Dispersal of Theba pisana (Mollusca: Helicidae)

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Abstract
(1) The dispersal of the land snail Theba pisana (Muller) was measured in South Australia by mark-release-recapture. (2) Dispersal was not influenced by the paint used for marking, displacement of the snails during the marking process or crowding at release points. (3) Dispersal was influenced by variation in habitat: snails moved most on a freeway verge where grassy vegetation was sparse. (4) Snails moved out of a well-grazed permanent pasture to adjacent weedy roadside vegetation and trees in early summer. They returned to the pasture in autumn. Factors that might direct this movement are discussed. (5) Average movements varied between 0.1 and 1.1 m day-1. Some snails moved > 55 m in 1 month in spring .sbd. summer and 75 m in 3 months in autumn .sbd. winter.