Xerocrassa simulata | |
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Shell of Xerocrassa simulata | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Gastropoda |
Subclass: | Heterobranchia |
Order: | Stylommatophora |
Family: | Geomitridae |
Genus: | Xerocrassa |
Species: | X. simulata |
Binomial name | |
Xerocrassa simulata Ehrenberg, 1831 | |
Synonyms | |
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Xerocrassa simulata is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Geomitridae. [1] It is endemic to southern Spain, specifically adapted to dry Mediterranean climates. Like other land snails, it undergoes a life cycle that includes egg laying, hatching of juveniles, shell development, and reproductive maturity as adults. These snails play a crucial role in their ecosystem by recycling nutrients and serving as prey for various predators, highlighting their ecological significance in their native habitat. [2]
This species is common in the deserts and semideserts of the levantine region. Morphology varies greatly with locality. [3]
The size of the egg of this species is 2.6 × 2.1 mm. [4]
Xerocrassa simulata (XS) exhibits a dietary preference for plant litter, distinguishing it from other desert snail species that primarily consume biological soil crust (biocrusts). In laboratory conditions, XS produces approximately 0.5 ± 0.1 mg of mucus per mg of body mass daily. Despite its dietary preference, XS mucus significantly affects biocrust activity through its deposition. The mucus increased CO2 efflux in both cyanobacteria-dominated and lichen/moss-dominated biocrusts, with consistent effects across different biocrust types (Hedges d effect sizes ranging from 1.28 to 1.44). For cyanobacteria-dominated biocrusts, XS mucus enhanced CO2 efflux by 106% compared to controls. These findings suggest that XS mucus acts as a potent stimulator of biocrust activity, regardless of the snail's primary diet or the specific biocrust community composition [5]
Gastropods, commonly known as slugs and snails, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda.
Aliculastrum is a genus of small sea snails or bubble snails, marine opisthobranch gastropod molluscs in the family Haminoeidae.
Tandonia budapestensis is a species of air-breathing, keeled, land slug, a shell-less terrestrial gastropod mollusks in the family Milacidae.
Trochoidea is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Helicellinae of the family Geomitridae. The name means "those that are shaped like a top".
A land snail is any of the numerous species of snail that live on land, as opposed to the sea snails and freshwater snails. Land snail is the common name for terrestrial gastropod mollusks that have shells. However, it is not always easy to say which species are terrestrial, because some are more or less amphibious between land and fresh water, and others are relatively amphibious between land and salt water.
Slug, or land slug, is a common name for any apparently shell-less terrestrial gastropod mollusc. The word slug is also often used as part of the common name of any gastropod mollusc that has no shell, a very reduced shell, or only a small internal shell, particularly sea slugs and semi-slugs.
Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals, after Arthropoda; members are known as molluscs or mollusks. Around 76,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is estimated between 60,000 and 100,000 additional species. The proportion of undescribed species is very high. Many taxa remain poorly studied.
Sphincterochila zonata zonata is a subspecies of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Sphincterochilidae.
Xerocrassa seetzeni is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Geomitridae.
Xerocrassa is a genus of small, air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the subfamily Helicellinae of the family Geomitridae.
Actinocyclus is a genus of sea slugs, dorid nudibranchs, shell-less marine gastropod molluscs in the family Actinocyclidae, and was first described by Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg in 1831.
Xerocrassa montserratensis is a species of air-breathing land snail, a pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Geomitridae, the hairy snails and their allies.
Xerocrassa homeyeri homeyeri is a species of air-breathing land snail, a pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Geomitridae, the hairy snails and their allies.
Phanerophthalmus is a genus of medium-sized sea snails or bubble snails, marine opisthobranch gastropod molluscs in the family Haminoeidae, the haminoea bubble snails, part of the clade Cephalaspidea, the headshield slugs and bubble snails.
Media related to Xerocrassa simulata at Wikimedia Commons