Bathyomphalus contortus facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bathyomphalus contortus
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
(unranked):	clade Heterobranchia clade Euthyneura clade Panpulmonata clade Hygrophila
Superfamily:	Planorboidea
Family:	Planorbidae
Subfamily:	Planorbinae
Tribe:	Planorbini
Genus:	Bathyomphalus
Species:	B. contortus
Binomial name
Bathyomphalus contortus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Bathyomphalus contortus is a tiny, air-breathing freshwater snail. It's a type of mollusk that lives in water, and it belongs to the Planorbidae family. These snails are often called "ram's horn snails" because their shells can look a bit like a ram's horn!

Where Does This Snail Live?

This little snail is found across a wide area called the Palearctic region. This means you can find it in many parts of Europe and Asia.

It lives in countries and islands like:

• Great Britain
• Czech Republic (where it's not considered endangered)
• Germany
• Netherlands
• Poland
• Slovakia

What Does Bathyomphalus contortus Look Like?

This snail is super small! Its shell is usually only about 1 to 2 millimeters tall and 3 to 6 millimeters wide. That's smaller than a pea!

Shell Features

• It has 7 to 8 tightly wound spirals, called whorls.
• The shell's spirals are taller than they are wide.
• The bottom of the shell is almost flat.
• The top has a large "belly button" area, called an umbilicus. This opening is more than one-third the size of the whole shell.
• The opening where the snail comes out, called the aperture, is quite narrow.
• The shell is usually a reddish-brown color. It often has black or brown spots or layers on it.
• You can see fine lines on the shell, like tiny scratches.

The Snail's Body

The snail itself is a dark, blackish-red color. It has very long feelers, called tentacles, and small, black eyes.

Where Does Bathyomphalus contortus Make Its Home?

This small snail loves freshwater places. It especially likes small, quiet water bodies.

You can often find it in:

• Drains
• Marshy or peaty pools
• Floodplain marshes

It doesn't usually live in bigger lakes or rivers. This snail can even live in water that is a bit acidic, just like another snail called Radix balthica. In Ireland, it's sometimes the only snail species you'll find in pools or drains around raised bogs.