Cover photo credits: Russ Jones (all photos)

Status

Endangered

“Endangered” means the species lives in the wild in Ontario, but is facing imminent extinction or extirpation.

Date added to the Species at Risk in Ontario List

June 15, 2016

Read the assessment report

What it looks like

The Proud Globelet is a terrestrial snail that is a member of the Polygyridae family. It is a yellowish colour and has a round shell between 15-20 mm in diameter. In comparison to other Polygyridae species, the shell lacks a tooth-like protrusion at the shell opening.

Proud Globelets reach adult size after 1 to 2 years, and have has an estimated life span between 3 to 5 years.

Where it lives

In North America, the Proud Globelet is typically found in wooded hillsides or in ravines. In Ontario the species has been located in a sandy oak forest and a nearby former light industrial area.

Where it’s been found in Ontario

Proud Globelet is found from southwestern Ontario south to Iowa and Missouri and east to Pennsylvania. Freshly dead shells of Proud Globelets were found in Windsor, Ontario in 1992 and 1996. In 2013, empty and weathered shells were found in the same location as in 1992 and 1996. The search found fourteen empty shells that were estimated to be 5 to 15 years old.

What threatens it

The Proud Globelet is affected by human impacts which include: pollution, garbage accumulation, intensive recreational usage, changes to soil composition, and hydrology. Other factors that could impact the population include: the alteration of the soil nutrient cycle, reduction of leaf litter, and inter-specific competition that occurs by introducing new species, such as plants, earthworms, and other gastropods.

Climate change is also a factor that affects snail population levels. Extreme weather conditions such as heat waves and droughts can pose as a threat to the Proud Globelet.

Action we are taking

Endangered species and their general habitat are automatically protected.

Recovery Strategy

A recovery strategy advises the ministry on ways to ensure healthy numbers of the species return to Ontario.

Read the executive summary and the full document (December 7, 2018).

Government response statement

A government response statement outlines the actions the government intends to take or support to help recover the species.

Read the government response statement (September 5, 2019).

What you can do

Report a sighting

  • The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry tracks species at risk such as the Proud Globelet. You can use a handy online form to report your sightings to the Natural Heritage Information Centre. Photographs with specific locations or mapping coordinates are always helpful.

Volunteer

  • Volunteer with your local nature club or provincial park to participate in surveys or stewardship work focused on species at risk.

Be a good steward

  • Private land owners have a very important role to play in species recovery. You may be eligible for stewardship programs that support the protection and recovery of species at risk and their habitats.

Report illegal activity

Quick facts

  • No live individual has ever been found in Ontario. Only empty shells have been recorded.
  • The Proud Globelet might be a carnivore or an herbivore consuming fungi, leaf litter and fresh plant material.
  • Proud Globelets are prone to freezing in the winter or experiencing dehydration in the summer. The species has adopted strategies to survive in extreme temperatures and drought.