Overview:  The Banbury Springs limpet was first discovered in 1988.  This snail is restricted to the cold, clear waters of a few large springs along the Snake River.  It avoids algae-covered surfaces, preferring the smooth basalt that characterizes the bottoms of some of the swifter-flowing Snake River tributaries.  Limpet populations are particularly sensitive to habitat alteration caused by hydroelectric projects, pollution and water diversion because there are very few locations that meet the habitat requirements of this species.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has a recovery plan for the Snake River and its endemic species, which you can view at http://endangered.fws.gov/recovery/recplans/index.htm.

Distribution: The Banbury Springs limpet is only known to occur in the largest, least disturbed spring habitats at Banbury Springs, Box Canyon Springs, and the Thousand Springs near Hagerman, Idaho.