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In 2008, Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge cooperated with West Virginia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Section (WVDNR) to survey land snails on the refuge. The survey was part of an atlas project which aimed to initiate a state-wide survey of these understudied animals.  Because land snails are small and fairly cryptic, many populations have been largely ignored or under sampled throughout the years. However, land snails play a crucial role in ecosystem function as a food source for amphibians, reptiles, small mammals and birds. The calcium that is stored in the shells of land snails is also an important supplement for the development of eggshells and young birds. The ability of land snails to transfer calcium from limestone into a useable food source for animals may be especially important in generally "acidic" areas like Canaan Valley.

Refuge biologists collected land snail specimens and leaf litter samples from limestone outcrops and high elevation spruce areas across the refuge. Specimens were later identified by experts hired through WVDNR. One season of survey worked resulted in the documentation of 82 land snail species on the refuge. Because land snails have previously been under-surveyed, formal state and global rarity ranks for many of these species are pending. However, it is likely that several of the species found on the refuge will be rare at both a state and global level. In addition, two species collected from the refuge survey, provisionally named a Stenotrema species and a Ventridens/Mesomphix species may be new to science. Further investigation into the taxonomy and distribution of these species will be needed.