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Trochulus hispidus

Species of gastropod From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Trochulus hispidus
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Trochulus hispidus, previously known as Trichia hispida, common name, the "hairy snail", is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Hygromiidae, the hairy snails and their allies.

Quick Facts Conservation status, Scientific classification ...
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Distribution

This species occurs in a number of European countries and islands including:

Western Europe:

Northern Europe:

  • Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland[1]

Central Europe:

Southern Europe:

  • Andorra, Spain, Italy, Bulgaria[1]

Eastern Europe:

  • Moldova
  • Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania
  • Ukraine[5]
  • Russian Federation (Kaliningrad)[1]
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Description

The 3-6 x 5-11 mm shell has 5-6 moderately convex whorls which are rounded or very slightly keeled at the periphery. The aperture has a thin white lip inside. The umbilicus is open and usually wide at 1/8-1/4 of shell diameter. In colour the shell is brown to cream, sometimes with a light band at the periphery. The periostracum is irregularly striated, and densely covered with short (0.2-0.3 mm), curved hairs. These hairs usually remain in the umbilicus if worn away from the rest of the shell. Lost hairs leave pronounced scars.[6]

The animal is brownish grey with a darker anterior part.[6]

Thumb
Scanning electron micrograph of the love dart of Trochulus hispidus, Upper image is lateral view - scale bar 500 μm (0.5 mm). Lower image is a cross-section near the base - scale bar 50 μm.
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Anatomy

This species of snail creates and uses love darts before mating. The love dart of this species is thorn-shaped.

Shepeleva (2014) studied eyes of Trochulus hispidus.[7]

Ecology

The size of the egg is 1.5 mm.[8]

A hairy snail was found in the plumage of a great tit (Parus major) wintering in southwestern Poland in 2010. This passerine was the smallest bird species reported to carry a gastropod.[9]

References

Further reading

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