Desmoulin's whorl snail (Vertigo moulinsiana)

Desmoulin's whorl snail
Desmoulin's whorl snail

Desmoulin's whorl snail fact file

Desmoulin's whorl snail description

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumMollusca
ClassGastropoda
OrderStylommatophora
FamilyVertiginidae
GenusVertigo

This tiny snail, not more than 3mm tall, is one most people are unlikely to encounter unless you have a stream flowing through your garden. The shell of Desmoulin's whorl snail (Vertigo moulinsiana) is a pale-yellow to reddish-brown in colour, translucent and very glossy. Desmoulin's whorl snail bears a very close resemblance to two other species. These snails are similar in size and an expert eye is required to tell them apart. The Desmoulin's has four tiny 'teeth' around the entrance to its shell - one of the others has six while the second species has none at all.

Size
Shell length: 3 mm
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Desmoulin's whorl snail biology

For most of the warmer parts of the year, Desmoulin's whorl snail lives on the leaves of tall wetland plants such as sedge and sweet reed-grass. When these die back in winter, the snails probably retreat to the leaf-litter to avoid frost. In spring, they return to their browsing of the algae and fungi growing on the upper leaves of the waterside plants. The snails can live for about a year and they lay eggs throughout the summer months. Both adult and young snails can be found together over most of the warmer parts of the year, but towards the autumn the adult snails die off.

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Desmoulin's whorl snail range

Desmoulin's whorl snail is found over most of Europe, but nowhere is it a common species. It occurs in south and eastern England along a corridor, which runs from Cromer on the Norfolk coast to Studland in Dorset.

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Desmoulin's whorl snail habitat

Desmoulin's whorl snail prefers humid conditions of the sort found around the edges of ponds, streams and rivers. It may also be found in swamps and fens, especially where the water table is close to ground level.

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Desmoulin's whorl snail status

Desmoulin's whorl snail is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List (1). It is classified as Rare on the Great British Red list and listed under Annex II of the EC Habitats Directive.

IUCN Red List species status – Vulnerable

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Desmoulin's whorl snail threats

Desmoulin's whorl snail has probably never been a common species, but damage to its habitat has restricted its populations largely to Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs).

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Desmoulin's whorl snail conservation

This species is included in the UK Biodiversity Action Plans (UK BAP) and is also on English Nature's Species Recovery Programme. The results of a recent survey carried out by English Nature suggested that this snail might be more widespread than had been supposed. However, it is still considered to be a species at risk, and work to conserve it has concentrated on preserving its preferred habitat from the effects of agriculture, drainage and development schemes, and pollution.

The Desmoulin's whorl snail's inclusion on Annex II of the European Habitats and Species Directive means that those areas where it occurs can be designated as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs). These SACs are eligible for money from the European LIFE fund for work on habitat management and restoration. Amongst the areas that have benefited from SAC designation are the Norfolk Broads and the Rivers Avon, Kennet and Lambourn Floodplain.

The UK Biodiversity Action Plan for this species is available at UK BAP.

View information on this species at the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

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Authentication

Information supplied by English Nature.

http://www.english-nature.org.uk

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Glossary

Algae
Simple plants that lack roots, stems and leaves but contain the green pigment chlorophyll. Most occur in marine and freshwater habitats.
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References

  1.  IUCN Red List (August, 2012)
    http://www.iucnredlist.org/

More »Related species

Geyer's whorl snail (Vertigo geyeri)Narrow-mouthed whorl snail (Vertigo angustior)Truncatellina (Truncatellina arcyensis)Zingis (Zingis radiolata)Perdicella (Perdicella helena)Snail (Tacheocampylaea tacheoides)Galapagos land snail (Bulimulus ustulatus)Oahu tree snail (Achatinella mustelina)

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Image credit

Desmoulin's whorl snail  
Desmoulin's whorl snail

© Roger Key

Dr Roger Key
Tel: +44 (0) 1845 567 292
key_r_s@yahoo.co.uk

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