''Otala'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

land snail A land snail is any of the numerous species of snail that live on land, as opposed to the sea snails and freshwater snails. ''Land snail'' is the common name for terrestrial gastropod mollusks that have shells (those without shells are known as ...

s in the subfamily Helicinae of the family

Helicidae Helicidae is a large, diverse family of small to large, air-breathing land snails, sometimes called the "typical snails." A number of species in this family are valued as food items, including ''Cornu aspersum'' (formerly ''Helix aspersa'') the b ...

. MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Otala Schumacher, 1817. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=818443 on 2021-02-14

Archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

evidence in

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...

indicates the exploitation of ''O. lactea'' by ancient Romans as a food source.

Distribution

This genus of snail is native to northwestern

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

and southwestern

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

Anatomy

These snails create and shoot

love darts A love dart (also known as a gypsobelum, shooting darts, or just as darts) is a sharp, calcareous or chitinous dart which some hermaphroditic land snails and slugs create. Love darts are both formed and stored internally in a dart sac. The ...

as part of their

courtship Courtship is the period wherein some couples get to know each other prior to a possible marriage. Courtship traditionally may begin after a betrothal and may conclude with the celebration of marriage. A courtship may be an informal and private m ...

and mating behavior.

Species

Species within the genus ''Otala'' include:Genus summary for ''Otala''
AnimalBase, accessed 7 August 2009. * † '' Otala desoudiniana'' (Crosse, 1862) * '' Otala hieroglyphicula'' (Michaud, 1833) * † ''

Otala jobaeana ''Otala'' is a genus of land snails in the subfamily Helicinae of the family Helicidae. MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Otala Schumacher, 1817. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php ...

'' (Crosse, 1861) * '' Otala juilleti'' (Terver, 1839) * ''

Otala lactea ''Otala lactea'', known as the milk snail or Spanish snail, is a large, edible species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk, in the family Helicidae, the typical snails.MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Ota ...

'' (Müller, 1774) * '' Otala occulta'' D. Holyoak, G. Holyoak, Gómez Moliner & Chueca, 2020 * '' Otala orientalis'' (Pallary, 1918) * '' Otala pallaryi'' (Kobelt, 1909) * ''

Otala punctata ''Otala punctata'' is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial molluscs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Helicidae. Distribution This species occurs in the Mediterranean basin - Andorra, List of non-marine mollu ...

'' (Müller, 1774) * '' Otala ramosi'' (Ahuir & Liñán, 2021) * '' Otala tingitana'' (Paladilhe, 1875) * '' Otala xanthodon'' (Anton, 1838) ;Species brought into synonymy: * ''Otala (Otala) alicantensis'' Truc, 1971 †: synonym of '' Schlickumia alicantensis'' (Truc, 1971) † * ''Otala (Otala) bottini'' (Sacco, 1884) †: synonym of '' Schlickumia bottinii'' (Sacco, 1884) † (incorrect subsequent spelling; new combination) * ''Otala canariensis'' Mousson, 1872: synonym of ''

'' (Müller, 1774) * ''Otala jacquemetana'' Mabille, 1883: synonym of ''

'' (Müller, 1774) * ''Otala vermiculata'' (O. F. Müller, 1774): synonym of ''

Eobania vermiculata ''Eobania vermiculata'' also known as ''Helix vermiculata'', common name the "chocolate-band snail" is a species of large, air-breathing, land snail, a Terrestrial animal, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Helicidae, the true ...

'' (O. F. Müller, 1774)

References

* Pfeffer, G. (1930). Zur Kenntnis tertiärer Landschnecken. Geologisch-Paläontologische Abhandlungen, neue Folge. 17(3): 153-380. * Pallary, P. (1918). Diagnoses d'une cinquantaine de mollusques terrestres nouveaux du Nord de l'Afrique. Bulletin de la Société d'Histoire Naturelle d'Afrique du Nord, 9 (7): 137-152. Alger * Holyoak, D.T. & Holyoak, G.A. (2017). A revision of the land-snail genera Otala and Eobania (Gastropoda, helicidae) in Morocco and Algeria. Journal of Conchology, 40 (6): 419-490. London

External links

Schumacher C.F. (1817). Essai d'un nouveau système des habitations des vers testacés. Schultz, Copenghagen. iv + 288 pp., 22 pls

Albers, J. C. (1850). Die Heliceen nach natürlicher Verwandtschaft systematisch geordnet. Berlin: Enslin. 262 pp.

NCBI

Pallary, P. (1919). Hélicidées nouvelles du Maroc. 2e Partie. Journal de Conchyliologie. 64 (2) 918">Pallary, P. (1919). Hélicidées nouvelles du Maroc. 2e Partie. Journal de Conchyliologie. 64 (2) [1918
51-69, pl. 2-3. Paris Helicidae">918
51-69, pl. 2-3. Paris">918">Pallary, P. (1919). Hélicidées nouvelles du Maroc. 2e Partie. Journal de Conchyliologie. 64 (2) [1918
51-69, pl. 2-3. Paris Helicidae Gastropod genera {{Helicidae-stub