Kingdom Animalia Superfamily Helicoidea Subfamily Hygromiinae Scientific name Trochulus hispidus Rank Species | Phylum Mollusca Family Hygromiidae Tribe Trochulini Higher classification Trochulus | |
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Similar Trochulus, Gastropods, Molluscs, Hygromiidae, Discus rotundatus | ||
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.
Contents
Distribution
This species occurs in a number of European countries and islands including:
Western Europe:
Northern Europe:
Central Europe:
Southern Europe:
Eastern Europe:
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.
The animal is brownish grey with a darker anterior part.
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.
Ecology
The size of the egg is 1.5 mm.
Interestingly, a hairy snail was found in the plumage of a great tit (Parus major) wintering in SW Poland in 2010. This passerine was the smallest bird species reported to carry a gastropod.
