range in Ontario, by maintaining, protecting and enhancing habitat, and reducing other threats. The recommended protection and recovery objectives are to:

1. secure protection for Eastern Banded Tigersnail habitats through active engagement with all levels of government and landowners within the species range
2. Implement a monitoring program for Eastern Banded Tigersnail subpopulations, habitats and threats on Pelee Island and Middle Island, including surveys of suitable habitat
3. assess and mitigate threats to all known sites in Ontario; and
4. address knowledge gaps related to biology, habitat requirements and threats that may assist in recovery efforts

Specific steps are recommended to achieve each of the protection and recovery objectives.

Given that Eastern Banded Tigersnails have an extremely limited distribution in Ontario, low dispersal ability, and that information pertaining to habitat use throughout various life stages and seasons is lacking, it is recommended that a precautionary approach be applied in defining habitat for the Eastern Banded Tigersnail. The area to be defined as habitat should include sufficient suitable habitat necessary for mating, nesting, foraging, aestivation and hibernation, along with dispersal. It is therefore recommended that the entire Ecological Land Classification (ELC) ecosite polygon occupied by an extant subpopulation of Eastern Banded Tigersnail be prescribed as habitat in a habitat regulation. In addition, it is recommended that a buffer of 50 m be added to the ELC ecosite polygon to account for dispersal into neighbouring habitat, reduce edge effects and maintain microhabitat conditions important to Eastern Banded Tigersnails. This 50 m buffer of suitable habitat around the ELC ecosite polygon takes into account the longest dispersal distance measured (32 m) in similar sized species (Edworthy et al. 2012), along with ensuring protection of habitat that may be used by snails at different times of year. Habitat known to be unsuitable (for example, roads, lakes) for Eastern Banded Tigersnails can be excluded from this buffer. Information on spatial limits of habitat used by the Eastern Banded Tigersnail is lacking. Using a contiguous ecological area to define habitat for the Eastern Banded Tigersnail increases the likelihood that all habitat elements required by the species are included.

1. Background information

1.1 Species assessment and classification

The following list is assessment and classification information for the Eastern Banded Tigersnail (Anguispira kochi kochi). Note: The glossary provides definitions for abbreviations and technical terms in this document.

• SARO List Classification: Endangered
• SARO List History: Endangered (2018)
• COSEWIC Assessment History: Endangered (2017)
• SARA Schedule 1: No schedule, no status
• Conservation Status Rankings: G-rank: G5; N-rank: N3; S-rank: S1S2

1.2 Species description and biology

Species description

The Eastern Banded Tigersnail (Anguispira kochi kochi) is a large terrestrial snail (adult shell width up to 2.5 cm). The yellow or brown shell is a robust, globular shape with broad whorls forming a spiral, and distinctively encircled by two dark longitudinal bands (Figure 1 of part 2). The shell also has shallow radial grooves (striae) on the surface (Grimm et al. 2010, Pilsbry 1948). There can be large variation in shell size, thickness, and colouration, as well as the visibility of banding and grooves (Figure 1 of part 2). Weathered, older animals can have a deteriorated periostracum (outer covering of the shell), losing the distinctive colour and textural features of the shell; however, colour bands are visible on the inside of the shell (COSEWIC 2017). The opening of the shell is slightly thickened in adults, and the umbilicus (the hollow in the underside around which the shell coils) is open and large. The animal is mostly grey, though the head and the foot may be slightly orange-red to brown (Figure 1 of part 2) and can produce a slightly orange mucus when disturbed. When aestivating and hibernating the shell is closed with an orange or white mucus foam (COSEWIC 2017).

Figure 1 of part 2. Eastern Banded Tigersnail in Fish Point Provincial Nature Reserve on Pelee Island (A, B) and Middle Island (C, D). Pictures were taken in spring 2013 and illustrate the development of shell thickness, roughness, and colour banding pattern with age in adult snails: thin, smoother, with visible bands in younger adults (A and B) versus thick, rough and visible bands only inside shells of older adults (C and D). Usually, snails of all ages are found at each site. Photos: ©Annegret Nicolai

Species biology

The Eastern Banded Tigersnail is a pulmonate (air-breathing), egg-laying simultaneous hermaphrodite (possesses both male and female reproductive organs) terrestrial snail (Pilsbry 1948). There is little else known about the life history of this species in Canada but based on field observations and similarities to related gastropods, the following can be assumed. Sexual maturity is reached after two to three years and their lifespan is possibly up to 10 years (COSEWIC 2017). Mating likely occurs multiple times per year, in mid-spring and mid-summer, with egg-laying in late spring and late summer when egg clutches of unknown size are deposited in shallow holes excavated in moist soil (Barker 2001).

Eastern Banded Tigersnails have been observed feeding on dead plant material, may also feed on micro-fungi, and are often found in the leaf litter and under decaying logs (COSEWIC 2017). Terrestrial snails require calcium from the soil for different physiological processes, such as growth, reproduction and heat protection (Wäreborn 1979, Hotopp 2002, Nicolai et al. 2013).

Snails have a low physiological resistance to fluctuating environmental factors, such as temperature and humidity, and the availability of moist refuges that buffer environmental fluctuations is a key limiting factor for population growth and persistence of most terrestrial snails (Burch and Pearce 1990). Snails are prone to dehydration in summer and may become dormant during prolonged periods of drought. They have developed physiological processes to maintain survival; however, unusually long heat and drought periods increase mortality rates (Nicolai et al. 2011). Snails will hibernate from early October until April, when they may take shelter in refuges insulated by snow to buffer them from freezing during winter (Nicolai and Ansart 2017). Terrestrial gastropods use various behavioural and physiological strategies to survive sub-zero temperatures (Ansart and Vernon 2003).

