Oxyloma elegans

Slender Amber Snail ( Oxyloma elegans)

The Slender Amber Snail ( Oxyloma elegans ) is a species of snail the amber snail family ( Succineidae ) from the subordination of terrestrial snails ( gastropod ). The German Board of Trustees " soft animal of the year " and the Conservation Federation Austria has this snail named the soft animal of the year 2012.

Features

The case measures in the adult stage 9 to 17 mm in height and 6 to 8 mm in width ( or thickness ). The surface is apart of fine, irregular growth lines almost smooth. The housing is translucent, shiny amber color and has three turns in the rule. The last whorl takes on an approximately two-thirds of the housing height. The outer line is relatively flat ( flatter than the commons amber snail ); the housing thus has a slimmer habit. The mouth is pear-shaped, pointed above. the estuary margin not thickened or modified ( without an envelope or lip ). The soft body is light with dark pigment spots on the upper side of the body; but these can be absent.

Occurrence, lifestyle and dissemination

This species needs a lot of moisture and therefore usually lives near standing water, often on plants that are in the water. If an individual into the water, which will not fail in the preferred habitat of the species, they can survive for hours or days in the water. However, you always tried to be as quick to reach the surface again. She eats withered and decaying plant parts, preferably from plantain (Alisma plantago- aquatica ). It is distributed from North Africa throughout much of Europe to northern Asia.

Reproduction

The Slender Amber Snail, like all terrestrial snails a hermaphrodite. After the copulations in the spring and summer the critters repeatedly spawn clumps from up to 150 eggs. In younger or less well-fed animals, there may be only 15 to 20 eggs. Eggs are laid above the water level in plants, usually at the main food plant plantain or directly on the wet mud. They are transparent and round, the diameter ranges from 0.6 to about 1.1 mm. Although the development is dependent on temperature, however, extends in comparison to other types of succinic screw quickly. After eight days later the first hatchlings the egg cases, after about 16 days to slip the last individuals. The young animals are almost transparent and her body is nearly as high as wide ( 0.4 to 0.6 mm). The animals are max. two years old.

Parasites and enemies

The Lean amber snail is infected as well as the congregation amber snail relatively frequently of " sensor maggots ", trematode flukes ( Leucochloridium paradoxum ). The main enemies of lean amber snail snails are predatory shine as the Keller- glass snail ( Oxychilus cellarius ) and the garlic glass snail ( Oxychilus alliaria ), but also ants.

System

The species was described by Antoine Joseph Risso as Succinea elegans first valid. The Fauna Europaea lists a total of 23 synonyms for the species.