| Helix albescens | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Heterobranchia |
| Order: | Stylommatophora |
| Family: | Helicidae |
| Genus: | Helix |
| Species: | H. albescens |
| Binomial name | |
| Helix albescens Rossmässler, 1839 | |
Helix albescens is a species of large air-breathing land snail from eastern Europe belonging to the family Helicidae.
Helix albescens is a relatively small Helix species with globular shell, which is whitish to cream-brown, usually with five reddish-brown bands of which especially the second and third may partly fuse. Umbilicus closed, apertural margins may be brown. Characteristic is a very large protoconch (the embryonal shell). [1] The animal is yellow, usually with a dark, brown back.
On the genital system, typical characters are a missing diverticulum of bursa copulatrix (gametolytic gland) and a very short flagellum. [2]
Helix albescens is distributed in southern Ukraine, southwestern Russia (Ciscaucasia) and the Caucasus (Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan). [1] [3] The distribution of mitochondrial genetic lineages suggests that the species originates from Crimea. [4]
The species naturally occurs in shruby habitats (with Christ's thorn, blackthorn, hawthorn, etc.). [5]
As all stylommatophoran land snails, H. albescens is a hermaphrodite. It lays its eggs in small clutches in cavities dug 5-6 cm deep into a damp soil. Egg laying takes many hours, because laying one egg can takes as much as two hours. [5] Recorded clutch size ranges between 6 and 25 eggs, with an average of 18 eggs. [5] Oval eggs are large relative to the animal, with a maximum diameter of 6-11 mm. [5]
Helix is a genus of large, air-breathing land snails native to the western Palaearctic and characterized by a globular shell.
Cornu aspersum, known by the common name garden snail, is a species of land snail in the family Helicidae, which includes some of the most familiar land snails. Of all terrestrial molluscs, this species may well be the most widely known. It was classified under the name Helix aspersa for over two centuries, but the prevailing classification now places it in the genus Cornu.
Helix pomatia, common names are the Roman snail, Burgundy snail, or escargot, is a species of large, air-breathing stylommatophoran land snail native to Europe. It is characterized by a globular brown shell. It is an edible species. Helix pomatia commonly occurs synanthropically throughout its range.
Helicidae is a large, diverse family of western Palaearctic, medium to large-sized, air-breathing land snails, sometimes called the "typical snails." It includes some of the largest European land snails, several species are common in anthropogenic habitats, and some became invasive on other continents. A number of species in this family are valued as food items, including Cornu aspersum the brown or garden snail, and Helix pomatia. The biologies of these two species in particular have been thoroughly studied and documented.
Helix lucorum is a species of large, edible, air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Helicidae, the typical snails.
Caucasotachea vindobonensis is a large species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod in the family Helicidae.
Helix ceratina, the Corsican snail, is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Helicidae, the typical snails.
Eobania vermiculata also known as Helix vermiculata, common name the "chocolate-band snail" is a species of large, air-breathing, land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Helicidae, the true snails or typical snails.
Helix nucula is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Helicidae, the typical snails. It has a rounded shell with white aperture margins; it differs from the similar Helix figulina by fine spiral grooves on the upper shell surface. Previously, the name H. nucula was used also for Helix pronuba, an unrelated species occurring in North Africa and on Crete, creating some confusion in the literature.
Caucasotachea is a genus of medium-sized air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Helicidae.
Helix cincta is a species of gastropods belonging to the family Helicidae.
Helix borealis is a species of large, air-breathing land snail native to Greece and the south-west of Anatolia. It is characterized by brown to dark brown margins of the shell aperture. For decades, the species has been considered synonymous with Helix cincta.
Helicini is a tribe of terrestrial gastropods in the family Helicidae. It contains mostly large land snail species, diversified in particular in the Balkans, Anatolia, and the Caucasus.
Helix vladika is a species of large, air-breathing land snail native to Montenegro and Serbia. It has a brown, conical shell. It is the largest land snail species in Europe. Typical habitat are beech forests. The species is closely related to Helix straminea.
Helix buchii is a species of large, air-breathing land snail native to northeastern Turkey, Georgia, and northern Armenia.
Helix dormitoris is a species of large, air-breathing land snail native to mountainous regions of Montenegro, eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina and western Serbia.
Helix pronuba is a species of large, air-breathing land snail in the subfamily Helicinae of the family Helicidae.
Maltzanella is a genus of terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Helicidae, the typical snails. It has two known species distributed in Turkey. The shell is similar to Helix, which is the sister lineage to Maltzanella.
Helix thessalica is a species of large, air-breathing land snail native to Europe. It is externally similar to Helix pomatia, but has a dark grey penis and vagina. The species has been long considered synonymous with H. pomatia.
Helix straminea is a species of large, air-breathing land snail native to North Macedonia, Albania and Italy.
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