Land Snails

Photo(s): Views of a Paravitrea placentula shell © Dan Dourson.

Click photo(s) to enlarge.

Paravitrea placentula (Shuttleworth, 1852)

Family: Pristilomatidae
Common name: Glossy Supercoil

Identification
Width: 6-7.5 mm
Height: 3-4 mm
Whorls: 7+

The closely coiled shell of Paravitrea placentula is glossy-transparent and sculptured with irregularly-spaced radial striae. The base is convex and the umbilicus is open. The lunar-shaped aperture has a simple lip. Though similar in shape to P. capsella, this shell is larger and has a smaller umbilicus.

Ecology
Paravitrea placentula can be found under leaf litter on wooded slopes (Hubricht, 1985).

Taxonomy
Synonyms for P. placentula include Helix (Hyalina) monroensis, Paravitrea lithodora, P. placentula lithodora, Vitrea placentula, and Zonites placentula.

Distribution
This is an Appalachian Mountain species, ranging from Virginia and Kentucky in the north to Georgia in the south. In Virginia it is reported only from Dickinson County.

Conservation
NatureServe Global Rank: G3
NatureServe State Rank: S1S3
Virginia’s wildlife action plan: Tier II

 

Meegan Winslow 11/2012

Range Map (click to enlarge)