Foot mucus and periostracum fraction as non-destructive source of DNA in the land snail Arianta arbustorum, and the development of new microsatellite loci

Feathers, hair, egg membranes, bones, urine and faeces have all been utilized as non-invasive sources of DNA in vertebrate studies. In insects, exuviae and caterpillar frass can serve as non-destructive DNA source. Similar non-invasive sources of DNA are not yet available for endangered and rare molluscs. In this note, we report on two novel, nondestructive methods of DNA isolation in the land snail Arianta arbustorum (L.), and present nine novel microsatellite loci since previously published loci yielded a complete lack of heterozygosity.