Land Snails

Photo(s): Shell of Ventridens pilsbryi © Dan Dourson.

Click photo(s) to enlarge.

Ventridens pilsbryi (Hubricht, 1964)

Family: Gastrodontidae
Common name: Yellow Dome

Identification
Width: 8.7-9.6 mm
Height: 5.1-7.1 mm
Whorls: 7.5-8.0

The shell of Ventridens pilsbryi is a low, brownish-yellow dome, with columellar and basal lamellae in the thin-lipped aperture. In immature shells these lamellae are long and pronounced, but are much reduced in adults. The umbilicus is approximately 0.4mm in shells at 4mm wide, but becomes smaller at 0.2mm in adult shells. The animal is pale yellow with some gray above, which aids in distinguishing this species from the dark-colored V. gularis (Dourson, 2010).

Ecology
This animal is a denizen of wooded slopes and valleys, found in leaf litter and near woody debris. It prefers richer habitats but is not restricted to them (Dourson, 2010). In Tennessee it has been reported in areas in which the predominant rock type is dolomite, and in oak-pine forests (Coney et al, 1982).

Taxonomy
A synonym for V. ligera is Zonitoides (Ventridens) pilsbryi.

Distribution
Ventridens pilsbryi is found from southwestern Virginia and southeastern Kentucky, south almost to the Gulf Coast in Louisiana and Mississippi.

NatureServe Global Rank: G4
NatureServe State Rank: S2?
Virginia’s wildlife action plan: Tier IV

 

Ken Hotopp, Meegan Winslow 11/2012

Range Map (click to enlarge)