I have been wondering about snail dispersal - do they really get caught up with large mammals and birds? I'd be interested in doing a country-wide study next hunting season: taking a flea comb and looking for snails caught in the fur of deer taken during hunting season. Anyone else interested in looking for snails caught up in megafauna?
There is some published literature on the records of snails found on birds. Remind me to send you a list.
ReplyDeleteIt would be more interesting to do that study with migratory birds, rather than deer, because deer don't really migrate, do they? Also, during the deer hunting season, which is normally in the winter, most snails are dormant. Even if snails climbed on deer, they'd be more likely to do so in the summer, no?
Aydin,
ReplyDeleteYou're probably right - there are some places that deer are culled year-round. Summer would be better most certainly.
Please do send me those snail/bird refs, thanks.