Georissa Mawsmaiensis, Micro Snail Species, Mawsmai Cave

Georissa Mawsmaiensis is a newly identified micro snail species discovered in Mawsmai Cave in Meghalaya after a gap of about 170 years since the last Georissa record in India in 1851. This finding highlights the rich but underexplored biodiversity of limestone cave ecosystems. The species belongs to a genus widely distributed across Africa, Asia and the Pacific region, typically confined to karst landscapes and limestone based habitats.

Georissa Mawsmaiensis

Georissa Mawsmaiensis is a tiny cave dwelling snail with unique shell features discovered recently in Meghalaya’s limestone cave ecosystem.

• Discovery: It was discovered by researchers from ATREE, Bengaluru, marking the first Georissa discovery in India since 1851.
• Size: This species measures less than 2 millimetres in length.
• Morphological Features: It has four prominent spiral striations on shell whorls making it different from the Georissa sarrita which shows seven striations in apertural view.
• Habitat: It inhabits moist limestone surfaces in caves, thriving in calcium rich environments. 
• Distribution: It belongs to the genus that is found across tropical forests and karst regions globally.
• Threats: Increasing tourism, artificial lighting and cemented cave pathways threaten its fragile microhabitat and other cave dependent fauna.

Mawsmai Cave

Mawsmai Cave is a limestone cave in Meghalaya known for biodiversity, fossils and unique geological formations formed by limestone dissolution processes. The term “Mawsmai” means “Oath Stone,” and locals call the cave “Krem.”

• Location: Located about 4 km from Cherrapunjee in East Khasi Hills.
• Physical Features: Situated at 1,195 metres altitude, the cave is influenced by streams of the Kynshi river and contains visible fossil formations on its walls.
• Biodiversity Importance: Around five cave snail species including Georissa Mawsmaiensis have been reported here. The region hosts nearly 1,700 identified caves while many are still unexplored scientifically.

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