Xerogyra spadae facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Xerogyra spadae |
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| Apertural view of the shell of Xerogyra spadae | |
| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Heterobranchia |
| Clade: | Euthyneura |
| Order: | Panpulmonata |
| Clade: | Eupulmonata |
| Clade: | Stylommatophora |
| Family: | Geomitridae |
| Genus: | Xerogyra |
| Species: |
X. spadae
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| Binomial name | |
| Xerogyra spadae (Calcara, 1845)
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| Synonyms | |
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Xerogyra spadae is a fascinating type of land snail. It's a small mollusk that breathes air. These snails belong to a group called gastropods. They are part of the Geomitridae family. The name spadae honors Giovanni Jacopo Spada. He was an Italian scientist who studied nature and rocks.
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Where Xerogyra spadae Lives
This snail is originally from Central Italy. It is not found everywhere in large numbers. You can find it in the central Apennines mountain range. The IUCN also says it lives further east in Gargano. It lives in places like the Sibillini Mountains and Monte Vettore. It also lives south in the Monti Reatini, Gran Sasso d'Italia, and Monti della Meta.
What Xerogyra spadae Looks Like
The shell of Xerogyra spadae is a light white color. Sometimes, it has thin, light brownish bands. The shell feels almost smooth to the touch.
Shell Features
The shell has parts called whorls. These whorls are a bit rounded. This snail usually has between 5.5 and 6 whorls. The last two whorls grow faster than the others. The very last whorl is slightly angled. It does not drop down near the shell's main opening.
The main opening of the shell is called the aperture. This opening is easy to see and quite large. The inside of the aperture is white or light yellow. There is a white lip just inside this opening.
The snail's umbilicus is narrow at first. But on the last whorl, it gets wider. It can become about one-fourth the size of the whole shell.
Shell Size
The shell of Xerogyra spadae is usually 10 to 16 millimeters wide. Its height is about 6.5 to 8.5 millimeters.
Where Xerogyra spadae Makes its Home
Xerogyra spadae is a land-dwelling snail. It lives on rocky grasslands. You can find it in high mountain areas. These include the alpine tundra and subalpine zone, all the way up to mountain tops.
How Many Xerogyra spadae There Are
The exact number of these snails is not fully known. However, the IUCN reports that their population is shrinking. There was a big drop in their numbers during the 1990s and 2000s. This decline happened because the climate in Central Italy became drier.
Protecting Xerogyra spadae
This snail faces dangers from human activities. Things like tourism and animals grazing can harm them. Activities like skiing, mountain biking, hiking, rock climbing, and mountaineering can damage their homes.
The way land is used in the Apennine Mountains is staying the same or even increasing. This means that grazing by animals, like pasturing, changes the natural plants. These changes are bad for the snails. Protecting their habitat is important for their survival.
 | Leon Lynch |
 | Milton P. Webster |
 | Ferdinand Smith |
