Omphiscola glabra, commonly known as the pond mud snail,[3] is a species of small to medium-size, air-breathing, freshwater snail, an aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Lymnaeidae.[4] Omphiscola glabra is the type species of the genus Omphiscola.[5]
Omphiscola glabra | |
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A live individual of Omphiscola glabra on a paper grid, scale bar 1 cm | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Gastropoda |
Subclass: | Heterobranchia |
Superorder: | Hygrophila |
Family: | Lymnaeidae |
Genus: | Omphiscola |
Species: | O. glabra
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Binomial name | |
Omphiscola glabra | |
Synonyms | |
This European snail can be found from southern Scandinavia (61° N) to southern Spain.[6]
The distribution of Omphiscola glabra is very scattered and rare.[6] It is seriously threatened, and has become locally extinct in many places.[6] It is threatened by continuing habitat destruction because of drainage and intensive farming.[6] Acriculturally induced eutrophication is also a threat. Omphiscola glabra has disappeared widely from urbanized areas such as London.[6]
The shell is strongly cylindrical, horny, often with a brownish or blackish surface, the apex is blunt, 7–8 moderately convex whorls, with last whorl being twice as high as the narrow aperture, and with aperture often with white lip.[6]
The height of the shell is 9–12 mm,[6] up to 15 mm[8] or up to 20 mm.[6] The width of the shell is 3–4 mm,[6] up to 5.5 mm.[8]
This snail lives in places such as swampy meadows and ditches.[9]
Omphiscola glabra is said to occur in small areas of standing water that have a lot of vegetation such as swamps, and also in standing forest waters with leaf litter, often in water with organic iron contents and low calcium contents.[6][clarification needed]
In Central France, the populations of Omphiscola glabra are currently declining because its habitat is threatened by modern agricultural practices.[10]
In Britain however, this species occurs in small standing waters that are low in nutrients, with poor aquatic flora, often in waters drying out periodically.[6] They usually do not occur in habitats with high molluscan diversity, and usually in habitats on uncultivated land.[6] They are calciphile and have a pH tolerance of 5.4–8.8.[6][clarification needed]
Reproduction begins in May.[6] Juveniles hatch after 15–25 days.[6] Omphiscola glabra has two generations per year.[6]
Omphiscola glabra can serve as an intermediate host for several digenean trematodes. In France, Omphiscola glabra is naturally infected with Fasciola hepatica,[11] Calicophoron daubneyi,[12] and Haplometra cylindracea;[13] in all, seven digenean species parasitize O. glabra in the Brenne Regional Natural Park, central France.[14] Moreover, a report suggests that the species is also susceptible to Fascioloides magna infection.[15]
This article incorporates public domain text from the reference.[6]