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Edentulina moreleti
Species of gastropod From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Edentulina moreleti is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Streptaxidae.
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Distribution
Edentulina moreleti is endemic to the Seychelles.[2]
The type locality for this species is Silhouette Island.[2] It also occurs on Mahé.[2] Up to 1999 there were only 34 known specimens in collections.[2]
Description
The species gives live birth rather than laying eggs. The newborn snails are yellow in color.[10] Juvenile snails are also yellow with crimson tentacles.[10] Adult snails are dark brown,[10] but Martens (1898) described the body as red.[6]
The reproductive anatomy and radula have been described by J. Gerlach & A. C. van Bruggen (1999).[2] The formula of the radula is 29 + 1 + 29.[2] Salivary glands are bilobed.[2]
The color of the shell is a tan brown.[10] The width of the shell is 5.3-6.5 mm.[2] The height of the shell is 11.0-14.0 mm.[2] The shape of the shell is bulimoid.[2] The shell has 6.75-7.75 whorls.[2] There is no spiral sculpture on the shell.[2]
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The only other species of Edentulina on the Seychelles is Edentulina dussumieri, which is the most abundant streptaxid snail there.[2][10] Edentulina moreleti is smaller than Edentulina dussumieri which is over 14 mm in shell height, and Edentulina dussumieri has spiral sculpture on the shell.[2]
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Ecology
Edentulina moreleti inhabits habitats with high humidity and with many Dracaena reflexa plants.[10] The population density of this species is low: about 160 individuals at locality area of 2 ha.[10] Edentulina moreleti is ovo-viviparous.[10]
Edentulina moreleti is the only known herbivorous streptaxid.[10] Other Streptaxidae are carnivorous.[10] Edentulina moreleti probably feeds on algae and decomposing plants, that occur on leaves of Dracaena reflexa.[10] They can be fed with carrot, apple and decomposing leaves in captivity.[10]
References
External links
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