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Helicidae
Helicidae is a large, diverse family of western Palaearctic, medium to large-sized, air-breathing land snails, sometimes called the "typical snails." It includes some of the largest European land snails, several species are common in anthropogenic habitats, and some became invasive on other continents. A number of species in this family are valued as food items, including '' Cornu aspersum'' (formerly ''Helix aspersa;'' "petit gris") the brown or garden snail, and '' Helix pomatia'' (the " escargot"). The biologies of these two species in particular have been thoroughly studied and documented. Shell description The shells are usually flattened or depressed conical. Globular shells are found in the genera '' Helix'', '' Maltzanella'', '' Lindholmia'', '' Cornu'', '' Cantareus'', '' Eremina'', and '' Idiomella''. One species, '' Cylindrus obtusus'', has a cylindrical shell. In some genera, especially in '' Cepaea'', the shells are brightly colored and patterned. Anatomy Hel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Helix (gastropod)
''Helix'' is a genus of large, air-breathing land snails native to the western Palaearctic and characterized by a globular shell. It is the type genus of the family Helicidae, and one of the animal genera described by Carl Linnaeus at the dawn of the zoological nomenclature. Members of the genus first appeared in the fossil record during the Miocene. Well-known species include '' Helix pomatia'' (Roman snail, Burgundy snail, or edible snail) and '' Helix lucorum'' (Turkish snail). ''Cornu aspersum'' (garden snail), though externally similar and long classified as a member of ''Helix'' (as "''Helix aspersa''"), is not closely related to ''Helix'' and belongs to a different tribe of Helicinae. Taxonomy In Linnaeus' 10th edition of Systema Naturae, which marks the beginning of the zoological nomenclature, the generic name ''Helix'' had been used for a variety of terrestrial (e.g. '' Zonites algirus''), freshwater (e.g. ''Lymnaea stagnalis''), and marine (e.g. '' Fossarus amb ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
