Additional Tidbits
"Why didn't you tell me this before?"
**All land snails need our help!
In the State of Wisconsin, Vertigo morsei is ranked as a "S1", meaning it is "critically imperiled because of extreme rarity".
Globally, it is categorized as a "G3" or "either very rare and local throughout its range or found locally in a restricted range." (Endangered Resources Program Species Information 2009)
**In the United States, about twenty species freshwater gastropods are on the US federal endangered or threatened species list. Looking at the many organisms in the class, 48% of them are conservation targets, which gives them the unfortunate distinction of having the highest risk of imperilment. Hardly any plans have been made to protect and manage their current populations. (Perez, et al. 2008) It is important to understand a habitat area first and the organisms that reside there and what function they carry out. Even a small creature such as a snail plays an important ecological role. Educate yourself about the animals that you share space with.
To find out more about the endangered species status of Vertigo morsei and other organisms, check out WI DNR.