Sphincterochilidae

Sphincterochilidae is a taxonomic family of medium-sized air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Helicoidea (according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005).^[2]

Sphincterochilidae
Sphincterochila candidissima, near Tortosa
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Order:	Stylommatophora
Suborder:	Helicina
Infraorder:	Helicoidei
Superfamily:	Helicoidea
Family:	Sphincterochilidae Zilch, 1960 (1910)[1]

In the fossil record, Sphincterochilidae are known from the upper Eocene to the Holocene.^[3]

Distribution

The distribution of Sphincterochilidae includes the western-Palearctic zone.^[4]

Taxonomy

The following two subfamilies have been recognized in the taxonomy of Bouchet & Rocroi (2005):^[2]

• subfamily Sphincterochilinae Zilch, 1960 (1910) - synonyms: Calcarinidae Pallary, 1909^[5] (inv.); Albeidae Pallary, 1910.^[6] Sphincterochilidae is a conserved name to take the priority of Leucochroidae Westerlund, 1886.^[7][2][8]
• subfamily † Pseudoleptaxinae H. Nordsieck, 1986^[9]

Genera

Genera within the family Sphincterochilidae include:

Sphincterochilinae

• † Asensidea Calzada, 2003
• Sphincterochila Ancey, 1887 - type genus of the family Sphincterochilidae^[2]

† Pseudoleptaxinae

• † Dentellocaracolus Oppenheim, 1890
• † Fridolinia Pilsbry, 1895 †
• † Pseudoleptaxis Pilsbry, 1895^[10] - type genus o the subfamily Pseudoleptaxinae^[2]
• † Wenzia Pfeffer, 1930

Ecology

Sphincterochilidae land snails are xerothermophilous, i.e. they are well adapted to hot, arid places.^[3]