| Myxas glutinosa | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Four shells of Myxas glutinosa, scale bar in cm & mm | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| (unranked): | |
| Superfamily: | |
| Family: | |
| Subfamily: | |
| Genus: | |
| Species: | M. glutinosa |
| Binomial name | |
| Myxas glutinosa (O. F. Müller, 1774) [2] | |
Myxas glutinosa (glutinous snail) is a species of small air-breathing freshwater snail, an aquatic gastropod mollusc in the family Lymnaeidae, the pond snails.
This snail is unusual in that it extends its almost transparent mantle to completely cover the shell when it is in motion, giving the very small animal a glass-like appearance. It also makes the animal sticky to the touch, hence its common name.
The shell is 13 to 16 mm in height and 11 mm to 15 mm in width in the adult. The upper whorls are almost flat so that the shell has a short blunt spire, the last whorl is inflated and predominating. The aperture is more than 90% of the shell height. The umbilicus is closed. The shell colour is brown or green, extremely thin and very transparent and shiny.
This species is European: it is now rare in western Europe, and even rarer in eastern Europe.
According to the IUCN red list [1] it is also native to Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Norway, Russian Federation, Sweden and Ukraine.
This species requires pollution-free, extremely clear, calm water, in calcium-rich canals, streams and lakes.
It is rapidly declining or already extinct in many European countries, because of the loss of good habitat.
Helix pomatia, common names 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.
Desmoulin's whorl snail is a species of minute air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc or micromollusc in the family Vertiginidae, the whorl snails.
Fruticicola fruticum is a species of medium-sized, air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Camaenidae.
Vertigo geyeri is a species of minute air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc or micromollusc in the family Vertiginidae, the whorl snails.
Vertigo genesii, common name the round-mouthed whorl snail, is a species of minute air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc or micromollusc in the family Vertiginidae, the whorl snails.
Vertigo angustior, the narrow-mouthed whorl snail, is a species of minute land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk or micromollusk in the family Vertiginidae, the whorl snails.
Lithoglyphus naticoides, the gravel snail, is a species of small or minute freshwater snail with an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Lithoglyphidae.
Quickella is a monotypic genus of land snail in the family Succineidae, the amber snails. It is known commonly as the sandbowl snail. The only species is Quickella arenaria.
Oxychilus cellarius, common name cellar glass-snail, is a species of small air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Oxychilidae, the glass snails.
Viviparus viviparus is a species of large freshwater snail with a gill and an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Viviparidae, the river snails. This species is a viviparous (ovoviviparous) snail.
Acroloxus lacustris, or the lake limpet, is a small freshwater limpet or snail, a species of aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Acroloxidae.
Valvata cristata is a species of minute freshwater snail with an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk or micromollusk in the family Valvatidae, the valve snails.
Valvata piscinalis, common name the European stream valvata or European valve snail, is a species of minute freshwater snail with gills and an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Valvatidae, the valve snails. It is also known as Cincinna piscinalis.
Gyraulus albus, common name white ramshorn, is a small species of freshwater snail, an aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Planorbidae, the ram's horn snails.
Cecilioides acicula, common name the "blind snail" or "blind awlsnail", is a species of very small, air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Ferussaciidae.
Carychium minimum is a species of very small air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Ellobiidae.
Merdigera obscura is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Enidae.
Balea perversa, also known as the wall snail or tree snail, is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Clausiliidae, the door snails. The shell of this species is left-handed in coiling and it looks like a juvenile of a clausiliid.
