Vertigo geyeri facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Vertigo geyeri |
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| The opening of a Vertigo geyeri shell | |
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| Six shells of Vertigo geyeri, scale bar in mm | |
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The Vertigo geyeri is a very tiny land snail. It breathes air and is a type of mollusk, like slugs and other snails. Because it is so small, it is often called a micromollusk. This snail belongs to a group known as the Vertiginidae family, which are also called whorl snails.
The name geyeri was given to this snail to honor a German zoologist named David Geyer (1855–1932). A zoologist is a scientist who studies animals.
What Does the Vertigo geyeri Look Like?
The shell of the Vertigo geyeri is shaped like an oval, similar to an egg. It is very small, measuring only about 1.7 to 1.9 millimeters long. That's less than a tenth of an inch! The shell is also about 1.2 millimeters wide.
It has up to five spirals, called whorls, which have deep lines between them. The opening of the shell, called the aperture, has four small bumps inside. These bumps are sometimes called "teeth." The shell is a reddish-brown color and looks shiny. It also has small, regular lines that show how it grew over time.
Where Does the Vertigo geyeri Live?
This tiny snail lives in special wet areas called flush-fens. These fens are always wet and have a lot of calcium from springs that deposit a material called tufa. Imagine a marshy area with very specific water conditions.
In places like Ireland and the United Kingdom, you can often find Vertigo geyeri living near certain plants. These include the black bog-rush (Schoenus nigricans) and yellow sedge (Carex viridula). They like to live among short, thick grasses and sedges, where there isn't much of a moss called Sphagnum.
Where Can You Find Vertigo geyeri and How Is It Protected?
The Vertigo geyeri is a species that lives in cold northern areas and high mountains. It is likely found only in Europe. You can find it across Europe, from Ireland all the way to Russia.
However, its populations are spread out and small. This means that groups of these snails in one area can disappear. Because of this, the Vertigo geyeri is listed in a special document called Annex II of the European Union's Habitats Directive. This directive helps protect important habitats and species.
In the British Isles, this snail is part of the List of United Kingdom Biodiversity Action Plan species. This plan helps protect species that are at risk. In Great Britain, it is considered endangered. You can find it in specific places like Beinn a' Ghlò in Scotland, North Yorkshire, Cumbria, and Corsydd Môn in Anglesey. The population in Anglesey is quite large and lives in a calcium-rich fen.
The Vertigo geyeri is also in danger in the Czech Republic. Its status there was considered "bad" in a report to the European Commission. It also lives in Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine, Sweden, and Switzerland.
