Vertigo lilljeborgi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Vertigo lilljeborgi |
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| A damaged shell of Vertigo lilljeborgi | |
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Vertigo lilljeborgi is a tiny land snail. It is a type of mollusk that lives on land and breathes air, just like us! These snails are also called gastropods, which means "stomach-foot," because their body and foot are connected. Vertigo lilljeborgi belongs to a family of snails called Vertiginidae, often known as "whorl snails" because of the way their shells spiral.
This species has two known types, called subspecies:
- Vertigo lilljeborgi lilljeborgi (first described in 1871)
- Vertigo lilljeborgi vinlandica (discovered more recently in 2018)
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Where Does the Vertigo lilljeborgi Snail Live?
This small snail was first found near Tresjön Lake in Sweden. This specific place is called its "type locality."
Today, Vertigo lilljeborgi can be found in many parts of Northern Europe, including:
- Great Britain, which includes Wales and Scotland
- Ireland
- Denmark
- Germany
- Countries in Scandinavia, like Sweden
- Latvia
- And other nearby areas
What Does the Vertigo lilljeborgi Shell Look Like?
The shell of Vertigo lilljeborgi is shaped like an oval and is a bit swollen in the middle. It looks very shiny and has tiny lines on it. The color is like a chestnut or horn color.
How Many Spirals Does the Shell Have?
The shell has 5 whorls, which are the spiral turns of the shell. These whorls get bigger quite quickly as they go up. The last whorl is only a little bit taller than the one before it. The lines between the whorls, called the suture, are slightly slanted.
What About the Opening of the Shell?
The opening of the shell, called the aperture, looks like a pear or a slanted heart. Inside, it usually has one tooth-like bump on the inner wall (called the parietal tooth). Sometimes, there's another tiny bump there too. There are also two teeth on the central part of the shell's opening (called columellar teeth). The lower one is very small and sometimes missing.
Inside the shell's outer lip, there are two short, tall teeth that are hidden. These teeth are often bordered by a reddish-brown line. The edge of the shell's opening is thin and spreads out a little. It doesn't have a deep dent and doesn't stick out much.
How Big is a Vertigo lilljeborgi Snail?
An adult Vertigo lilljeborgi shell is usually about 1.25 to 1.5 millimeters wide. Its height is around 2 to 2.25 millimeters. To give you an idea, that's smaller than a grain of rice!
How is it Different from Other Snails?
Compared to another snail called Vertigo moulinsiana, Vertigo lilljeborgi is much smaller. It's also shinier, and its whorls are more rounded. Its lip is thinner and doesn't have the wide, pale edge that Vertigo moulinsiana has.
