Trinity bristle snail facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Monadenia setosa |
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Monadenia infumata setosa |
The Trinity bristle snail (Monadenia setosa) is a type of medium-sized land snail. It's a mollusc that lives on land and breathes air, belonging to the family Monadeniidae.
About the Trinity Bristle Snail
This snail is about 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) long. It has a brown or chestnut-colored shell. Its body is covered with tiny, clear bristles. These bristles are why it's called the "bristle snail."
Where It Lives
This snail is endemic to California. This means it is found only in one specific area. You can find it in northwestern Trinity County, along the Trinity River. It also lives up some of the river's smaller streams and in the Corral Bottom area. There are many of these snails in their home territory.
The Trinity bristle snail likes cool, wet, and shady places. It prefers areas near rivers and streams. It especially likes spots with lots of leafy trees and plants.
How It Lives
The Trinity bristle snail needs cool, moist conditions to be active. Because of this, it only moves around at night. During warmer parts of the day, it sticks to shady spots on tree trunks. If the summer is very hot, it might stay still for days.
When the weather is cool enough, the snail eats lichen. It also enjoys the soft, green parts of plants. This snail can live for over ten years. It might take almost that long to grow to its full size. Some animals that eat these snails include beetles and possibly rodents.
Protecting the Snail
The Trinity bristle snail relies on its river-side homes. It especially likes bigleaf maples, eating their leaves that are breaking down at the base of the trees. This was observed by a Forest Service employee named Gay Berrien in 1980.
There is no evidence that this snail ever lived in a larger area than it does now. It has always been found mostly in the northwestern part of Trinity County. Sometimes, at the edges of its territory, it has been known to breed with other types of Monadenia snails.
