Bulinus facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bulinus
A live individual of Bulinus wrighti
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Heterobranchia
Clade:	Euthyneura
Superorder:	Hygrophila
Family:	Planorbidae
Subfamily:	Bulininae
Tribe:	Bulinini
Genus:	Bulinus O. F. Müller, 1781
Diversity
37 extant species, at least 7 fossil species
Synonyms
Bulinus (Bulinus) O. F. Müller, 1781· accepted, alternate representation Bulinus (Isidora) Ehrenberg, 1831· accepted, alternate representation Bulinus (Physopsis) F. Krauss, 1848· accepted, alternate representation Bulinus (Pyrgophysa) Crosse, 1879· accepted, alternate representation Bullinus Oken, 1815 (an incorrect subsequent spelling of Bulinus) Isidora Ehrenberg, 1831 Isidora (Physopsis) F. Krauss, 1848 (superseded combination) Kosovia Atanacković, 1959 Kosovia (Kosovia) Atanacković, 1959 † (junior synonym) Limnaea (Bulinus) O.F. Müller, 1781 Physa (Isidora) Ehrenberg, 1831 Physa (Pyrgophysa) Crosse, 1879 Physopsis F. Krauss, 1848 Pulmobranchia Pelseneer, 1894 Pyrgophysa Crosse, 1879 (junior synonym)

Bulinus is a group of small freshwater snails. These snails live in tropical areas. They are a type of gastropod mollusk, which means they are related to slugs and clams.

These snails are important for health reasons. Some Bulinus species can carry tiny parasites. These parasites cause a disease called schistosomiasis in people.

About Bulinus Snails

Bulinus snails are found in many places. They live across Africa and in Madagascar. You can also find them in the Middle East.

These snails are not yet found everywhere. Some people worry they could become a problem in new places. This is because they might harm farming or natural areas. They could also affect human health. Because of this, some countries watch out for them. They want to stop these snails from spreading.

What Their Shells Look Like

The shell of a Bulinus snail is special. It coils to the left, which is unusual for snails. This is called 'sinistral'. It has a big main part and a small pointy top.

Different Types of Bulinus Snails

A shell of Bulinus truncatus.

Scientists group Bulinus snails into four main types. These groups are based on how the snails look. They are also based on their DNA. Studying DNA helps scientists tell similar species apart.

There are about 37 or 38 different species of Bulinus. Here are some examples from each group:

• The Bulinus africanus group (10 species)
  • Bulinus africanus
  • Bulinus globosus
  • Bulinus nasutus

• The Bulinus forskalii group (11 species)
  • Bulinus forskalii
  • Bulinus senegalensis (This is the main example for the whole group.)
  • Bulinus scalaris

• The Bulinus reticulatus group (2 species)
  • Bulinus reticulatus
  • Bulinus wrighti

• The Bulinus truncatus/tropicus group (14-15 species)
  • Bulinus tropicus
  • Bulinus truncatus
  • Bulinus natalensis

Some Bulinus species are only known from fossils. This means they lived a long time ago.