Diversity and ecology of the land snails of the Palestinian Territories of the West Bank

Abstract

The diversity of the terrestrial snails of the Palestinian Territories was presented with a total of 42 species in 26 genera representing 15 families. Families Enidae and Hygromiidae had the highest number of species, while eight families were represented by only a single species. Species association was analyzed, and the biogeographical affinities of the snail fauna were discussed. The Mediterranean zone had the highest number of land snail species (33), followed by the Irano-Turanian zone (20 species) while the Saharo-Arabian zone had the lowest number (14). Species incidence suggested that most species had restricted distributions and were recorded in relatively few sites (less than 25). Nineteen species occurred in 10 or fewer sites, 9 species in 11–25 sites, and only 10 species may be considered wide-ranging as they were recorded in 25–65 sites. The terrestrial malacofauna of central Palestine consists of several origins: endemic, regionally endemic, Levant, Circum-Mediterranean, and Western Palearctic.