Skip to content

Aquatic animals in dry climate

Published 21 Mar 2017 by Julia Harris (Reserve Manager)

While taking a walk around a clay pan on Bon Bon Reserve during the Christmas break, we were very surprised to see a small snail in a tiny puddle of water leftover from the last rain.

You may be wondering why we were surprised to find a snail?

Here at Bon Bon Station Reserve our species list for aquatic (or water-loving) species is very short, as this is one of the driest habitable landscapes in Australia.

There are no permanent water holes to provide refuges for aquatic animals in any of the creeks on Bon Bon or in any of the catchment systems leading into the reserve from further afield.

The only other aquatic species recorded are the Desert Trilling Frog (also known as Sudell’s frog) Neobatrachus sudelli (this frog survives the dry times by burrowing underground) and the Shield or Tadpole Shrimp Triops australiensis. This unusual animal survives in very harsh environments because it’s eggs can weather the long dry periods between rain events.

In 2016 we recorded 220mm of rain at Bon Bon homestead, (about 70mm above average) and as a result we did hear some frogs and found lots of tadpoles and shield shrimps in the puddles and swamps that filled for a short time.

Our younger volunteers who were helping us during winter were very pleased to have a chance to see (and photograph) these unusual critters.

Recently we sent the photo of our unexpected Bon Bon snail to Rob Wager (Bush Heritage’s freshwater ecologist), and he thinks it belongs to a group of molluscs called Camaeid snails (commonly called land snails). He says, they're air breathing and have a mechanism by which they can seal the shell to preserve moisture in dry times.

“I think the one you have found is of the genus Sinumelon. I cannot tell which species. They display high levels of local endemism and indeed yours may be new, as the arid area specimens are rather poorly studied.”

Rob Wager also said he would not be surprised if there were other species of land snails at Bon Bon.

So Bon Bon may yet reveal another snail surprise after the next big shower of rain!

A small aquatic snail believed to be Sinumelon sp. (photo by Mike Chuk). A small aquatic snail believed to be Sinumelon sp. (photo by Mike Chuk).
Close up - shield shrimp. Photo Julia Harris. Close up - shield shrimp. Photo Julia Harris.
Shield shrimps were quite common in the puddles and swamps at Bon Bon over winter (photo by Julia Harris). Shield shrimps were quite common in the puddles and swamps at Bon Bon over winter (photo by Julia Harris).
A puddle left on a claypan after some spring rain (where we found a small snail) (photo by Mike Chuk). A puddle left on a claypan after some spring rain (where we found a small snail) (photo by Mike Chuk).
{{itemsInCart}} Items - {{formatCurrency(grandTotal)}}