The Eastern Banded Tigersnail has a very low dispersal ability and is very unlikely to colonize new areas unassisted. Species of similar size are known to move between 80 cm (for example, Anguispira alternata) and 230 cm (for example, Mesodan thyroidus) per day within a home range of 40 m² to 800 m² respectively (Pearce 1990), have a net displacement of 32 m over three years (for example, Allogona townsendiana, Edworthy et al. 2012), or have home ranges greater than 50 m² but return to hibernation sites (for example, Allogona profunda, Blinn 1963). Passive dispersal by flooding of rivers (Vagvolgyi 1975) or transportation by birds (Kawakami et al. 2008) is possible but has not been documented in this species. There is no evidence that the species is transported by humans.

1.3 Distribution, abundance and population trends

Two subspecies of Anguispira kochi are currently recognized in Canada: A. k. kochi (the Eastern Banded Tigersnail) on the Lake Erie islands in Ontario, and A. k. occidentalis (the Western Banded Tigersnail) in British Columbia (Pilsbry 1948, COSEWIC 2017). The extent of occurrence (i.e., the zone encompassing all the known present occurrences) of the Eastern Banded Tigersnail in Canada is 102 km², though much of this calculated area is in Lake Erie, while the actual area of occupancy is estimated to be 36 km² (COSEWIC 2017). Within Ontario, extant (i.e., existing or surviving) subpopulations of the Eastern Banded Tigersnail were observed on Pelee Island and Middle Island in Lake Erie during widespread surveys undertaken in 2013 to 2015 (Figure 2 of part 2). The most recent genetic information suggests little divergence between these subpopulations, though they are separated by approximately five kilometres of open water (COSEWIC 2017). Within each subpopulation, there is the possibility of genetic exchange among individuals, assuming habitat patches are currently or could be connected in the future. However, habitat patches (only known in conservation properties) on Pelee Island are fragmented with some isolated by up to four kilometres.

Figure 2 of part 2. Current Ontario distribution of Eastern Banded Tigersnail including historical records (Clapp 1916, Goodrich 1916) and sites with unknown subpopulation status (COSEWIC 2017).

From 2016 to 2018, annual comprehensive surveys were conducted across Pelee Island for snail species of conservation concern. Live Eastern Banded Tigersnails were observed at Fish Point Provincial Nature Reserve, Ontario Nature Stone Road Alvar property, Shaughnessy Cohen Memorial Savanna (eastern Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) Stone Road Alvar property), Florian Diamante Nature Reserve (NCC) and the Richard and Beryl Ivey Nature Reserve (NCC). No live snails were found in the Gibwood property (NCC), the Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA) Stone Road Alvar property or the southern and western NCC Stone Road Alvar properties from 2012 to 2015, but live individuals or fresh shells of Eastern Banded Tigersnails were found in 2016 or 2018, highlighting the cryptic nature of terrestrial snails. Only old, weathered shells have been found in Middle Point Woods (NCC) since 2006, when significant forest flooding occurred. The Krestel property (northern NCC Stone Road Alvar property) and Winery Woods likely still host a small number of Eastern Banded Tigersnails even though no live individual has been observed in either location since 2006 and 2013, respectively. Habitat has not been disturbed on these conservation properties, whereas habitat conditions may have changed through human activities on the East Park campground and private land (not recently surveyed) where shells were last found in 1995 and 1997, respectively. Historically, Pelee Island was composed of four bedrock islands separated by marshland; however, to develop the island for agriculture in the 1890s, the marshes were dredged and the water pumped out to the lake (Figure 3 of part 2). The distribution of the Eastern Banded Tigersnail on Pelee Island is determined by this historical segregation, as well as by current and historical activities on each property, such as logging, grazing and agriculture).

Figure 3 of part 2. Occurrences of Eastern Banded Tigersnail on Pelee Island. Current conservation blocks are plotted on this historical map from the 19^th century. The Stone Road Alvar block encompasses properties of various land owners: Ontario Nature (ON Nature in the legend), ERCA and NCC (Krestel in the north, Shaughnessy Cohen Memorial Savanna in the east and southern and western properties). Former islands have a plain white background, while between the islands is marshland.

The subpopulation on Middle Island (part of Point Pelee National Park) may have been dramatically reduced since the early 1980s due to habitat destruction from the overabundant Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) (Dobbie and Kehoe 2008). Historically, Eastern Banded Tigersnails were found on many other western Lake Erie islands (Clapp 1916, Goodrich 1916, Ahlstrom 1930 and see collection records in COSEWIC 2017). However, no live Eastern Banded Tigersnails have been sighted on East Sister Island or on Middle Sister Island since specimens were collected there in 1916 and 1996, respectively (COSEWIC 2017). North Harbour Island and Hen Island are not accessible due to private ownership and so have not been recently surveyed. Habitat on East Sister and Middle Sister Islands was also heavily degraded by the Double-crested Cormorant, while North Harbour Island has been developed and little natural habitat remains. The Eastern Banded Tigersnail is considered extirpated on these three islands (COSEWIC 2017). Only Hen Island still harbours intact forest that is suitable habitat for the species. In 1991, shells were collected near Alvinston, Lambton County, on what is now a property of the St. Clair River Conservation Authority and recorded as Eastern Banded Tigersnails. However, the specimens for this record were lost and presumed to be erroneous (Forsyth, pers. comm., 2017-2018). The property has been surveyed repeatedly in 2015 and 2017; no shells were found, and habitat conditions appear unsuitable for this species.

