Man's vital energy requirements endanger eight land snail populations from Yontukyazi hill due to agricultural and livestock activities

Abstract

Southeastern Anatolia is one of the important regions from the point of malacological studies. In the course of detailed studies between 2004-2009 years in southeastern Anatolia, eight species of land snails (Mollusca: Gastropoda) (Monacha melitenensis, Turanena cohlicopoides, Assyriella escheriana, Orculella garzanensis, Pene sidoniensis edessanus, Oxcyhilus (Hiramia) camelinus, Orculella palatalis and Xeropicta derbentina) populations under threat of disappearance, were obtained from Yontukyazi hill (Yontulcyazi, Besiri, Batman). This small hill is entirely circled by agricultural terrains and area of livestock; therefore journey of the snails from Yontukyazi to distant mountainous areas (Sason, Kozluk) has been impossible, and thus gene exchange and dispersing have been blocked. Notably, M melitenensis, O. garzanensis, T. cochlicopoides, P. sidoniensis edessanus and O. palatalis species are endemic to Anatolia. O. camelinus is new record for Southeast Anatolia.