Powelliphanta superba
Encyclopedia
Powelliphanta superba is a species
of large, carnivorous land snail
in the family
Rhytididae
, which is endemic to the South Island
of New Zealand
. Five subspecies
are recognised, all of which are classified by the New Zealand Department of Conservation
as being Nationally Endangered.
The eggs are oval and seldom constant in dimensions 14 by 12 mm (0.551181102362205 by 0.47244094488189 ).
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of large, carnivorous land snail
Snail
Snail is a common name applied to most of the members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have coiled shells in the adult stage. When the word is used in its most general sense, it includes sea snails, land snails and freshwater snails. The word snail without any qualifier is however more often...
in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Rhytididae
Rhytididae
Rhytididae is a taxonomic family of medium-sized predatory air-breathing land snails, carnivorous terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the superfamily Rhytidoidea.This family has no subfamilies.-Anatomy:...
, which is endemic to the South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. Five subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
are recognised, all of which are classified by the New Zealand Department of Conservation
New Zealand Department of Conservation
The Department of Conservation , commonly known by its acronym, "DOC", is the state sector organisation which deals with the conservation of New Zealand’s natural and historic heritage...
as being Nationally Endangered.
- Powelliphanta superba harveyi
- Powelliphanta superba mouatae
- Powelliphanta superba prouseorum
- Powelliphanta superba richardsoni
- Powelliphanta superba superba
The eggs are oval and seldom constant in dimensions 14 by 12 mm (0.551181102362205 by 0.47244094488189 ).