Habitat

This snail is found in the eastern United States, in regions of Tennessee and North Carolina (Dourson, 2006).  Fumonelix jonesiana resides in the Great Smoky Mountains, particularly near Swain County in North Carolina and Sevier County in Tennessee (Nature Serve, 2011).  The habitat range of this snail is the Newfoundland Gap area in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Nature Serve, 2011).  It is critically imperiled in this area (Nature Serve, 2011) and is listed as threatened in North Carolina (Dourson, 2006).

It was initially discovered at an elevation of 48oo feet (Pilsbry, 1940).  Typically, it is found within approximately 4000 feet of the summit (Dourson, 2006), which is a higher elevation compared to locations of related species (Pilsbry, 1940).  

Fumonelix jonesiana is found in forests of birch, maple, beech, and hemlock trees (Pilsbry, 1940).  Unlike many other land snails, it is not found on rock talus, which are large moss-covered boulders (Pilsbry, 1940).  It prefers to reside in the top layer of leaf debris along the forest floor, under the shaded, cool, damp cover of fallen twigs and branches (Pilsbry, 1940).  It can also be found under tree bark and logs (Pilsbry, 1940).  Other possible places of inhabitation include tree crotches, a point at which many trees meet, and near streams (Dourson, 2006).  Wherever these snails may be found, they have to have a source of calcium from which to obtain nutrients to construct their shells (Dourson, 2006).

Now that you have learned about the habitat of Fumonelix jonesiana, go on to nutrition to learn more about what this snail and its close relatives consume.