Otala lactea

Otala lactea
Otala lactea
Otala lactea
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
(unranked): clade Heterobranchia

clade Euthyneura
clade Panpulmonata
clade Eupulmonata
clade Stylommatophora
informal group Sigmurethra

Superfamily: Helicoidea
Family: Helicidae
Genus: Otala
Species: O. lactea
Binomial name
Otala lactea
(Müller, 1774)

Otala lactea,[1] common names, the milk snail, or Spanish snail, is a large, edible species[2] of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Helicidae. Archaeological recovery at the Volubilis illustrates prehistoric exploitation of O. lactea by humans.[3]

Synonyms include Helix lactea and Iberus alonensis.

Contents

Distribution

This species of snail is native to Europe and parts of North Africa. It has been introduced to the USA, including Arizona and Florida, and to Bermuda, Cuba, southeastern Australia.

Anatomy

love dart of Otala lactea.

This snail creates and uses love darts as part of its courtship behaviour, prior to mating. Also, the name Heterobranchia suggests that O. lactea has two kinds of gills.

References

  1. ^ Taxonomy for Species Otala lactea[1]
  2. ^ Man and Mollusc's Data Base of Edible Molluscs[2]
  3. ^ C. Michael Hogan, Volubilis, The Megalithic Portal, ed. Andy Burnham (2007)

External links