The Canadian population of Eastern Banded Tigersnails was estimated at about 800,000 mature individuals in 2015 (COSEWIC 2017). Recruitment has been observed in most sites where the species was found alive. In 2018, the densest occurrence of Eastern Banded Tigersnails was found in the Fish Point Provincial Nature Reserve, which has a much higher abundance (mean 4.1 snails/m²) compared to all the other sites (for example, Richard and Beryl Ivey Nature Reserve, 0.7 snails/m²). Anthropogenic pressure (logging, grazing, and agriculture) on Pelee Island might have reduced abundance in the other conservation properties compared to Fish Point. The subpopulation of Eastern Banded Tigersnails on Middle Island was broadly estimated to be between 4,000 and 32,000 individuals in 2015. In the three monitoring plots on the island, mean abundance was 0.3 snails/m² in 2015, 0.9 snails/m² in 2016 and 1.8 snails/m² in 2017. The small increases in abundance may indicate a recovery related to Double-crested Cormorant culls that have occurred annually since 2008 or may simply be due to natural fluctuations in population size.

The distribution of the Eastern Banded Tigersnail in the USA extends from Tennessee in the south, Pennsylvania to the east, west to Missouri, and across Michigan (Hubricht 1985 and collection records in COSEWIC 2017, Figure 4 of part 2). However, increased genetic diversity and population augmentation via immigration from these populations outside of Canada are not possible due to Lake Erie acting as a barrier.

Figure 4 of part 2. Global range of Eastern Banded Tigersnail (COSEWIC 2017). Essex County in Canada with an extant population is indicated in orange. US counties where Eastern Banded Tigersnail currently occurs (1990 to 2015) are indicated in dark blue. US counties with records older than 1990 are shown in blue and those without a collection date in light blue. Note that the species doesn’t necessarily occur across the whole county.

NatureServe (2018) provides the following ranks for US states:

1. US states adjoining southwestern Ontario:
   Michigan: SU; Pennsylvania: S3; Ohio: SNR; New York: not present
2. other US states where Eastern Banded Tigersnail occurs:
   Illinois: SNR; Indiana: SNR; Kentucky: S2; West Virginia: S1; Missouri: SNR; Tennessee: S2

SNR: not ranked sub-nationally
SU: unrankable
S1: critically imperiled sub-nationally
S2: imperiled sub-nationally
S3: vulnerable sub-nationally
S4: apparently secure sub-nationally

1.4 Habitat needs

In Canada, the Eastern Banded Tigersnail inhabits mesic mature hardwood or mixed-wood forests. Goodrich (in Pilsbry 1948) characterizes the Eastern Banded Tigersnail as being “one of the typical molluscs of the old forest, and seldom found even in thick second-growth timber”. The Eastern Banded Tigersnail has been observed in Chinquapin Oak-Nodding Onion treed alvar and dry-fresh Hackberry deciduous forest on Middle Island and on Pelee Island, as well as in dry-fresh Sugar Maple-White Ash deciduous forest and dry Black Oak woodland at Fish Point on Pelee Island (COSEWIC 2017). These habitats have either rocky ground consisting of limestone with herbaceous vegetation cover (alvar) or sandy, humus-rich soil with a substantial leaf litter layer (10 to 20 cm). The forests where the species is found also have decaying logs and wood material. Leaf litter, logs and humus-rich soil provide temperature-buffered and moist microhabitat sites for hibernation, aestivation and egg laying, while limestone and calcium-rich plants provide nutrients. About 115 ha out of the total 788 ha of protected land (conservation properties of NCC, Ontario Nature, ERCA, Ontario Parks, Pelee Island Winery) on Pelee and Middle Islands (Parks Canada) represent suitable habitat for the species (COSEWIC 2017).

When Pelee Island was dredged and developed for agriculture, habitat loss was high due to significant deforestation. About 15 to 20 percent of the natural forest cover is still intact, most of which is under management by the NCC or the Ministry of Environment Conservation and Parks (MECP). No native snails or slugs were found in former marshland (for example, cultivated fields or small cultured woodlots between fields) on Pelee Island during surveys from 2013 to 2015, indicating that these environments do not represent suitable habitat and do not act as habitat or movement corridors.

The climate of the Lake Erie islands is much warmer than expected for its latitude because of the moderating effect of Lake Erie, and two-thirds of the year they are frost-free. This warmer climate plays an extremely important role in the persistence of flora and fauna at their northern range limits (North – South Environmental Inc. 2004). The warmer climate also leads to increased snowfall due to a higher precipitation rate, and this thicker snow cover is imperative for Eastern Banded Tigersnail winter survival when temperature variations are high.

1.5 Limiting factors

The Eastern Banded Tigersnail persists in small isolated forested habitat patches on Middle and Pelee Islands in Lake Erie. Eastern Banded Tigersnails have a very low dispersal ability and without corridor habitats at a suitable micro-scale, they are very unlikely to colonize new areas unassisted, to escape short-term threats or to recover from negative impacts (Nicolai and Ansart 2017). Fragmentation of habitat or encroachment into habitat due to agriculture, roads and water barriers all increase dispersal difficulty and restrict gene flow among subpopulations.

Eastern Banded Tigersnails have a low physiological resistance to fluctuating environmental factors, such as temperature and humidity, and the availability of moist refuges that buffer environmental fluctuations is a key limiting factor for population growth and persistence of most terrestrial snails (Burch and Pearce 1990). Their adaptability to changing climate conditions might be limited (Nicolai and Ansart 2017). Eastern Banded Tigersnails are restricted to mesic mature hardwood or mixed-wood forests and alvars, which are limited habitats across south-western Ontario. The species requires specific habitat and climate conditions to avoid dehydration in hot and dry periods and to hibernate through winter.

