Helix figulina
Species of gastropod
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Helix figulina is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Helicidae, the typical snails.[1]
| Helix figulina | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Order: | Stylommatophora |
| Family: | Helicidae |
| Genus: | Helix |
| Subgenus: | Pelasga |
| Species: | H. figulina |
| Binomial name | |
| Helix figulina | |
Description
The shells of this species are dirty white to yellow-brownish in color, usually 21-27×20-26 mm in size. Large shells are about 29-31×29-30 mm.[4]
Distribution
This species is present in Greece, Bulgaria and North Macedonia,[5] except, perhaps, the island of Skyros in the Aegean Sea, where only empty shells of the species have been found, suggesting a recent extinction in the area.[1] There have been reports of the species in western Turkey, however, it seems that these are actually Helix nucula, a related and similar species.
Habitat
This land snail is found in a variety of habitats including dry, open, shrub-land areas. It ranges from coastal areas (dunes) up to 700 m (2,300 ft) above sea level. On the continent, it lives only in areas where there is enough soil, as it is a soil-dwelling species, and sometimes buries deep into the soil. In southwest Bulgaria it lives at altitudes of up to 700 m (2,300 ft).[1][4]
