Land Snail Fauna of Me Aure Cave (WMD007), Moindou, New Caledonia: Human Introductions and Faunal Change

The land snail fauna excavated from a cave at Mé Auré on the central southwestern coast of New Caledonia represents a period of over 3000 yr, from before human arrival in the island to the present. The material excavated represents 20 terrestrial species in nine families. The fauna reflects the overall land snail fauna of New Caledonia in being dominated by small snails in the families Charopidae and Rhytididae, with large Placostylus species (Bulimulidae) present and minor representation of other families. Two alien species are present: Allopeas gracile, probably introduced before European arrival, and Achatina fulica, introduced in 1972. There are suggestions of change in the composition of the fauna, perhaps associated with the arrival of Europeans and the replacement of native by alien vegetation, with Andrefrancia vetula and possibly A. saisseti declining and Rhytida aulacospira increasing.