Kingdom Animalia Class Gastropoda Family Aciculidae Scientific name Renea singularis | Phylum Mollusca Superfamily Cyclophoroidea Genus Renea Rank Species | |
Renea singularis is a species of land snail with an operculum, a terrestrial gastropod mollusk in the family Aciculidae. It was described by Pollonera in 1905. The common name is needle snail.
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Distribution
This species is endemic to France. It has a very narrow distribution, being found only in the Alpes-Maritimes, in the Loup and Siagne valleys. Because of its limited distribution and rarity within its range it is considered threatened. The IUCN red list of endangered species lists it as vulnerable.
Description
These snails are between 3 and 4 mm long and 1.1 to 1.3 mm wide. Their elongated shells are light brown with fine ribbing (60-70 ribs with a penultimate whorl). The apertural margin in lateral view is oblique / and (-shaped, with an exaggerated sinulus, and a P-like opening at the suture in the last quarter of the last whorl. There is no cervical callus. The apertural margin can be thick.
R. singularis is possibly the end of an evolutionary line that begins with an almost straight apertural margin (in lateral view) towards a much more oblique and protruded margin with the needle snail having the longest sinulus along the suture.