Powelliphanta traversi
Encyclopedia
Powelliphanta traversi, known as Travers' land snail, is a species
of large, carnivorous land snail
, a terrestrial
pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family
Rhytididae
. This species is endemic
to the North Island
of New Zealand
between Wellington
and Lake Waikaremoana
.
There are six subspecies, all of which are listed by the New Zealand Department of Conservation
as threatened:
The eggs are oval and seldom constant in dimensions 10 × 8.75 mm, 9.5 × 8.5 mm, 10 × 8 mm, 11 × 9 mm, 10.75 × 9 mm.
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...
, a terrestrial
Terrestrial animal
Terrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land , as compared with aquatic animals, which live predominantly or entirely in the water , or amphibians, which rely on a combination of aquatic and terrestrial habitats...
pulmonate gastropod mollusc 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:...
. This species is endemic
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
to the North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
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...
between Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
and Lake Waikaremoana
Lake Waikaremoana
Lake Waikaremoana is located in Te Urewera National Park in the North Island of New Zealand, 60 kilometres northwest of Wairoa and 80 kilometres southwest of Gisborne. It covers an area of 54 km². From the Maori Waikaremoana translates as 'sea of rippling waters'The lake lies in the heart of Tuhoe...
.
There are six subspecies, all of which are listed 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 threatened:
- Powelliphanta traversi florida Powell, 1946 – Nationally Endangered
- Powelliphanta traversi latizona Powell, 1949 – Nationally Endangered
- Powelliphanta traversi koputaroa Powell, 1946 – Nationally Endangered
- Powelliphanta traversi otakia Powell, 1946 – Nationally Critical
- Powelliphanta traversi tararuaensis Powell, 1938 – Nationally Endangered
- Powelliphanta traversi traversi Powell, 1930 – Nationally Endangered
The eggs are oval and seldom constant in dimensions 10 × 8.75 mm, 9.5 × 8.5 mm, 10 × 8 mm, 11 × 9 mm, 10.75 × 9 mm.