Trochulus hispidus
Trochulus hispidus, previously known as Trichia hispida, common name, the "hairy snail", is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Hygromiidae, the hairy snails and their allies.
Distribution
This species occurs in a number of European countries and islands including:Western Europe:
- The British Isles: Great Britain and Ireland
- Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg
- Faroe Islands
- France
- Switzerland, Liechtenstein
- Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland
- Austria, Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania
- Andorra, Spain, Italy, Bulgaria
- Moldova
- Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania
- Ukraine
- Russian Federation
Description
The 3-6 x 5-11 mm shell has 5-6 moderately convex whorls which are rounded or very slightly keeled at the periphery. The aperture has a thin white lip inside. The umbilicus is open and usually wide at 1/8-1/4 of shell diameter. In colour the shell is brown to cream, sometimes with a light band at the periphery. The periostracum is irregularly striated, and densely covered with short, curved hairs. These hairs usually remain in the umbilicus if worn away from the rest of the shell. Lost hairs leave pronounced scars.The animal is brownish grey with a darker anterior part.
Anatomy
This species of snail creates and uses love darts before mating. The love dart of this species is thorn-shaped.Shepeleva studied Sensory [organs of gastropods#Eyes|eyes] of Trochulus hispidus.
Ecology
The size of the egg is 1.5 mm.A hairy snail was found in the plumage of a great tit wintering in southwestern Poland in 2010. This passerine was the smallest bird species reported to carry a gastropod.