Hygromia cinctella

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Hygromia cinctella
Hygromia cinctella FvL.jpg
A live individual of Hygromia cinctella, withdrawn into its shell
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Mollusca
Class:
Gastropoda
(unranked):
clade Heterobranchia
clade Euthyneura
clade Panpulmonata
clade Eupulmonata
clade Stylommatophora
informal group Sigmurethra
Superfamily:
Helicoidea
Family:
Hygromiidae
Genus:
Hygromia
Species:
H. cinctella
Binomial name
Hygromia cinctella
(Draparnaud, 1801)
Synonyms
List
    • Helix cinctellaDraparnaud, 1801
    • Helix interruptaBonelli, 1872
    • Helix ecarinataPaulucci, 1878
    • Helix chelydeaWesterlund, 1889

Hygromia cinctella, known commonly as the girdled snail, is a small European species of air-breathing land snail, belonging to the terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk subfamily Hygromiinae of the family Hygromiidae. [1] It is native to the Mediterranean region and was described by the French macacolgist Jacques Draparnaud in 1801. It is now found in central and northern Europe. [2]

Contents

Description

For terms see gastropod shell Hygromia cinctella possesses a 6–7 × 10–12 mm dextral shell composed of 5–6 whorls with shallow sutures that form a high conical top and a flattened underside. The last whorl is sharply keeled. The keel has a characteristic white edge, which 'girdles' the shell, giving the snail its common name. The aperture is simple without a lip inside. The umbilicus is very narrow and almost covered by the reflected columellar margin. The shell colour is variable, from whitish grey to horny brown, often with dark spots, slightly translucent, finely and rather regularly striated. The animal is light greyish or with a yellowish hue, often with darker greyish or brownish head and tentacles.

Variation: In Sicily, colour morphs include green and yellow and reddish, also with colour bands.

Distribution

This snail is native to various European countries around the Mediterranean, including [3] south-east France, southern Switzerland, north-west Croatia, Italy, and Slovenia. It has been introduced and is becoming rapidly established in Great Britain, Austria, Czech Republic, [4] Hungary, [3] Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and the United States. It has also been recorded in Ireland.

Hygromia cinctella was described as new to Britain by writer Alex Comfort based on specimens he had found in the Paignton area of Devon in April 1950. Subsequently, it was realised that specimens of this species had actually been found in the area from 1945 onwards, but these had been misidentified as the related species and close congener Hygromia limbata , itself a non-native species only discovered in Britain in 1919. It remained predominantly confined to the south-east of England until the mid-1970s, at which point it began to extend its range dramatically. It now has a scattered distribution which extends as far north as Scotland, the first Scottish record being in Glasgow in 2008. In Britain it seems to favour anthropogenic habitats such as gardens, hedgerows and waste ground.

Hygromia cinctella has so far been discovered at two sites in Ireland; waste ground west of Cork City and a garden near Lisburn where it appears to be persisting. The latter population is thought to have been accidentally introduced along with garden plants brought from a site near Bristol.

Behaviour

Love dart of H. cinctella Hygromia cinctella dart.jpg
Love dart of H. cinctella

Where they occur, numerous Hygromia cinctella can often be found together in large aggregations. They can be active at night in humid conditions, on paths and flagstones. They can rest high on walls or in the leaf litter and underside of logs. The species can be active in cold weather and survives very cold winters in Central Europe, [4] therefore its recent expansion might have more to do with increased transportation than with climate change.

This species creates and uses love darts in its mating behavior.

Related Research Articles

<i>Hygromia</i> Genus of gastropods

Hygromia is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Hygromiidae, the hairy snails and their allies.

<i>Trochulus</i> Genus of gastropods

Trochulus is a genus of small air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the subfamily subfamily Trochulininae of the family Hygromiidae, the hairy snails and their allies.

<i>Theba pisana</i> Species of gastropod

Theba pisana, common names the white garden snail, sand hill snail, white Italian snail, Mediterranean coastal snail, and simply just the Mediterranean snail, is an edible species of medium-sized, air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Helicidae, the typical snails.

<i>Trochulus hispidus</i> Species of gastropod

Trochulus hispidus, previously known as Trichia hispida, common name, the "hairy snail", is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Hygromiidae, the hairy snails and their allies.

<i>Vertigo pygmaea</i> Species of gastropod

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<i>Vertigo antivertigo</i> Species of gastropod

Vertigo antivertigo is a species of minute air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc or micromollusc in the family Vertiginidae, the whorl snails.

Xerotricha conspurcata is a species of small air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Geomitridae.

<i>Succinella oblonga</i> Species of gastropod

Succinella oblonga is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Succineidae.

<i>Hygromia limbata</i> Species of gastropod

Hygromia limbata is a species of small air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Hygromiidae.

<i>Sphincterochila candidissima</i> Species of gastropod

Sphincterochila candidissima is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Sphincterochilidae.

Lozekia transsilvanica is a species of small air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Hygromiidae, the hairy snails and their allies. This species is also known as Hygromia transsylvanica.

<i>Clionella confusa</i> Species of gastropod

Clionella confusa is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Clavatulidae.

<i>Eucyclotoma tricarinata</i> Species of gastropod

Eucyclotoma tricarinata is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Raphitomidae.

<i>Helix melanostoma</i> Species of gastropod

Helix melanostoma is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the subfamily Helicinae of the family Helicidae, the typical snails.

<i>Xeroplexa arrabidensis</i> Species of gastropod

Xeroplexa arrabidensis is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Geomitridae.

<i>Xeroplexa ponsulensis</i> Species of gastropod

Xeroplexa ponsulensis is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Geomitridae.

References

  1. ↑ MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Hygromia cinctella (Draparnaud, 1801). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=882572 on 2021-03-13
  2. ↑ "Hygromia (Hygromia) cinctella (Draparnaud, 1801)". Fauna Europaea. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  3. 1 2 Species summary for Hygromia cinctella. AnimalBase.
  4. 1 2 Říhová, Dagmar; Juřičková, Lucie (2011), "The girdled snail Hygromia cinctella (Draparnaud, 1801) new to the Czech Republic" (PDF), Malacol. Bohemoslov, 10: 35–37
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