Virginia Land Snails

Photo(s): Shell of Paravitrea reesei by Ken Hotopp ©. Aperture is a bit wider than P. capsella.

Click photo(s) to enlarge.

Paravitrea reesei Morrison, 1937

Family: Pristilomatidae
Common name: Round Supercoil

Identification
Width: 4.7 mm
Height: 2.4 mm
Whorls: 6.5

The shell of Paravitrea reesei is not quite glossy, but appears polished when clean. The sutures are shallow and the umbilicus is deep and well-like. Growth wrinkles can be seen at irregular intervals over the whole shell. The narrow aperture has a simple lip and no teeth are visible from the mouth. Through the shell, a single radial row of teeth become apparent further inside the final whorl. Immature shells may have two or three teeth, whileadults have a set of four.

Adult shells in which teeth can’t be seen are distinguished from Paravitrea capsella by having an aperture wider at the base, and a slightly inflated final half-whorl.

Ecology
This animal prefers moist environments. It may be found in damp areas under rocks, in moist leaf litter, and on river bluffs and other slopes near water (Hubricht, 1985).

Taxonomy
Paravitreareesei has been previously spelled as P. reecei.

Distribution
Paravitrea reesei is found only in five Appalachian Mountain states. In Virginia it is reported from scattered western counties.

NatureServe Global Rank: G3
NatureServe State Rank: S2
Virginia’s wildlife action plan: Tier II

 

Meegan Winslow, Ken Hotopp 11/2012

Range Map