Liguus maps

Maps are derived from several sources: the Division's 1,600+ lots; Emmel & Cotter, 1995; Pilsbry, 1946; Close, 2000. Records that are obviously based on misidentifications or mislabeled specimens were discarded. Records later than 1950 were not used. It was after this time that serious transplanting of specimens began into the Everglades National Park and into various other hammocks. Because the purpose of this study was to document the natural ranges of the morphs, these records were also discarded.

Liguus hammocks were located and given GIS coordiinates, and plotted using ArcView. Future plans include moving the database to ArcGIS and making it more interactive.

A note on the vegetation overlay. Most of the ArcView overlays were downloaded from the excellent Florida mapping site at: http://map.fgdl.org/download/. However, it is apparent that the vegetation overlay is skewed, particularly in the south. Hammocks and roads on Long Pine Key do not fit the underlying vegetation map, but are placed slightly to the NE. This is very apparent in some maps (i.e., miamiensis). Please keep this discrepancy in mind when using the maps.

Maps will be updated and corrected as new information becomes available.

Please use the reload button often to access new photos.

Special thanks to Susana Rodriguez for all of her work on the hammock database.

Our preliminary results suggest the presence of 4-5 "higher taxa" - probably good species, that have invaded south Florida from Cuba at different times and places. These taxa have lost alleles for color pattern characteristics through genetic drift and founder effects as they spread from hammock to hammock. They have hybridized with each other at several locations to create additional morphs. We hope to present this study in 2004.

Exact locations of populations not published, but taxa are illustrated.
Man-made hybrids. Maps not available, but taxa are illustrated.

Sources:

Close, H.T. 2000. The Liguus tree snails of south Florida. University Press of Florida, Gainesville. 162 pp.

Emmel, T.C. & A.J. Cotter, 1995. A summary of the historical distribution and current status of the Florida tree snail, Liguus fasciatus. Project Report, Nongame Wildlife Program, Florida Game & Fresh Water Fish Commission, Tallahassee. 472 pp.

Pilsbry, H.A. 1946. Land Mollusca of North America (North of Mexico), 2(1). Monographs of the Academy of Natural Sciences (3). 520 pp.