| Description |
The Faroe Islands, an isolated North Atlantic archipelago, are characterized by a grassland vegetation, which is shaped by strong winds and, since human settlement, also by intensive sheep grazing. This study, conducted in August 2023, investigated terrestrial gastropod fauna across 46 sites on six islands: Vagar, Streymoy, Eysturoy, Kunoy, Boroy, and Vioy. We found 26 gastropod species, including two new species for the archipelago (Euconulus fulvus and Vertigo angustior). Several rare species were found at new locations, including Lauria cylindracea, previously only known from a single site on Suuoy, now documented at two additional sites on Vagar and Streymoy. Species richness at the sites varied between 1 and 16 species, with an average of five species. The fauna is notably slug-dominated, as on average more slug species were found at a site than snail species. Our results illustrate the effects of overgrazing by sheep, which limits gastropod diversity to refuges such as steep rocky outcrops, tall riparian vegetation in narrow canyons, and less disturbed wetlands. The snail fauna of the Faroes is relatively species-poor (31 species in total) and is dominated by introduced generalists and non-native slugs, while micro-snails, which are common in other insular areas with similar climates, are notably absent.
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