Medium-sized forest snails survive passage through birds’ digestive tract and adhere strongly to birds’ legs: more evidence for passive dispersal mechanisms

SIMONOVÁ, Jasna, Ondřej P. SIMON, Šimon KAPIC, Lukáš NEHASIL and Michal HORSÁK. Medium-sized forest snails survive passage through birds’ digestive tract and adhere strongly to birds’ legs: more evidence for passive dispersal mechanisms. Journal of Molluscan Studies. 2016, vol. 82, August, p. 422-426. ISSN 0260-1230. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mollus/eyw005.

Basic information

• Original name: Medium-sized forest snails survive passage through birds’ digestive tract and adhere strongly to birds’ legs: more evidence for passive dispersal mechanisms
• Authors: SIMONOVÁ, Jasna (203 Czech Republic), Ondřej P. SIMON (203 Czech Republic), Šimon KAPIC (203 Czech Republic), Lukáš NEHASIL (203 Czech Republic) and Michal HORSÁK (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution).
• Edition: Journal of Molluscan Studies, 2016, 0260-1230.

Other information

• Original language: English
• Type of outcome: Article in a journal
• Field of Study: 10600 1.6 Biological sciences
• Country of publisher: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
• Confidentiality degree: is not subject to a state or trade secret
• Impact factor: Impact factor: 1.250
• RIV identification code: RIV/00216224:14310/16:00090890
• Organization unit: Faculty of Science
• Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mollus/eyw005
• UT WoS: 000380019000007
• Keywords in English: land snails; dispersion; endozoochory; birds; experiments
• Tags: AKR, rivok

Abstract

It is well known that land snails can be dispersed by birds, both by attachment to the body (ectozoochory) and by passing intact and alive through the bird’s digestive tract (endozoochory). Endozoochory has, however, only been recorded for very small species. We examined the possibility that larger species (up to c. 17 mm in maximum shell dimension) could survive passage through a bird’s digestive system. Live Alinda biplicata, Cochlodina laminata (both Clausiliidae) and Discus rotundatus (Discidae) were fed to 10 bird species (Corvidae, Turdidae, Sturnidae and Columbidae) in 14 experimental trials. Of 720 snails offered, 14 passed intact through the birds, of which nine were alive (eight clausiliids and one D. rotundatus); thus more than 1% of all snails offered survived ingestion. In an additional experiment, some A. biplicata and C. laminata remained attached to birds’ legs by pedal adhesion in simulated flight trials where the birds’ legs oscillated at the maximum rate achieved during flight.