Cochlicopa lubricella
Small Smooth Snail ( Cochlicopa lubricella )
The Small Smooth Snail ( Cochlicopa lubricella ), also called Small agate snail, a terrestrial snail from the family of smooth snails ( Cochlicopidae ). The authorization of the taxon is disputed by some authors.
- 5.1 Literature
- 5.2 Notes and references
- 5.3 online
Features
The cylindrically shaped housing measures 4.0 to 5.7 mm ( 4.5 to 6.8 mm) in height and 1.8 to 2.3 mm (2, l to 2.5 mm) in width. It has 5 ½ weakly convex whorls, which are deducted from a flat seam from each other. The Apex is comparatively dull. The skin is light horn-colored and translucent. The surface is matte.
The soft body is pigmented light gray and weak. Occasionally, also darker animals, or the housing may also be albinoid.
Similar Species
The case of Cochicopa lubricella is smaller, slimmer and more cylindrical in shape than the average case of Cochlicopa lubrica. The whorls are less convex. The surface is matte and less shiny. However, it is difficult to distinguish in some cases the two types with reference to the housing. Only at a few sites, both species were found together so far; otherwise be inferred from the distribution areas, as C. lubrica humid locations preferred. The housing of Cochlicopa nitens are again significantly larger than C. lubrica and therefore can be confused with C. lubricella hardly.
Geographical distribution, habitat and behavior
The Small Smooth Snail is generally rare and so far only a few sites in southern Sweden, Denmark ( Zealand ), Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria and Albania proved. In the east, the range extends up to West Asia. Wade et al. (2006) reported the species also from the Azores. In Switzerland, it rises to 2800 m, in Bulgaria it has been demonstrated at 1800 m altitude.
The species prefers to live in moderately moist meadows, scree slopes, on exposed rocks and calcareous grasslands on calcareous subsoil.
Systematics and Taxonomy
The taxon was erected in 1838 by Carlo Porro than Bulimus lubricus var lubricella. Earlier, the authority of the taxon has been repeatedly called into question, and C. lubricella seen as an ecological variant of C. lubrica. Already Hamilton Ernest Quick noted that both forms occasionally occur together and are clearly distinguishable. He considers it unlikely that the smaller C. lubricella is merely a form of adaptation of C. lubrica to drier sites.
Armbruster & Schlegel ( 1994) and Armbruster (1995 ) summarize the taxon as a bona species. This could not be confirmed in the molecular genetic studies by Armbruster & Bernhard ( 2000). Here the taxon paraphyletic or polyphyletic as set out (as C. lubricella type 1 and type 2 refers ). The type 1 grouped with C. lubrica and formed the sister taxon of C. nitens. C. lubricella type 2, however, was the sister taxon of a taxon consisting of C. lubrica / C. lubricella type 2 and C. nitens. This would mean that the C. lubricella -type chassis is twice arisen independently. Here are more results to be seen.
Achatina minima Siemaschko, 1847, according to Quick, a synonym of C. lubricella.
Endangering
The species is considered endangered in Bavaria. On the Red List of Threatened Animals of Germany C. lubricella a kind of early warning.