Land Snails

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Cochlicopa nitens (von Gallenstein, 1848) (non-native)

Family: Cionellidae
Common name: Robust Pillar

Identification
Width: 2.8-3.2 mm
Height: 6.2-7.5 mm
Whorls: ~5.5

This animal’s elongate shell is glossy and brown, transparent when empty (Kerney and Cameron, 1979). The animal itself is blue-gray with lighter speckles. The shell is slightly larger and darker brown than Cochlicopa lubrica (Ormio et al., 2016).

Ecology
Cochlicopa nitens prefers rich wetlands – calcareous fens, marshes, and damp woods (Kerney and Cameron, 1979). In Finland, where it is considered rare, it has been found only in a treeless fen (Ormio et al., 2016).

Taxonomy
There are no synonyms.

Distribution
Cochlicopa nitens is originally from central Europe and western Asia. It is reported from agricultural areas In Maine and New York, as well as the Massachusetts coast. Because Cochlicopa species have very similar shells, records may be mis-identified.

Conservation
NatureServe Global Rank: G4, Apparently Secure.
It is listed as Critically Endangered in Germany and Austria, and Endangered in Sweden and Switzerland (in Ormio et al., 2016).

 

Ken Hotopp 11/2017

Range Map (click to enlarge)