Oxychilus alliarius

Oxychilus alliarius, commonly known as the garlic snail or garlic glass-snail, is a species of small, air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the glass snail family, Oxychilidae.

Oxychilus alliarius
Shell of Oxychilus alliarius

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Heterobranchia
Superorder: Eupulmonata
Order: Stylommatophora
Family: Oxychilidae
Genus: Oxychilus
Species:
O. alliarius
Binomial name
Oxychilus alliarius
(Miller, 1822)[2]
Synonyms
  • Helix alliaria Miller, 1822

Etymology

The specific name alliarius refers to Allium which means garlic. The common name also refers to the fact that when this animal is disturbed, it gives off a strong smell similar to that of raw garlic.[3]

Distribution

This species occurs in a number of countries and islands including Great Britain, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, the Czech Republic and other areas. The eastern boundary of its native distribution is in western Bohemia in the Czech Republic.[3]

Non-indigenous distribution

The non-indigenous distribution of Oxychilus alliarius includes Latvia, Colombia, and California.

Description

The 3.5–4 by 5–7 millimetres (0.14 in–0.16 in × 0.20 in–0.28 in) shell has four or four and a half slightly convex whorls. The last whorl is often weakly descending near aperture. The whorls from whorl 3 onwards are more narrowly coiled than in Oxychilus cellarius, the last whorl descending lower. The umbilicus is wide (one sixth of diameter). The shell is smooth, shiny, weakly reddish to greenish brown. The animal is blackish blue.[4] Anatomy: The internal ornamentation of the proximal penis consisting of not more than four longitudinal pleats, usually straight, sometimes slightly wavy, but never laterally branched or papillate.[5]

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References
  1. Neiber, M.T. (2017). "Oxychilus alliarius". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017. Retrieved 18 June 2016.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  2. Miller J. S. (1822). "A list of the freshwater and landshells occurring in the environment of Bristol, with observations". Annals of Philosophy (New Series), London, 3(17): 376-381.
  3. Horáčková J. & Juřičková L. (2009). "A new record of Oxychilus alliarius (Gastropoda: Zonitidae) with the species distribution in the Czech Republic". Malacologica Bohemoslovaca 8: 63-65. PDF.
  4. "Oxychilus alliarius (garlic snail)". www.cabi.org. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
  5. Species summary for Oxychilus alliarius. AnimalBase, accessed 25 June 2014.

Further reading
  • Spencer, H.G., Marshall, B.A. & Willan, R.C. (2009). Checklist of New Zealand living Mollusca. pp 196–219 in Gordon, D.P. (ed.) New Zealand inventory of biodiversity. Volume one. Kingdom Animalia: Radiata, Lophotrochozoa, Deuterostomia. Canterbury University Press, Christchurch.
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