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Friday, October 22, 2010

About terrestrial snail of Borneo


Borneo is totally smaller than India or Australia, but very rich with biodiversity. I am interested on terrestrial snail fauna especially the micro-terrestrial species. I was surveyed some areas from Sarawak including some of very remote areas e.g. Katibas, collecting and preserving specimens for educational purposes.

First of all, what is terrestrial snail? In my own definition, terrestrial snail define as animal belonging to class Gastropoda living on the land or adapted living on the land. Terrestrial snails included some species from family Ellobiidae and Littorinidae.

Why we need to study on terrestrial snail? Terrestrial snail diversity especially prosobranch snails (referring to the family Diplommatinidae) from Borneo higher than other regions in South-east Asia (Vermeulen, 1991; 1993; 1994; 1996). The species number living in Borneo are estimated more than 600 species. The areas surveyed were limited to limestone outcrops which approximately 1 percent of Bornean total area. How about the rest?


Reference

Vermeulen, (1991). Notes on the non-marine molluscs of the island of Borneo 2. The genus Opisthostoma (Gastropoda Prosobranchia: Diplommatinidae). BASTERIA 55: 139-163.

Vermeulen, (1993). Notes on the non-marine molluscs of the island of Borneo 5. The genus Diplommatina (Gastropoda Prosobranchia: Diplommatinidae). BASTERIA 57: 3-69.

Vermeulen, (1994). Note on the non-marine molluscs of the island of Borneo 6. The genus Opisthostoma (Gastropoda Prosobranchia: Diplommatinidae), part 2. BASTERIA 58: 75-191.

Vermeulen, (1996). Notes on the non-marine molluscs of the island of Borneo 8. The genus Arinia; additions to the genera Diplommatina and Opisthostoma (Gastropoda Prosobranchia: Diplommatinidae). BASTERIA 60: 87-138.


Just want to share with you all.. This is fruit of wild Durian from Mulu National Park calls 'Durian Burung'.. relatively smaller than commercial Durian, with very horrible taste and exactly not for human consumption..