New Distributional Record of the Federally Threatened Rabbitsfoot (Theliderma cylindrica) Mussel in Oklahoma

Hunter M. Torolski^1,*, James M. Long², Robert C. Lonsinger², and Lindsey A. Bruckerhoff³

¹Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078.²US Geological Survey, Oklahoma Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Stillwater, OK 74078.³Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Aquatic Ecology Laboratory, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210. *Corresponding author.

Southeastern Naturalist, Volume 24, Issue 1 (2025): N1–N8

First published early online: 8 February 2025

Abstract
Sampling conducted from May to August of 2024 yielded new distributional records for the federally threatened Theliderma cylindrica (Rabbitsfoot) in the Caney River, OK. We found 4 live individuals, representing at least 2 age classes, ~7 km upstream of the confluence with the Verdigris River. This report is the first documentation of live Rabbitsfoot in the Caney River, where the species was previously known only from weathered shells. This finding extends the known distribution of Rabbitsfoot into a system previously unrecognized as part of its range.

Download Full-text pdf (Accessible only to subscribers. To subscribe click here.)