Land Snails

Ventridens demissus (A. Binney, 1843)

Photo(s): Live Ventridens demissus © Bill Frank. Shell © Dan Dourson.

Click photo(s) to enlarge.

Family: Gastrodontidae
Common name: Perforate Dome

Identification
Width: 7.5 – 10.4 mm
Height: 4.8 – 6.8 mm
Whorls: 6+

The apex of this animal’s shell is relatively low, with an obtuse spire. The umbilicus is very small, the area around it only slightly depressed, and the base is generally flat and smooth. The surface of the shell is a yellowish, horn-color and mostly quite smooth, though there are some fine, widely-spaced striae on the outer whorls. The aperture is not especially wide, and the lip is thin. Young shells may have an outer basal lamina (Pilsbry, 1946-48; Dourson, 2010). The shell is generally smaller and lower than V. ligera.    
             
Taxonomy
Synonyms for V. demissus are Gastrodonta demissa, Helix demissa, Zonites demissus, and Zonitoides (Ventricallus) demissus.

Ecology
Ventridens demissus is found in a range of habitats including ravines, wooded hillsides with leaf litter, and floodplains.  It is even found in urban areas (Dourson, 2010).

Distribution
Ventridens demissus is spread from southwestern Pennsylvania south to east Texas and west to northern Florida. It is found in Gulf Coast but generally not in Atlantic Coast or Piedmont counties. In Virginia, it is mostly in the west.     

NatureServe Global Rank: G5
NatureServe State Rank: S4

 

Greg Kimber, Ken Hotopp 11/2012

Range Map (click to enlarge)