Cochlostoma septemspirale
Encyclopedia
Cochlostoma septemspirale is a species
of a land snail
with an operculum
, a terrestrial
gastropod mollusk in the family Diplommatinidae
.
Cochlostoma septemspirale is the most widely distributed Cochlostoma species.
is light greyish brown with 3 rows of reddish brown spots. It has 6-8 regular ribs/mm and 7-10 convex whorls
. The aperture
is inside whitish. There is no significant sexual dimorphism
on the shell.
The width of the shell is 3.2-4.4 mm. The height of the shell is 6.7-10.2 mm.
The animal is medium-sized (5-6.5 mm long), greyish with weak brownish hue.
It feeds on disintegrating plant substrate, sometimes also on the algae film growing on limestone.
The animal is slow, not very active, and very shy. However the animal will emerge when put onto a cold object. It is active only in wet weather, and the operculum
is closed when the soil is dry. This snail climbs trees up to 2 m during very wet weather conditions. It hibernates between stones, under leaves and grasses; activity seems to cease when temperatures go below 6-7°C.
Eggs (diameter 1.0-1.1 mm, occasionally down to 0.6 mm) are laid from April to October, mainly during May to June, about 1 cm below the surface. The eggs are covered by the female with faeces and mucus
. They are laid in clutches of up to 10 eggs. Juveniles hatch after 45–60 days, and the full adult shell size is reached after roughly 1 year.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of a land snail
Land snail
A land snail is any of the many species of snail that live on land, as opposed to those that live in salt water and fresh water. Land snails are terrestrial gastropod mollusks that have shells, It is not always an easy matter to say which species are terrestrial, because some are more or less...
with an operculum
Operculum (gastropod)
The operculum, meaning little lid, is a corneous or calcareous anatomical structure which exists in many groups of sea snails and freshwater snails, and also in a few groups of land snails...
, a terrestrial
Terrestrial animal
Terrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land , as compared with aquatic animals, which live predominantly or entirely in the water , or amphibians, which rely on a combination of aquatic and terrestrial habitats...
gastropod mollusk in the family Diplommatinidae
Diplommatinidae
Diplommatinidae is a family of small land snails with an operculum, terrestrial gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Cyclophoridae.-Genera:*Subfamily Diplommatininae L...
.
Distribution
The distribution of Cochlostoma septemspirale is southern Europe from the Pyrenees to south Germany and the central Balkans.Cochlostoma septemspirale is the most widely distributed Cochlostoma species.
Description
The shellGastropod shell
The gastropod shell is a shell which is part of the body of a gastropod or snail, one kind of mollusc. The gastropod shell is an external skeleton or exoskeleton, which serves not only for muscle attachment, but also for protection from predators and from mechanical damage...
is light greyish brown with 3 rows of reddish brown spots. It has 6-8 regular ribs/mm and 7-10 convex whorls
Whorl (mollusc)
A whorl is a single, complete 360° revolution or turn in the spiral growth of a mollusc shell. A spiral configuration of the shell is found in of numerous gastropods, but it is also found in shelled cephalopods including Nautilus, Spirula and the large extinct subclass of cephalopods known as the...
. The aperture
Aperture (mollusc)
The aperture is an opening in certain kinds of mollusc shells: it is the main opening of the shell, where part of the body of the animal emerges for locomotion, feeding, etc....
is inside whitish. There is no significant sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
on the shell.
The width of the shell is 3.2-4.4 mm. The height of the shell is 6.7-10.2 mm.
The animal is medium-sized (5-6.5 mm long), greyish with weak brownish hue.
Ecology
Cochlostoma septemspirale lives in forest habitats, rocks, rock rubble, walls and grassy slopes, up to 2100 m.It feeds on disintegrating plant substrate, sometimes also on the algae film growing on limestone.
The animal is slow, not very active, and very shy. However the animal will emerge when put onto a cold object. It is active only in wet weather, and the operculum
Operculum (gastropod)
The operculum, meaning little lid, is a corneous or calcareous anatomical structure which exists in many groups of sea snails and freshwater snails, and also in a few groups of land snails...
is closed when the soil is dry. This snail climbs trees up to 2 m during very wet weather conditions. It hibernates between stones, under leaves and grasses; activity seems to cease when temperatures go below 6-7°C.
Eggs (diameter 1.0-1.1 mm, occasionally down to 0.6 mm) are laid from April to October, mainly during May to June, about 1 cm below the surface. The eggs are covered by the female with faeces and mucus
Mucus
In vertebrates, mucus is a slippery secretion produced by, and covering, mucous membranes. Mucous fluid is typically produced from mucous cells found in mucous glands. Mucous cells secrete products that are rich in glycoproteins and water. Mucous fluid may also originate from mixed glands, which...
. They are laid in clutches of up to 10 eggs. Juveniles hatch after 45–60 days, and the full adult shell size is reached after roughly 1 year.