1.6 Threats to survival and recovery

The broad threats to the ongoing persistence of snail subpopulations are habitat destruction or modification, increased predation or competition, and significant weather events and climate change. These threats co-occur and can interact to increase the overall negative impact on snails; these cumulative impacts substantially elevate the level of overall threat for the Eastern Banded Tigersnail.

Climate change and severe weather

Climate change represents a significant but poorly understood threat to Eastern Banded Tigersnails. Southwestern Ontario is projected to have more extreme weather events including droughts, floods, and temperature extremes under climate change models (Varrin et al. 2007). Extreme temperatures are more likely, which result in more frequent and severe spring frosts (Augspurger 2013). There is high snail mortality when snow cover is absent (Nicolai and Ansart 2017). Snails are vulnerable to increasing average temperatures accompanied by increased occurrences of drought (Pearce and Paustian 2013), which can cause high mortality in some species that rely on shelter (Nicolai et al. 2011). With increased precipitation due to climate change, storms on Middle Island are predicted to become more violent, and erosion and flooding of forest habitats on Pelee Island are likely to occur more often, last longer, and disturb larger areas. Eastern Banded Tigersnails are found near the eastern shore of Pelee Island, which is being gradually eroded (COSEWIC 2017); the species is likely already affected by storm and flood damage, as only weathered shells have been found in multiple sites where these weather events take place. These threats need to be considered when assessing potential sites for recolonization.

Ecosystem and habitat modification

Nesting colonies of Double-crested Cormorants have increased dramatically on the Lake Erie islands since the early 1980s and are presumed to be the main reason for the extirpation of Eastern Banded Tigersnail on Middle Sister and East Sister Islands. Double-crested Cormorants have severely decreased the available forest habitat on Middle Island (Dobbie and Kehoe 2008) and have modified soil chemistry and community assemblages (North – South Environmental Inc. 2004; Boutin et al. 2011). Low soil pH and high soil salinity disturb physiological processes in snails. The change in plant diversity and density might reduce nutritional resources and degrade microhabitat structure for snails. Double-crested Cormorant culls have occurred on Middle Island since 2008 (Thorndyke and Dobbie 2013), but their effects here still need to be verified (Guillaumet et al. 2014).

There are several highly invasive plants on the islands in south-western Lake Erie, including Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) in forests and grasses of the family Poaceae in alvars. For instance, Garlic Mustard has been observed displacing native vegetation and altering soil nutrient cycles, thereby slowing restoration (Catling et al. 2015). Invasive plants are actively controlled using herbicides, mechanical control or prescribed burns. However, the impact of the invasive plants on the Eastern Banded Tigersnail is unknown (COSEWIC 2017).

Non-native earthworms have invaded parts of Canada relatively recently. They have been shown to have major impacts on ecosystems and could indirectly affect terrestrial snail communities (Norden 2010, Forsyth et al. 2016). Earthworms alter forest floor habitats by reducing or eliminating the natural leaf litter layer and digging up and mixing the mineral soil with the organic surface layer (Qiu and Turner 2017). The resulting changes in understory vegetation composition (Drouin et al. 2016) reduces available food plants and microhabitat for snails.

Invasive competitors and predators

Competition with exotic terrestrial gastropods is a potential threat (Whitson 2005, Grimm et al. 2010, Campbell et al. 2014) through aggression (Kimura and Chiba 2010), density effects and/or competition for food (Baur and Baur 1990b). The Dusky Arion (Arion subfuscus), Orange-banded Arion (Arion fasciatus), Grey Fieldslug (Deroceras reticulatum), and Grovesnail (Cepaea nemoralis) are present in the habitat of Eastern Banded Tigersnail, but their impacts are unknown (COSEWIC 2017). Additionally, predation by exotic carnivorous snails may be a threat to the Eastern Banded Tigersnail on Middle Island, as species of the Glass Snail genus Oxychilus were observed on Middle Island in 2013 (records MJO 40569a and ANi033e in the Forsyth-Nicolai Collection, Forsyth pers. comm. 2017-2018.). Wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) were introduced to Pelee Island in 2002, where they spread rapidly and are now naturalized with several flocks of more than 200 individuals. They are actively hunted in the spring. Similarly, Ring-necked Pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) were introduced to Pelee Island in the late 1920s for hunting. Both bird species are omnivorous and include snails in their diet (Sandilands 2005), and are known to disturb ground habitat by their intensive scratching. The impacts of these birds on snail subpopulations remain unstudied.

Human intrusions and disturbances

There has been a marked increase in tourism on Pelee Island since the ferry service expanded in 1992. The island attracts significant numbers of birders, photographers, tourists, hunters, and researchers, with annual visitation estimated to be 7,500 people at Fish Point alone (Ontario Parks 2005). Wide trails represent barriers for snail movement (Wirth et al. 1999). Moreover, trampling by pedestrians is a known threat for some snail species (Baur and Baur 1990a). Since visitors are only allowed on Middle Island from September to February, mostly a period of snail inactivity, their activities may not be a threat for Eastern Banded Tigersnails. Disturbance by targeted research activities for species of conservation concern appears to be low as researchers usually take care to minimize habitat disturbance. Specific gastropod research takes place in only a few monitoring plots within each habitat on Middle and Pelee Islands where snail stress is actively limited.

