An annotated checklist of molluscs recorded from Botswana

Molluscs offer ecological services crucial for ecosystem functioning and integrity, yet they are often insufficiently studied and omitted in conservation planning and decision-making. In Botswana, information on malacofauna is scarce and exists in fragmented and mostly poorly accessible sources. The first comprehensive and annotated checklist of the mollusc fauna recorded from Botswana is presented, based on data of specimens collected and/or observed from 1854 to 2023. The information for compiling the checklist has been extracted and collated from published literature (scientific articles, technical reports and books), online databases and unpublished museum collections. The checklist comprises 63 native species (13 bivalves, 24 freshwater snails, 24 land snails and two slugs) in 43 genera and 21 families. The checklist highlights the occurrence of four introduced species in Botswana, Cornu aspersum, Lissachatina fulica, Physella acuta and Radix auricularia, which are potentially invasive and of economic concern. The article summarises updated information on the species taxonomy, distribution, habitats, conservation rank, and on the epidemiological status of species of the medical and veterinary importance. The checklist provides a solid baseline for the national species inventories, future research and biodiversity conservation in Botswana, and emphasizes the urgent need for broader field surveys across the country.