Pupilla pratensis
Encyclopedia
Pupilla pratensis is a species
of minute air-breathing land snail
, a terrestrial
pulmonate gastropod mollusk or micromollusk
in the family Pupillidae
. This taxon was elevated to species level in 2009.
by German malacologist Stefan Clessin
in 1871. It was considered as a ecophenotype of that species up until 2009. In 2009, Pupilla pratensis was elevated to species level. Pupilla pratensis was misidentified as either Pupilla muscorum or Pupilla alpicola
before 2009.
of this species is dark to brown, translucent and thin, with fine and distinct growth lines, 6-7.5 whorls
with deep suture, outline elongate and broad, aperture
rounded with weakly developed lip, usually toothless, or with weak parietal and occasionally a palatal tooth, sometimes with weak cervical calllus.
Pupilla pratensis differs from Pupilla muscorum, with which it often lives sympatrically, in its thinner, larger and broader shell, darker and less variable colour and weaker apertural lip.
The height of the shell is 3.5-4.5 mm. The width of the shell is 1.85-2.05 mm.
habitats, often on calcareous
substrates
. In Scandinavia it occurs in calcareous fen
s and meadow
s.
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 minute air-breathing 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...
, 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...
pulmonate gastropod mollusk or micromollusk
Micromollusk
A micromollusk is a descriptive term for a shelled mollusk which is extremely small, even at full adult size. The word is usually, but not exclusively, applied to marine mollusks, although in addition, numerous species of land snails and freshwater mollusks also reach adult size at very small...
in the family Pupillidae
Pupillidae
Pupillidae is a family of mostly minute, air-breathing, land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks or micromollusks in the clade Stylommatophora....
. This taxon was elevated to species level in 2009.
Taxonomy
Pupilla pratensis was originally described as a variety of Pupilla muscorumPupilla muscorum
Pupilla muscorum is a species of minute air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk or micromollusk in the family Pupillidae.- Taxonomy :A variety Pupilla muscorum var...
by German malacologist Stefan Clessin
Stefan Clessin
- Bibliography :* Clessin S. . "Studien über die Familie der Paludinen". Malakozoologische Blätter 2: 161-196.- Taxa described :He named numerous species of non-marine gastropod mollusks, including:* Bythiospeum pfeifferi...
in 1871. It was considered as a ecophenotype of that species up until 2009. In 2009, Pupilla pratensis was elevated to species level. Pupilla pratensis was misidentified as either Pupilla muscorum or Pupilla alpicola
Pupilla alpicola
Pupilla alpicola is a species of minute air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk or micromollusk in the family Pupillidae.- Description :...
before 2009.
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...
of this species is dark to brown, translucent and thin, with fine and distinct growth lines, 6-7.5 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...
with deep suture, outline elongate and broad, 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....
rounded with weakly developed lip, usually toothless, or with weak parietal and occasionally a palatal tooth, sometimes with weak cervical calllus.
Pupilla pratensis differs from Pupilla muscorum, with which it often lives sympatrically, in its thinner, larger and broader shell, darker and less variable colour and weaker apertural lip.
The height of the shell is 3.5-4.5 mm. The width of the shell is 1.85-2.05 mm.
Distribution
The distribution of Pupilla pratensis includes Central Europe to north Scandinavia, possibly Britain. It occurs in the following countries:- Sweden
- Poland
- Germany
- Czech Republic - Pupilla alpicolaPupilla alpicolaPupilla alpicola is a species of minute air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk or micromollusk in the family Pupillidae.- Description :...
has been listed as a part of the fauna of the Czech Republic for a long time (as probably extinct in Bohemia and critically endangered (CR) in Moravia). However, after the elevation of Pupilla pratensis to species level in 2009, the revision showed that Pupilla alpicola does not live in the Czech Republic, and that all of the snails that were previously thought to be that species in the Czech Republic are in fact Pupilla pratensis. - Slovakia
Ecology
Pupilla alpicola occurs in open moist and wetlandWetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
habitats, often on calcareous
Calcareous
Calcareous is an adjective meaning mostly or partly composed of calcium carbonate, in other words, containing lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of scientific disciplines.-In zoology:...
substrates
Substrate (biology)
In biology a substrate is the surface a plant or animal lives upon and grows on. A substrate can include biotic or abiotic materials and animals. For example, encrusting algae that lives on a rock can be substrate for another animal that lives on top of the algae. See also substrate .-External...
. In Scandinavia it occurs in calcareous fen
Fen
A fen is a type of wetland fed by mineral-rich surface water or groundwater. Fens are characterised by their water chemistry, which is neutral or alkaline, with relatively high dissolved mineral levels but few other plant nutrients...
s and meadow
Meadow
A meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants . The term is from Old English mædwe. In agriculture a meadow is grassland which is not grazed by domestic livestock but rather allowed to grow unchecked in order to make hay...
s.