Fire has become an important management tool for forest and prairie conservation. Portions of the Stone Road Alvar on Pelee Island have been subjected to prescribed burns by Ontario Nature and ERCA in 1993, 1997, 1999, and 2005 (NCC 2008). There are plans by Ontario Nature for a burn in October 2019 to enhance snake habitat on parts of their Stone Road Alvar property (Horrigan, pers. comm., 2018) where the Eastern Banded Tigersnail also occurs. Burning directly and indirectly affects survival of litter-dwelling and soil invertebrates including terrestrial snails (Nekola 2002). Fire reduces and modifies organic substrates and residues (litter layer), which serve as both nutrients and shelter for these organisms (Bellido 1987). Fire can change the microclimate due to the sun warming post-burn bare soil and increasing soil evaporation (Knapp et al. 2009).

Transportation and service corridors

Conservation properties on Pelee Island are separated by roads, canals, and ditches. Snails are highly vulnerable when moving across roads, and rarely attempt to do so; as such, paved roads with high traffic densities fragment snail populations (Baur and Baur 1990a). Canals, ditches, paved and unpaved roads or tracks with both high and low traffic densities, or even a narrow footpath devoid of leaf litter, can all be barriers to snail dispersal (Baur and Baur 1990a; Wirth et al. 1999, Meadows 2002).

Pollution

Air- and water-borne pollution from roads (for example, heavy metals and road salt) represents a potential threat to snails (Viard et al. 2004). However, traffic on Pelee Island is low and is absent on Middle Island. Agricultural effluents and herbicide use in the control of invasive plants in conservation properties on Pelee and Middle Islands may represent a threat for the Eastern Banded Tigersnail, though the impacts of pesticides on terrestrial gastropods are poorly understood. Laboratory studies have shown that exposure to some herbicides increases mortality of some snail species (Koprivnikar and Walker 2011) and could affect reproduction (Druart et al. 2011), thereby affecting population dynamics.

1.7 Knowledge gaps

Limited knowledge of the species distribution and biology, specifically diet, physiological responses to environmental factors, and interactions with exotic species may hinder the efficacy of protection strategies for the Eastern Banded Tigersnail. Research on the following knowledge gaps would contribute to a more complete understanding for the protection and recovery of this species and its habitat:

• population viability analysis and genetic diversity
• life history traits: growth, reproduction, life span, dispersal
• habitat requirements: diet, physico-chemical parameters in the soil and litter, habitat structure (physical elements, vegetation composition)
• interspecific interactions: especially the impact of exotic terrestrial gastropods, plants and earthworms through habitat changes or competition for food and shelter (density effects)
• physiological tolerances and adaptability: heat and cold resistance, responses to pesticides and changes in climatic conditions and soil characteristics
• predation risk: predation impact of birds and carnivorous gastropods; and
• subpopulation-level responses to habitat management measures, such as mechanical vegetation-thinning and prescribed burns, through monitoring of changes in distribution, mortality, demography and re-colonization from buffer zones

1.8 Recovery actions completed or underway

To date, no specific recovery actions have been implemented, though the regular monitoring of a few plots on Middle and Pelee Islands was initiated in 2015.

2. Recovery

2.1 Recommended recovery goal

The recommended recovery goal is to maintain the current subpopulations of Eastern Banded Tigersnail throughout their current range in Ontario, by maintaining, enhancing and protecting habitat, and reducing other threats.

2.2 Recommended protection and recovery objectives

1. Secure protection for Eastern Banded Tigersnail habitats through active engagement with all levels of government and landowners within the species’ range
2. Implement a monitoring program for Eastern Banded Tigersnail subpopulations, habitats and threats on Pelee Island and Middle Island, including surveys of suitable habitat
3. Assess and mitigate threats to all known sites in Ontario
4. Address knowledge gaps related to biology, habitat requirements and threats that may assist in recovery efforts

2.3 Recommended approaches to recovery

Table 1 of part 2. Recommended approaches to recovery of the Eastern Banded Tigersnail in Ontario

2.4 Area for consideration in developing a habitat regulation

Under the ESA, a recovery strategy must include a recommendation to the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks on the area that should be considered in developing a habitat regulation. A habitat regulation is a legal instrument that prescribes an area that will be protected as the habitat of the species. The recommendation provided below by the author will be one of many sources considered by the Minister when developing the habitat regulation for this species.

The Eastern Banded Tigersnail has a very limited distribution in Ontario, with confirmed extant subpopulations only found on two Lake Erie islands (Middle Island and Pelee Island). Because of the extremely limited distribution (only a few locations on these islands) along with a very low dispersal ability, it is recommended that a precautionary approach be applied in defining habitat for Eastern Banded Tigersnails.

When overlaying Eastern Banded Tigersnail occurrences on vegetation maps (Ecological Land Classification [ELC] by Lee et al. 1998) of Pelee Island and Middle Island, an affinity for particular habitat types was shown (COSEWIC 2017). However, what knowledge we have for current habitat use is based on a small number of observations during seasonal annual surveys. How Eastern Banded Tigersnails use particular habitat patches, in different seasons, for various biological functions such as feeding and aestivation/hibernation, is unknown. Given the lack of information on habitat requirements, it is recommended that the regulated area include sufficient suitable habitat to maintain specific life functions throughout different seasons. In general, snail populations are typically made up of several hundred individuals heterogeneously distributed over a habitat patch. Using a contiguous ecological area to define habitat increases the probability that all habitat elements necessary for foraging, mating and nesting, aestivating and hibernating are included. It is therefore recommended that all entire Ecological Land Classification (ELC) ecosites polygons occupied by an extant subpopulation of Eastern Banded Tigersnails be prescribed as habitat in a habitat regulation.

