Land Snails

Photo(s): Three views of an I. kalmianus shell © Dan Dourson.

Click photo(s) to enlarge.

Inflectarius kalmianus (Hubricht, 1965)

Family: Polygyridae
Common name: Brown Globelet

Identification
Width: 9.0-15.0 mm
Height: 6.0-10.5 mm
Whorls: 4.5+

The shell of Inflectarius kalmianus is small and globe-shaped. It has a narrow, partly covered, or “rimate,” umbilicus. Unlike many of its genus, the shell lacks a microsculpture of hairs or scales and there are no teeth in the aperture.

Ecology
This animal frequents open, grassy places such as meadows. It may also be found in banks of kudzu vines (Hubricht, 1985).

Taxonomy
Inflectarius kalmianus has also been known as Mesodon kalmianus.

Distribution
The Brown Globelet is an Appalachian endemic reported only from eastern Tennessee and Kentucky, and far southwestern Virginia.

Conservation
NatureServe Global Rank: G3, Vulnerable.
NatureServe State Rank: Virginia, S1S3, Critically Imperiled to Vulnerable.
Virginia’s wildlife action plan: Tier II

 

Meegan Winslow, Ken Hotopp 9/2012

Range Map (click to enlarge)