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Anguispira mordax
Species of land snail From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Anguispira mordax, also known as the Appalachian tigersnail, is a species of pulmonate land snail in the family Discidae endemic to the southeastern United States. It is named after the Appalachian mountain range.
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Appearance
The Appalachian tigersnail has a dull, slightly depressed shell ranging from 13 to 18 mm in diameter.[1][2] It is heavily ribbed, with the ribs being roughly 1-1.5mm apart.[3] This gives the shell a distinct ′wavy′ look. It is striated with a defined carina and a narrow, deep umbilicus. The shell is yellowish or "buckthorn brown" in color, defined by darker brown or reddish streaks that radiate outwards across the shell, running parallel to the radial ribs.[1][2]
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Ecology
Populations of Appalachian tigersnail have been found across Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, and West Virginia.[4] It is listed as vulnerable in Kentucky, Virginia, and North Carolina and as imperiled in West Virginia.
The Appalachian tigersnail is found in a wide range of habitats similar to those of its close relative, Anguispira alternata.[5] It is typically found in mesic hardwood forests on or around decaying logs, hollow trees, or limestone outcrops.[2][6]
There is some uncertainty surrounding the Appalachian tigersnail's taxonomy due to its tendency to hybridize with close relatives Anguispira alternata and Anguispira stronglyodes.[2] Malacologist Leslie Hubricht claims the only ′pure′ populations of Appalachian tigersnail exist in the mountains of North Carolina.[5]
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References
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