The habitat in which the species is found has substantial leaf litter, decaying logs, and humus-rich soil, all of which provide moist microhabitat sites for hibernation, aestivation and egg-laying. A buffer around the ELC ecosite polygon will help maintain the important microhabitat properties required by the Eastern Banded Tigersnail. Therefore, it is further recommended that a buffer of 50 m be added to the ELC ecosite polygons to account for the dispersal of snails into neighbouring habitat, to reduce edge effects and to maintain important microhabitat properties. Without an understanding of how Eastern Banded Tigersnails use different habitat patches at different times of year, the importance of neighbouring habitat remains unclear. A 50 m buffer of suitable habitat around the ELC ecosites polygons takes into account the furthest net dispersal distance measured (32 m) in similar-sized terrestrial snail species (Edworthy et al. 2012), and ensures the protection of habitat that may be used by snails at different times of year. Habitat known to be unsuitable for Eastern Banded Tigersnails (for example, roads and lakes) should be excluded from this buffer. Farmland is in general unsuitable habitat for the snail, and agricultural effluents and herbicides have been shown to alter snail population dynamics by affecting reproduction (Druart et al. 2011) and increasing mortality (Koprivnikar and Walker 2011). Transforming farmland into a filtering buffer by planting hedgerows, grass strips and poly-cultures (multiple plant species) with no chemical inputs around the ELC ecosite polygon could help reduce the impacts of effluents and herbicides on Eastern Banded Tigersnails.

Information on the spatial limits of habitat used by Eastern Banded Tigersnails is lacking. When new information on home range size, dispersal ability and key habitat features critical for supporting the species’ lifecycle becomes available, the area prescribed as habitat should be revised and updated.

Glossary

Aestivation

A period of deep and prolonged sleep, or torpor, that occurs in the summer or dry season in response to heat and drought.

Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC)

The committee established under section 14 of the Species at Risk Act that is responsible for assessing and classifying species at risk in Canada.

Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario (COSSARO)

The committee established under section 3 of the Endangered Species Act, 2007 that is responsible for assessing and classifying species at risk in Ontario.

Conservation status rank

A rank assigned to a species or ecological community that primarily conveys the degree of rarity of the species or community at the global (G), national (N) or subnational (S) level. These ranks, termed G-rank, N-rank and S-rank, are not legal designations. Ranks are determined by NatureServe and, in the case of Ontario’s S-rank, by Ontario’s Natural Heritage Information Centre. The conservation status of a species or ecosystem is designated by a number from 1 to 5, preceded by the letter G, N or S reflecting the appropriate geographic scale of the assessment. The numbers mean the following:
1 = critically imperiled
2 = imperiled
3 = vulnerable
4 = apparently secure
5 = secure
NR = not yet ranked

Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA)

The provincial legislation that provides protection to species at risk in Ontario

Species at Risk Act (SARA)

The federal legislation that provides protection to species at risk in Canada. This act establishes Schedule 1 as the legal list of wildlife species at risk. Schedules 2 and 3 contain lists of species that at the time the Act came into force needed to be reassessed. After species on Schedule 2 and 3 are reassessed and found to be at risk, they undergo the SARA listing process to be included in Schedule 1.

Species at Risk in Ontario (SARO) List

The regulation made under section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, 2007 that provides the official status classification of species at risk in Ontario. This list was first published in 2004 as a policy and became a regulation in 2008

List of abbreviations

COSEWIC

Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada

COSSARO

Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario

ELC

Ecological Land Classification

ERCA

Essex Region Conservation Authority

ESA

Ontario’s Endangered Species Act, 2007

ISBN

International Standard Book Number

MECP

Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks

NCC

Nature Conservancy of Canada

SARA

Canada’s Species at Risk Act

SARO List

Species at Risk in Ontario List

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Part 3 – Eastern Banded Tigersnail Ontario Government Response Statement, prepared by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.

Eastern Banded Tigersnail Ontario government response statement
Protecting and recovering species at risk in Ontario

Species at risk recovery is a key part of protecting Ontario’s biodiversity. The Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA) is the Government of Ontario’s legislative commitment to protecting and recovering species at risk and their habitats.

Under the ESA, the Government of Ontario must ensure that a recovery strategy is prepared for each species that is listed as endangered or threatened. A recovery strategy provides science-based advice to government on what is required to achieve recovery of a species.

Generally, within nine months after a recovery strategy is prepared, the ESA requires the government to publish a statement summarizing the government’s intended actions and priorities in response to the recovery strategy. The response statement is the government’s policy response to the scientific advice provided in the recovery strategy. In addition to the strategy, the government response statement considered (where available) input from Indigenous communities and organizations, stakeholders, other jurisdictions, and members of the public. It reflects the best available local and scientific knowledge, including Traditional Ecological Knowledge where it has been shared by communities and Knowledge Holders, as appropriate and may be adapted if new information becomes available. In implementing the actions in the response statement, the ESA allows the government to determine what is feasible, taking into account social, cultural and economic factors.

The Recovery Strategy for the Eastern Banded Tigersnail (Anguispira kochi kochi) in Ontario was completed on July 22, 2019.

Eastern Banded Tigersnail is a large terrestrial snail that has distinctive dark bands around its yellow-brown shell. The shell has an opening in the centre when viewed from below. The shell size, thickness, colour and visibility of bands can vary.

Protecting and recovering Eastern Banded Tigersnail

Eastern Banded Tigersnail is listed as an endangered species under the ESA, which protects both the snail and its habitat. The ESA prohibits harm or harassment of the species and damage or destruction of its habitat without authorization. Such authorization would require that conditions established by the Ontario government be met.

