A terrestrial snail found near the planned Rosemont copper mine no longer is a candidate for federal endangered-species protection, AP reports.
The Rosemont talussnail is the same species as the Santa Rita talussnail, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says.
The Center for Biological Diversity had filed a petition in 2010 seeking protection for the Rosemont talussnail that it said lives only in the Santa Rita Mountains south of Tucson.
Identifying the snails requires an examination of soft body parts, Fish and Wildlife spokesman Jeff Humphrey said Wednesday.
Scientists found no difference in the shapes or sizes of the male or female reproductive organs between the Santa Rita and the Rosemont talussnail.
The Santa Rita snail is widespread and commonly found in Southern Arizona and Sonora, Mexico, Humphrey said.
