Punctum pygmaeum

Punctum pygmaeum
Five views of a shell of Punctum pygmaeum
Secure
Secure (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Stylommatophora
Family: Punctidae
Genus: Punctum
Species:
P. pygmaeum
Binomial name
Punctum pygmaeum
Synonyms

Helix pygmæa Draparnaud, 1801

Punctum pygmaeum is a species of very small, air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Punctidae, the dot snails.

Shell description

For terms see gastropod shell. The shell is very small, 1.2-1.6 mm in width.[3]

The 0.6-0.8 x 1.2-1.6 mm shell is almost flat, extremely densely and regularly striated, appearing silky shiny light horny brown. There are 3-3.5 moderately convex whorls, the aperture is rounded, with a thin margin which is not reflected and without a lip. The umbilicus is wide (25% of shell diameter).[4]

Habitat

These gastropods are commonly found in damp, dim, and undisturbed areas[5] including the margins or wetlands, wet woodland, and leaf-littered forests.[6] They may also live in mossy suburban gardens. They commonly lay their eggs underneath damp soil or rocks.[7]

Distribution

This species occurs in countries and islands including:

References

  1. ↑ NatureServe. "Punctum pygmaeum". NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
  2. ↑ Draparnaud J. P. R. 1801. Tableau des mollusques terrestres et fluviatiles de la France. pp. [1-2], 1-116. Montpellier, Paris. (Renaud; Bossange, Masson & Besson).
  3. ↑ (Welter-Schultes)
  4. ↑ Animalbase (Welter-Schultes)
  5. ↑ Species Summary for Punctum Pygmaeum
  6. ↑ Anderson, R., (2016). Punctum (Punctum) pygmaeum (Draparnaud 1801). [In] MolluscIreland. Dwarf snail
  7. ↑ Bard, Bruno, (1989). GROWTH AND REPRODUCTION OF THE MINUTE LAND SNAIL PUNCTUM PYGMAEUM
  8. ↑ Balashov I. & Gural-Sverlova N. 2012. An annotated checklist of the terrestrial molluscs of Ukraine. Journal of Conchology. 41 (1): 91-109.
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