Globally, the Eastern Banded Tigersnail occurs in North America, from southwestern Ontario, south to Tennessee, east to Pennsylvania and West to Missouri. In Canada, the species is found in Ontario on Pelee Island and Middle Island in Lake Erie. The species has also been known to occur on Middle Sister Island, East Sister Island, and North Harbour Island and Hen Island in Lake Erie; however, no recent observations have been documented at these locations. The species is presumed to be extirpated from East Sister, Middle Sister and North Harbour islands as suitable habitat no longer remains. Suitable habitat remains on Hen Island; however, this location has not been recently surveyed as access is limited. An unverified record of the species has also been documented near Alvinston (Lambton County).

The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) report in 2017 estimates the Ontario population to be approximately 800,000 mature individuals. The highest density of the species (measured in 2018) was found at the Fish Point Provincial Nature Reserve on Pelee Island, which has a much higher abundance compared to all other sites.

Eastern Banded Tigersnail is an air-breathing, egg-laying terrestrial snail that possesses both male and female reproductive organs. Very little is known about the biology, genetics, and habitat requirements of the Eastern Banded Tigersnail in Canada. Based on related gastropods, it can be assumed that sexual maturity is reached after two to three years and their lifespan is up to 10 years. Mating likely occurs multiple times per year and eggs are deposited in shallow holes excavated in moist soil.

The species is found in moist forest environments with substantial leaf litter, decaying logs, and rich soil suitable for hibernation, aestivation (dormancy) and egg-laying. Information on home range size, dispersal ability and key habitat use requires further investigation.

Threats to Eastern Banded Tigersnail are poorly understood. Climate change may be a significant threat as the species has low tolerance to fluctuating environmental conditions. The risk of extreme temperatures resulting in spring frost are a threat at all sites. Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus)are presumed to be the main reason for the extirpation of Eastern Banded Tigersnail on Middle Sister and East Sister islands and have decreased the amount of available forest habitat on Middle Island. Invasive species such as Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata), non-native earthworm (for example, genus Amynthas) and other gastropod species such as Dusky Arion (Arion subfuscus), Grovesnail (Cepaea nemoralis), Orange-banded Arion (Arion fasciatus), and Grey Fieldslug (Deroceras reticulatum) may also negatively affect native snail populations by altering the soil composition, reducing the leaf litter layer and competing for habitat and food resources. Prescribed burns occur in the species’ habitat and this management tool may directly and indirectly affect the survival of Eastern Banded Tigersnail by modifying the litter layer and changing the soil conditions following burns. Further research is required to determine the extent and severity of these threats and how they can be mitigated. Other threats may include predation by Wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris), trampling from recreational trail use on Pelee Island, barriers to dispersal (trail widening, roads and service corridors), invasive earthworms, and pollution.

The species is limited by its low tolerance to fluctuating temperature and humidity and heavily relies on moist refuges that buffer these fluctuations. The species is also limited by its low dispersal ability and is unlikely to colonize new areas as current habitat patches are severely fragmented.

Given the limited distribution of Eastern Banded Tigersnail in Ontario and that the knowledge gaps associated with the species’ life history, habitat use, interspecific interactions and threats are substantial, the government will focus efforts on maintaining and enhancing habitat to improve connectivity and increasing our knowledge of the species including its distribution, biology, habitat requirements and threats.

Government’s recovery goal

The government’s goal for the recovery of Eastern Banded Tigersnail is to maintain the current distribution in existing locations in Ontario by filling knowledge gaps, reducing threats and maintaining and enhancing habitat to improve connectivity.

Actions

Protecting and recovering species at risk is a shared responsibility. No single agency or organization has the knowledge, authority or financial resources to protect and recover all of Ontario’s species at risk. Successful recovery requires inter-governmental co-operation and the involvement of many individuals, organizations and communities. In developing the government response statement, the government considered what actions are feasible for the government to lead directly and what actions are feasible for the government to support its conservation partners to undertake.

Government-led actions

To help protect and recover Eastern Banded Tigersnail, the government will directly undertake the following actions:

• continue to protect Eastern Banded Tigersnail and its habitat through the ESA
• undertake communications and outreach to increase public awareness of species at risk in Ontario
• continue monitoring and managing provincially protected areas with Eastern Banded Tigersnail in a manner consistent with park management plans (for example, Fish Point Provincial Park)
• educate other agencies and authorities involved in planning and environmental assessment processes on the protection requirements under the ESA
• for populations that occur on Pelee Island, explore opportunities to work collaboratively with the Township of Pelee, including the Pelee Island Environmental Advisory Committee, the federal government and local partners to integrate approaches to stewardship, implement recovery actions and explore integrated approaches to managing species at risk
• encourage the submission of Eastern Banded Tigersnail data to Ontario’s central repository through the NHIC (Rare species of Ontario) project in iNaturalist or directly through the Natural Heritage Information Centre
• continue to support conservation, agency, municipal and industry partners, and Indigenous communities and organizations to undertake activities to protect and recover Eastern Banded Tigersnail. Support will be provided where appropriate through funding, agreements, permits (including conditions) and/or advisory services
• collaborate with federal partners, such as Parks Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada and Canadian Wildlife Service to implement protection and recovery actions for Eastern Banded Tigersnail on federal lands
• continue to implement the Ontario Invasive Species Strategic Plan (2012) to address the invasive species (for example, garlic mustard) that threaten the Eastern Banded Tigersnail
• explore taking appropriate management actions in accordance with provincial policy direction on cormorants to support protection and recovery for Eastern Banded Tigersnail
• conduct a review of progress toward the protection and recovery of Eastern Banded Tigersnail within five years of the publication of this document

Government-supported actions

The government endorses the following actions as being necessary for the protection and recovery of Eastern Banded Tigersnail. Actions identified as “high” may be given priority consideration for funding under the Species at Risk Stewardship Program. Where reasonable, the government will also consider the priority assigned to these actions when reviewing and issuing authorizations under the ESA. Other organizations are encouraged to consider these priorities when developing projects or mitigation plans related to species at risk.

