Snake River physa snail facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Snake River physa snail |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| (unranked): | |
| Superfamily: |
Planorboidea
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| Family: |
Physidae
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| Genus: |
Physella
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| Species: |
P. natricina
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| Binomial name | |
| Physella natricina Taylor, 1988
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| Synonyms | |
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Haitia (Physa) natricina Taylor, 1988 |
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The Snake River physa snail is a special type of freshwater snail. Its scientific name is Physella natricina. This snail is a kind of mollusk (like clams and oysters) and belongs to the gastropod group (snails and slugs). It lives only in Idaho, United States, which means it's endemic there.
You can find this snail in the middle part of the Snake River in southern Idaho.
Contents
What the Snail Looks Like
This snail has a shell shaped like an oval. The shell is usually amber or brown. It has about 3 to 3.5 whorls, which are the turns or spirals of the shell. The Snake River physa snail can grow to be about 6.5 millimeters long. That's less than a quarter of an inch!
Where the Snail Lives
Scientists know a lot about the snail family called Physidae. However, they don't know much about the daily life or habits of this specific snail.
Habitat and Distribution
The Snake River physa snail is believed to live only in the Snake River. It likes areas where the water moves fast. You can find it clinging to the bottom of large rocks and boulders.
In 1995, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said that this snail was found in the Snake River from Grandview, Idaho, up to the Hagerman Reach.
Scientists think the Snake River physa snail developed a very long time ago. This was during the Pleistocene and Holocene periods. It likely evolved in the lakes and rivers of northern Utah and southeastern Idaho. Some believe this snail has lived in the Snake River for about 3.5 million years.
Protecting the Snail
The Snake River physa snail is very rare. Fewer than 50 of these snails have ever been found. The area where efforts are made to help the species recover is a long stretch of the Snake River.
Because it is so rare, the Snake River physa snail has been listed as an Endangered species since December 14, 1992. This means it is protected by law to help it survive.
- This article uses information from a work of the United States Government that is available to everyone.
See also
In Spanish: Physella natricina para niños
