Biology:Vespericolini
Vespericolini, or hesperians, are a tribe of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Polygyridae.
It contains two genera: Vespericola and Hochbergellus.[1]
Habitat
These snails are found along the Pacific Coast of North America, with Vespericola found from southern Alaska and British Columbia to California, and Hochbergellus found only in coastal Oregon.[2][3]
Anatomy
The shells of these small to medium, globose or depressed globose snails are usually some shade of brown, sometimes without apertural teeth and sometimes with a single tooth on the parietal wall. Small periostracal hairs may be observed on the shell surface of many specimens, but the shells otherwise resemble those of Praticolella or Mesodon.[2]
The two genera, Vespericola and Hochbergellus, cannot be distinguished based on shell anatomy. They can only be distinguished by examining internal organs, such as the reproductive system.[3]
References
- ↑ Emberton, Kenneth C. 1995. When shells do not tell: 145 million years of evolution in North America's polygyrid land snails, with a revision and conservation priorities. Malacologia. 37(1): 69-110.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Pilsbry, Henry A. 1940. Land Mollusca of North America (North of Mexico). Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Monograph 3, vol. 1(2): 892-912.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Roth, B. and W. B. Miller. 1992. A New Genus and Species of Polygyrid Land Snail (Gastropoda: Pulmonata) from Oregon. The Veliger 35(3): 222-225. available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/42467292
Wikidata ☰ Q21229504 entry
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