Beautiful land snail
| Beautiful land snail | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Beautiful land snail ( Pomatias elegans ) |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Pomatias elegans | ||||||||||||
| ( OV Müller , 1774) |
The beautiful land snail ( Pomatias elegans ) is a species of snail from the family of land snails (Pomatiidae), which belongs to the order of Sorbeoconcha . The species was found in the Upper Pliocene , around three million years ago. She was the mollusk of 2017.
features
The case measures 13–18 × 9–12 mm. It is relatively slim, conical with 4.5 to five whorls. The whorls increase regularly and are strongly arched. The surface has a grid pattern, the basic color varies from light yellow to light red, some specimens can also have purple bands. The mouth can be closed by a calcified operculum . It sits on the back of the foot and shows a spiral pattern. The soft body is brown-gray with long tentacles; these are clearly striated across. The head is elongated like a trunk, the foot is divided in two by a longitudinal furrow. One of the two halves is pushed forward in the air and then set down. Then the other half is released from the floor and pushed forward. This results in a mode of locomotion that differs from other land snails.
Geographical distribution, occurrence and way of life
The beautiful land snail is widespread in Western Europe and the Mediterranean, but is only found very locally. It was recently found for the first time in Tunisia (and thus North Africa). In Western Europe, the northern border of the distribution area runs in southern England and southern Ireland, and further east across Germany. It also occurs in isolation in Denmark. They live there in open terrain with bushes, hedges or dry meadows with loose, scree-bearing soil, where the animals can also bury themselves. The northern limit roughly coincides with the 2 ° January isotherm line. In Spain it occurs up to 1300 m above sea level, in Switzerland it rises to around 1000 m. It is also common in Sicily. The species needs chalky soils and needs warmth. The species finds optimal conditions at temperatures between 25 and 30 °. In the colder regions of the distribution area, the animals go to hibernation. To do this, it digs itself about 10 to 15 cm deep into the earth. However, it can also survive −6 ° for several days. For it to become active again, a temperature of 10 to 11 ° C is necessary. In the dry areas, a summer rest is (possibly in addition) inserted, which can occur in the case of corresponding dry periods. U. can last for several months. If it then rains, the animals become active within half an hour after they come into contact with water. The water is absorbed through the skin. To be active, they need a high level of humidity (e.g. at night). However, they do not endure prolonged periods of damp (more than a month of damp soils). In general, the animals live very hidden and are rare. However, they can be very common in biotopes that suit them. In some places (in Germany) up to 80 animals per m 2 were found. The animals feed on fallen, dry leaves and decomposing wood. You can even use pure cellulose, but it is unknown whether you can actually digest it directly or whether you need intestinal bacteria to do so.
Reproduction
The beautiful land snail is sexually separate. The gender differences are only minor. The bodies of the males are usually somewhat smaller and slimmer than those of the females; the mouth is also a little narrower. Copulations take place from spring to autumn. The eggs are only laid in autumn. The eggs are laid one by one in the earth. They are spherical and measure approx. 2 mm in diameter.
The surface of the egg is covered with sticky mucus by the mother immediately after the egg is laid. As a result, soil and stones stick to the eggs immediately after the eggs are laid. The mucus hardens slowly and the foreign bodies stick firmly to the surface. The eggs are well camouflaged as a result. In Central Europe, some of the eggs overwinter and in spring the young hatch, the housings already have two whorls and are around 2 mm high. Another part of the eggs will develop in autumn. The young hatch in autumn and then hibernate. The animals live to be four to five years old.
Systematics
The species was first scientifically described in 1774 by Otto Friedrich Müller under the name Nerita elegans . Pomatias elegans is the type species of the genus Pomatias Studer, 1789.
Danger
The species is locally endangered in Central Europe due to habitat destruction and intensive agriculture. In England, stocks have decreased significantly. In Germany as a whole, the species is not considered endangered, but it is on the warning list. However, it is classified somewhat differently in some federal states (e.g. in Rhineland-Palatinate and Lower Saxony as threatened).
swell
literature
- Klaus Bogon: Land snails biology, ecology, biotope protection. 404 p., Natur Verlag, Augsburg 1990 ISBN 3-89440-002-1
- Rosina Fechter & Gerhard Falkner: Mollusks. Mosaik-Verlag, Munich 1990 (Steinbach's Nature Guide 10), 287 pages ISBN 3-570-03414-3
- Ewald Frömming: Biology of the Central European Landgastropods. 404 p., Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1954.
- Michael P. Kerney, RAD Cameron & Jürgen H. Jungbluth: The land snails of Northern and Central Europe. 384 pp., Paul Parey, Hamburg & Berlin 1983 ISBN 3-490-17918-8
- Francisco W. Welter-Schultes: European non-marine molluscs, a guide for species identification = identification book for European land and freshwater mollusks. A1-A3 S., 679 S., Q1-Q78 S., Planet Poster Ed., Göttingen 2012, ISBN 3-933922-75-5 , ISBN 978-3-933922-75-5 (S. 104)
- Vollrath Wiese: Germany's land snails. 352 p., Quelle & Meyer, Wiebelsheim 2014 ISBN 978-3-494-01551-4 (p. 33)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Wilhelm Wenz: Gastropoda Extra marina tertiaria. In: C. Diener (Herg.), Fossilium catalogus , 1 Animalium, 17 + 23: 1-1862, Berlin 1923 [1] (p. 1807).
- ^ Mollusc of the year
- ↑ Monia Benromdhane, Chahrazed Elhedfi, Mohamed Bensalem: Première mention de Pomatias elegans (OV Müller, 1774) (Gastropoda, Caenogastropoda, Pomatiidae) au Nord de la Tunisie. MalaCo, 5: 254-255, 2008 PDF ( Memento of the original from November 13, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. .
- ↑ MolluscIreland land to Freshwater: Pomatias elegans (OF Müller 1774) Round-mouthed snail or country winkle
Web links
Bellied diaper snail (2003) | Common boat snail (2004) | Tiger Snails (2005) | Common river mussel (2006) | Mask Snail (2007) | Mouse ears (2008) | Husmann's Well Snail (2009) | Common door snail (2010) | Petite poppy snail (2011) | Slender Amber Snail (2012) | European oyster (2013) | Garlic Shiny Snail (2014) | Mantle snail (2015) | Big pea clam (2016) | Beautiful land snail (2017) | Neptune Snail (2018) | Common heather snail (2019)