Virginia Land Snails

Photo(s): Ventridens arcellus by Bill Frank ©.

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Ventridens arcellus Hubricht, 1976

Family: Gastrodontidae
Common name: Golden Dome

Identification
Width: 12.9–13.1 mm
Height: 9.2–11.1 mm
Whorls: 6.5+

Ventridens arcellus has a shiny, cone-shaped shell like several others in its family.  There are no teeth in the aperture. The shell is greenish yellow to golden, and the umbilicus is deep and well-like, but not as narrow as in V. ligera. Behind the aperture on the underside of the shell there is often has a light, opaque spot that suggests and internal callus. It is smaller, less green, more yellow, and has a higher spire at the apex and a deeper excavation around the umbilicus than V. acerra. Radial striae appear on the outer whorls, and though the base is much smoother, faint, spiral striae can be found there as well. 

Ecology
This species is somewhat uncommon, but when found it is in mountains at elevations above 3,000 feet, usually in leaf litter (Hubricht, 1985).  

Taxonomy
A synonym for V. arcellus is Zonitoides (Ventricallus) arcellus.

Distribution
The range of this species is higher elevations of the southern Appalachian Mountains, from western Maryland to northern Alabama (Hubricht, 1985). It is found only in a few counties of western Virginia.

NatureServe Global Rank: G4
NatureServe State Rank: S3
Virginia’s wildlife action plan: Tier IV

 

Greg Kimber, Ken Hotopp 11/2012

Range Map