Small snails on doves? Hunters, contact AGFC

JONESBORO-- This year's September dove hunt brought with it an interesting situation, and AGFC biologists would like hunter's help to determine where else in the state this might be occurring.

Biologists in Jonesboro and Fort Smith have been notified that a few harvested doves were found with small snails attached to feathers and skin of the birds.

AGFC staff has received phone calls from sportsmen reporting the incidences and suggesting other hunters they knew had also found snails attached to harvested doves. In Fort Smith, AGFC biologists found snails on a trapped dove.

"The dove hunters reported some of the harvested doves have snails on the feathers or buried in the skin. It appears these are dry land snails and were very common in a mowed sunflower field the sportsmen were hunting," said Terrence Teel, Assistant AGFC Regional Wildlife Supervisor.

"These snails do not appear to be causing any problems for the birds," he said.

Catherine Rideout, an ornithologist with the AGFC, is working with Teel and David Hayes, a graduate student at Arkansas State University, to learn more about the species of snail and the relationship between snails and doves.

"In speaking with hunters and biologists from Arkansas and other states, it does not appear to be a common occurrence," Rideout said. "We are interested in hearing from other dove hunters who might have experienced this, too.

"Although published papers report snails attaching to birds, I have not found any published information on relationships between snails and bird species in the southeastern U.S. We'd be interested in hearing from the public as we look into this a little bit more," Rideout said.

If you have information to report related to this issue, please send an email to DoveNsnail@gmail.com. The AGFC is interested in hearing when and where you harvested doves with snails on them.

The agency would also like to know details about the number of snails, where on the bird they were found (legs, skin, feathers).

If you have photos of the snails, please attach them to your e-mail or mail them, along with details and your contact information, to Terrence Teel, AGFC, 2920 McClellan Drive, Jonesboro, AR 72401.