Tulotoma facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tulotoma |
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| A live Tulotoma magnifica on a muddy surface | |
| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Order: | Architaenioglossa |
| Family: | Viviparidae |
| Genus: | Tulotoma Haldeman, 1840 |
| Species: |
T. magnifica
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| Binomial name | |
| Tulotoma magnifica (Conrad, 1834)
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| Synonyms | |
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Paludina magnifica Conrad, 1834 |
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The Tulotoma magnifica, also known as the Alabama live-bearing snail or tulotoma, is a large freshwater snail. It is an endangered aquatic animal that belongs to the group called gastropods. Gastropods are a type of mollusk, which includes snails and slugs. This special snail lives in rivers and is part of the family Viviparidae.
Contents
Meet the Alabama Live-Bearing Snail
What Kind of Snail Is It?
The Tulotoma magnifica is the only species in its group, called the genus Tulotoma. This means it's very unique!
Where Does This Snail Live?
This snail is found only in the Coosa River and Alabama River systems. These rivers are located in the state of Alabama, United States. When an animal or plant is found only in one specific area, it is called endemic.
What Does the Alabama Snail Look Like?
The shell of the Alabama live-bearing snail is big and strong. It is also very thick and does not have any holes. The shell has a cone-like shape with a raised tip, called the spire.
The shell's surface has flat areas, bumps (called nodules), and ridges (called carinae). The opening of the shell, called the peristome, is thin and forms a continuous edge. These snails can grow quite large, with their shells reaching more than 25 millimeters (about 1 inch) in height.
The snail also has a special "trapdoor" called an operculum. This operculum is round and shaped like a triangle. It has a folded inner edge. The snail uses this operculum to close off its shell opening, protecting itself from danger.
The snail has a moderately sized foot, which it uses to move around. Its snout, or nose-like part, is small. Inside its mouth, it has a special ribbon-like tongue called a radula. This radula has many tiny teeth, which the snail uses to scrape food.
 | James Van Der Zee |
 | Alma Thomas |
 | Ellis Wilson |
 | Margaret Taylor-Burroughs |
