Desmoulin's whorl snail  (Vertigo moulinsiana)

Learn about the scientific name of this species and how it fits into the tree of life at Nature Navigator.

Description

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 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.

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