Paryphanta

Paryphanta is a genus of land snails in the family Rhytididae. Species from New Zealand are known commonly as kauri snails (Māori: pūpūrangi).^[1] They are closely related and similar to snails in the genus Powelliphanta, which was formerly included within Paryphanta.

Paryphanta
Apical view of a shell of Paryphanta busbyi
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Order:	Stylommatophora
Family:	Rhytididae
Subfamily:	Rhytidinae
Genus:	Paryphanta Albers, 1850
Species
See text.

There are just two species of Paryphanta:^[2] Paryphanta busbyi and Paryphanta watti, which occur from North Cape to West Auckland.^[3]

P. watti occurs only at the extreme northern end of this range near Kaeo. This form is of much darker coloration and often smaller, although does reach the same size as P. busbyi if allowed to reach old age. Classification of some land snails can be complicated by variations in shell induced by environmental changes.^[4]

See also

• Paryphanta busbyi
• Paryphanta watti