Virginia Land Snails

Photo(s): Zonitoides elliotti by Bill Frank ©.

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Zonitoides elliotti (Redfield, 1856)

Family: Gastrodontidae
Common name: Green Dome

Identification
Width: 7.5-9.0 mm
Height: 4.0-4.9 mm
Whorls: 5+

This snail has a subglobose shell with frequent radial striations, and is unusual for its greenish tint. The lip is slightly depressed and oval-shaped, with a basal callus on the columellar side. The umbilicus is narrow. Z. elliotti animal is very light-colored.

Ecology
Zonitoides elliotti is an animal of forest slopes and ravines, sometimes found in colonies on logs (Hubricht, 1985; Pilsbry, 1946).

Taxonomy
Synonyms for Z. elliotti are Helix elliotti and Zonites elliotti.

Distribution
This species is endemic to the southern Appalachian Mountains, found from West Virginia to northern Georgia and Alabama (Hubricht, 1985). In Virginia it is known only from a few western counties.

NatureServe Global Rank: G4
NatureServe State Rank: S2S4

 

Ken Hotopp 2/2013

Range Map