Oxychilus alliarius

Oxychilus alliarius

Garlic snail, Garlic glass-snail

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SPECIES
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.

Animal name origin

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.

Appearance

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. 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.

Distribution

Geography

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.

Habits and Lifestyle

Lifestyle

Diet and Nutrition

Population

References

1. Oxychilus alliarius Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxychilus_alliarius
2. Oxychilus alliarius on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/171258/1323544

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