Zonitoides jaccetanicus
Encyclopedia
Zonitoides jaccetanicus is a species of small, air-breathing land snail
, a terrestrial
pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Gastrodontidae
.
near Barcelona
, Spain. It is a rare species, possibly endemic in Cataluña. The species has declined due to construction activities in the growing city of Barcelona.
is evenly horny-brownish, fragile and transparent, finely striated on the upper side, nearly smooth on the lower side.The shell has 5 weakly convex whorls
with pronounced suture. The upper side is flattened. Lower side is convex. The last whorl is not much wider than penultimate whorl. The aperture
is oblique. The apertural margin is straight. Umbilicus is relatively narrow.
The width of the shell is 4-5 mm. The height of the shell is 2.6-3.4 mm.
The shell is very much like that of Zonitoides arboreus
, but slightly larger. There are however anatomical differences between the two species.
Land snail
A land snail is any of the many species of snail that live on land, as opposed to those that live in salt water and fresh water. Land snails are terrestrial gastropod mollusks that have shells, It is not always an easy matter to say which species are terrestrial, because some are more or less...
, 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 mollusk in the family Gastrodontidae
Gastrodontidae
Gastrodontidae is a family of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the clade Eupulmonata ....
.
Distribution
Zonitoides jaccetanicus is endemic to Montserrat mountainMontserrat (mountain)
Montserrat is a multi-peaked mountain located near the city of Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain. It is part of the Catalan Pre-Coastal Range. The main peaks are Sant Jeroni , Montgrós and Miranda de les Agulles...
near Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Spain. It is a rare species, possibly endemic in Cataluña. The species has declined due to construction activities in the growing city of Barcelona.
Description
The shellGastropod shell
The gastropod shell is a shell which is part of the body of a gastropod or snail, one kind of mollusc. The gastropod shell is an external skeleton or exoskeleton, which serves not only for muscle attachment, but also for protection from predators and from mechanical damage...
is evenly horny-brownish, fragile and transparent, finely striated on the upper side, nearly smooth on the lower side.The shell has 5 weakly convex whorls
Whorl (mollusc)
A whorl is a single, complete 360° revolution or turn in the spiral growth of a mollusc shell. A spiral configuration of the shell is found in of numerous gastropods, but it is also found in shelled cephalopods including Nautilus, Spirula and the large extinct subclass of cephalopods known as the...
with pronounced suture. The upper side is flattened. Lower side is convex. The last whorl is not much wider than penultimate whorl. The aperture
Aperture (mollusc)
The aperture is an opening in certain kinds of mollusc shells: it is the main opening of the shell, where part of the body of the animal emerges for locomotion, feeding, etc....
is oblique. The apertural margin is straight. Umbilicus is relatively narrow.
The width of the shell is 4-5 mm. The height of the shell is 2.6-3.4 mm.
The shell is very much like that of Zonitoides arboreus
Zonitoides arboreus
Zonitoides arboreus is species of small air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Gastrodontidae.-Distribution:The native distribution of Zonitoides arboreus includes:* North America...
, but slightly larger. There are however anatomical differences between the two species.