Focus area: Research and monitoring

Objective: Increase knowledge of Eastern Banded Tigersnail distribution in Ontario, improve knowledge of species biology, their habitat and site-specific threats.

Standardized surveys and monitoring will improve our knowledge of the distribution of Eastern Banded Tigersnail. Monitoring their status, habitat conditions and site-specific threats will help fill knowledge gaps and inform future recovery efforts. In addition, further understanding of species biology such as dispersal ability, life history, and genetics is required to support protection and management of the species and its habitat. Additional research is also needed to identify the extent and severity of the impact of climate change and invasive species, to help inform appropriate management actions.

Actions:

1. (High) Develop, implement and promote a standardized survey and monitoring protocol throughout the species’ known range in Ontario. Identification material should be included to accurately distinguish the species from other snails. Survey and monitoring activities should document and monitor:

• species presence/absence
• species abundance
• habitat use and conditions; and
• site-specific threats

2. (High) Conduct research to improve knowledge on Eastern Banded Tigersnail biology, ecology, and habitat such as:

• habitat requirements
• dispersal ability and home range size
• life history and genetics
• adaptive strategies (for example, reproduction, feeding, dispersal) in response to changing climatic conditions; and
• the interaction of Eastern Banded Tigersnail with non-native terrestrial gastropods

3. Conduct surveys in suitable habitat to determine whether there are unknown populations of Eastern Banded Tigersnail.

4. Investigate the effects and severity of known and potential threats to Eastern Banded Tigersnail and identify potential mitigation measures as appropriate, which may include:

• investigating the potential effects of climate change on the species and its habitat and options for mitigation (for example, refuge areas and other habitat enhancement measures)
• examining the potential effects of Double-crested Cormorants and Wild Turkeys on the species and/or their habitat
• investigating the potential effects of non-native earthworms on the species and their habitat; and
• investigating the species’ response to habitat management actions (for example, prescribed burns, mechanical vegetation removal)

Focus area: Habitat and threat management

Objective: Maintain and improve the habitat for Eastern Banded Tigersnail and increase the level public awareness and engagement in protecting and recovering the species.

The Eastern Banded Tigersnail may be impacted by several threats including climate change, invasive species, predation, recreational activities (for example, trail development), and pollution. As knowledge gaps are being filled on the extent and severity of these threats, management efforts should be focused on maintaining or enhancing habitat and minimizing threats to support the protection and recovery of this species. Identifying and targeting areas for habitat restoration and/or enhancement that are vulnerable to threats such as flooding, fire, and development would help to further reduce threats at occupied sites.

On Pelee Island, Eastern Banded Tigersnail is located within protected areas. Conservation organizations and local partners have been actively involved in the ongoing maintenance and restoration of these areas (for example, prescribed burns) to support multiple species at risk. In addition, many private landowners have undertaken efforts to preserve natural habitat on the island. As prescribed burns may impact Eastern Banded Tigersnail, working collaboratively on these efforts will promote the protection and recovery of this species.

Actions:

5. (High)Work collaboratively with municipalities, conservation partners, landowners and land managers to mitigate threats and develop, implement and evaluate management plans to maintain and/or improve the quality of Eastern Banded Tigersnail habitat. Actions may include:

• identifying opportunities for habitat restoration and/or enhancement including creating refuge areas and encouraging connectivity, where there are willing partners;
• applying appropriate techniques informed by research to remove invasive plants (for example, garlic mustard) if posing a direct threat to the species and monitoring success of management actions at identified sites;
• minimizing impacts from human-caused disturbances (for example, recreational trail use); and,
• working with partners to minimize the impacts of prescribed burns taking place in Eastern Banded Tigersnail habitat.

Focus area: Stewardship and outreach

Objective: Increase the level public awareness and engagement in protecting and recovering the species.

Increasing public awareness of this species and encouraging participation in management will also contribute towards recovery efforts. Involvement of volunteers including species experts, naturalists and land stewards should also be encouraged to maximize efforts.

Actions:

6. Engage volunteers to participate in surveys for this species to determine its presence or absence using citizen science programs (for example, iNaturalist).

7. Develop education and outreach material to promote the awareness of the species at existing locations. Information should include:

• how to identify the species
• the species’ habitat requirements
• protection afforded to the species and its habitat under the ESA; and
• actions that can be taken to avoid or minimize impacts to the species and its habitat including preventing trampling

Implementing actions

Financial support for the implementation of actions may be available through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program. Conservation partners are encouraged to discuss project proposals related to the actions in this response statement with Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks staff. The Ontario government can also advise if any authorizations under the ESA or other legislation may be required to undertake the project.

Implementation of the actions may be subject to changing priorities across the multitude of species at risk, available resources and the capacity of partners to undertake recovery activities. Where appropriate, the implementation of actions for multiple species will be co-ordinated across government response statements.

Reviewing progress

The ESA requires the Ontario government to conduct a review of progress towards protecting and recovering a species no later than the time specified in the species’ government response statement, or not later than five years after the government response statement is published. The review will help identify if adjustments are needed to achieve the protection and recovery of Eastern Banded Tigersnail.

Acknowledgement

We would like to thank all those who participated in the development of the Recovery Strategy and Government Response Statement for the Eastern Banded Tigersnail (Anguispira kochi kochi)in Ontario for their dedication to protecting and recovering species at risk.

For additional information

Visit the Ontario Species at risk website

Contact the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks

1-800-565-4923
TTY 1-855-515-2759
Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks