article about Xerolenta snails

[Frederick W. Schueler]

Schueler, Fred. 2021. Obvious Snails. North Grenville Times, 3 Nov 2021.
9(43):16 https://ngtimes.ca/obvious-snails/

"When a species has 'obvia' as its specific epithet, and it’s so
conspicuous that you can survey its occurrence along a highway at 30
km/h, the English name is obvious. Xerolenta obvia (conventionally
translated as ‘Heath Snail’) lives in open, disturbed limey places with
grasses and herbs, often in enormous numbers. It has a 'medium-sized (to
19 mm), flattened shell, dull to slightly shining, white or grey-white
with a single broad brown spiral band and paler, less distinct bands
below that. It is native to Asia Minor and central Europe.' It was first
discovered in Canada in 1969 near Bethany, along Hwy 7a and an abandoned
railway, and at that time it was speculated to have been introduced
there in the 1940s. Many other populations have since been found south
and west of Peterborough..."

Internet links: there is background, and photos, of the species at
https://www.mollus.ca/canada-snails/geomitridae/xerolenta-obvia/ and
scroll down to 2015 at https://www.mollus.ca/my-publications/ for "Forty
years later: distribution of the introduced Heath Snail, Xerolenta obvia
in Ontario, Canada (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Hygromiidae)." Check List
11(4): 1711. [7 August 2015]. → doi: https://doi.org/10.15560/11.4.1711
The Montana quote is from
https://fieldguide.mt.gov/speciesDetail.aspx?elcode=IMGASE0040
--
------------------------------------------------------------
Frederick W. Schueler & Aleta Karstad
Fragile Inheritance Natural History
Mudpuppy Night in Oxford Mills - https://www.facebook.com/MudpuppyNight/
NatureMatch concentration game - https://naturematch.ca/
'Daily' Paintings - http://karstaddailypaintings.blogspot.com/
6 St-Lawrence Street Bishops Mills, RR#2 Oxford Station, Ontario K0G 1T0
on the Smiths Falls Limestone Plain 44.87156° N 75.70095° W
(613)258-3107 <bckcdb at istar.ca> http://pinicola.ca/
------------------------------------------------------------
current newsletter -
https://clt1233162.bmetrack.com/c/v?e=1226356&c=12D10A&t=1&l=53EF5F10&