Koreanohadra koreana (K. koreana) is an endemic species in South Korea that is listed as endangered. While the ecology and phylogenetics of K. koreana have been studied, its morphological similarity to the related species Koreanohadra kurodana (K. kurodana), can make species identification difficult. Furthermore, this has led to confusion when determining essential habitat information for the conservation of K. koreana. To bypass this issue, we have developed a non-invasive species identification method that can genetically differentiate between them. While there are already various non-invasive genomic DNA (gDNA) extraction methods that utilize the mucus from mollusks, they are limited as they require the target species to be physically located. To address this, in this investigation a method of extracting gDNA from the feces of snails was developed. The method utilized a primer set to amplify a cytochrome b fragment from K. koreana but not K. kurodana or other terrestrial snails. The feces of terrestrial snails could thus be used to obtain gDNA to a genetically usable level if collected within 5 days of excretion. This non-invasive species identification method using feces will help to facilitate genetic research without harming the endangered species and if the target species is not physically in the habitat. Moreover, K. koreana and K. kurodana could perhaps be further distinguished, using their habitat information to help facilitate essential conservation measures.

Koreanohadra koreana ( K. koreana ) 是韩国特有物种，被列为濒危物种。虽然对K. koreana的生态学和系统发育学进行了研究，但其与相关物种Koreanohadra kurodana ( K. kurodana ) 的形态相似性可能导致物种鉴定变得困难。此外，这在确定保护朝鲜堇菜的基本栖息地信息时导致了混乱。为了绕过这个问题，我们开发了一种非入侵物种识别方法，可以从基因上区分它们。虽然已经有多种利用软体动物粘液的非侵入性基因组 DNA (gDNA) 提取方法，但它们的局限性在于需要对目标物种进行物理定位。为了解决这个问题，在这项研究中，开发了一种从蜗牛粪便中提取 gDNA 的方法。该方法利用引物组来扩增来自K. koreana的细胞色素b片段，但不扩增来自K. kurodana或其他陆生蜗牛的细胞色素 b 片段。因此，如果在排泄后 5 天内收集，陆生蜗牛的粪便可用于获取基因可用水平的 gDNA。这种使用粪便的非侵入性物种识别方法将有助于促进基因研究，而不会伤害濒危物种，并且如果目标物种不在栖息地中的话。此外，K. koreana和K. kurodana或许可以进一步区分，利用它们的栖息地信息来帮助促进必要的保护措施。