Euglandina Rosea Drawing

''Euglandina'' is a genus of predatory medium- to large-sized, air-breathing, land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Spiraxidae.
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These snails were previously placed in the family Oleacinidae (according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005).

''Euglandina'' is the type genus of the subfamily Euglandininae. The pulmonate genus ''Euglandina'' is often referred to as ''Glandina'' in older literature, and the most widely known species, ''Euglandina rosea'', may commonly be found under the synonym ''Glandina truncata''.

These snails are especially notable for being carnivorous and predatory. They are sometimes called "wolf snails" for that reason.

Distribution

The natural range of ''Euglandina'' encompasses much of the tropical and subtropical Western Hemisphere, including the Southeastern United States to Texas, Mexico, and various locations in Central and South America. The species ''E. rosea'' has been intentionally introduced into many other warm areas — from Hawaii to New Guinea, Bermuda, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, and numerous other locations — in a vain attempt to control accidentally introduced species of snails, usually the giant African ''Lissachatina fulica''.

Those species of ''Euglandina'' that are not indigenous to the USA have not yet become established there, but they are considered to represent a potentially serious threat as a pest, an invasive species that could negatively affect agriculture, natural ecosystems, human health, or commerce. Therefore, these species should be given top national quarantine significance in the USA.

Species

The three subgeneraThompson F. G. (16 June 2008)
"AN ANNOTATED CHECKLIST AND BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE LAND AND FRESHWATER SNAILS OF MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA"


. accessed 14 January 2011. and species in the genus ''Euglandina'' include:

Subgenus ''Euglandina'' Crosse & Fischer, 1870
*''Euglandina anomala'' (Angas, 1879)
*''Euglandina aurata'' (Morelet, 1849) Thompson F. D. (1987)
"Giant carnivorous land snails from Mexico and Central America"
'' Bulletin of the Florida State Museum'' (Biological Sciences) 30(2): 29-52. - type species
*''Euglandina aurantiaca'' Angas, 1879
* ''Euglandina bailyi'' M. Smith, 1950
* ''Euglandina binneyana'' (Pfeiffer, 1845)
*''Euglandina broctontomlini'' Pilsbry, 1926
* '' Euglandina cognata'' (Strebel, 1875)
* '' Euglandina cuneus'' (Von Martens, 1891)
*'' Euglandina cumingi'' ''cumingi'' Beck, 1837
*'' Euglandina cumingi rubromarginata'' Martens, 1891
*'' Euglandina cylindracea'' Phillips, 1846
* '' Euglandina dactylus'' (Broderip, 1832)
* '' Euglandina daudebarti'' (Deshayes, 1850)
** ''Euglandina daudebarti amoena'' (Von Martens, 1865)
** ''Euglandina daudebarti jalapana'' (Von Martens, 1891)
** ''Euglandina daudebarti miradorensis'' (Strebel, 1878)
* '' Euglandina gigantea'' Pilsbry, 1926
* '' Euglandina huingensis'' (Pilsbry, 1903)
* '' Euglandina immemorata'' Pilsbry, 1907
* '' Euglandina indusiata'' (Pfeiffer, 1860)
*'' Euglandina isabellina'' Pfeiffer, 1846)
* '' Euglandina lamyi'' (Fischer & Chatelet, 1903)
* '' Euglandina liebmanni'' (Pfeiffer, 1846)
* '' Euglandina livida'' Dall, 1908
* '' Euglandina michoacanensis'' (Pilsbry, 1899)
*'' Euglandina mitriformis'' (Angas, 1879)
*'' Euglandina monilifera Pfeiffer, 1845 ''
**''Euglandina monilifera pulcherrima'' Pfeiffer, 1845
* '' Euglandina pan'' Thompson, 1987
* '' Euglandina pilsbryi'' Bartsch, 1909
* '' Euglandina pinicola'' (Fischer & Crosse, 1870)
*'' Euglandina pittieri'' (Martens, 1901)
* '' Euglandina radula'' (Strebel, 1875)
* ''Euglandina rosea'' (Férussac, 1821)
* '' Euglandina sowerbyana'' (Pfeiffer, 1846)
** ''Euglandina sowerbyana estephaniae'' (Strebel, 1875)
* '' Euglandina striata'' (Müller, 1774)
* '' Euglandina texasiana'' (Pfeiffer, 1856)
* ''Euglandina texasiana angustior'' Pilsbry & Vanatta, 1936
* '' Euglandina titan'' Thompson, 1987
* '' Euglandina vanuxemensis'' (Lea, 1834)

Subgenus '' Singleya'' H. B. Baker, 1941
* ''Euglandina anomala'' (Angas, 1879)
** ''Euglandina anomala barrocoloradensis'' Pilsbry, 1930
* '' Euglandina balesi'' Pilsbry, 1938
* '' Euglandina candida'' (Shuttleworth, 1852)
** ''Euglandina candida conularis'' (Pfeiffer, 1855)
* '' Euglandina carminensis'' (Morelet, 1849)
* '' Euglandina corneola'' (W. G. Binney, 1857)
* '' Euglandina decussata'' (Deshayes, 1840)
* '' Euglandina excavata'' (Von Martens, 1891)
* '' Euglandina ghiesbreghti'' (Pfeiffer, 1856)
* '' Euglandina hererrae'' (Contreras, 1923)
* '' Euglandina insignis'' (Pfeiffer, 1855)
* '' Euglandina jacksoni'' Pilsbry & Vanatta, 1936
* '' Euglandina longula'' (Fischer & Crosse, 1870)
* '' Euglandina lowei'' Pilsbry, 1931
* '' Euglandina mazatlanica'' (Von Martens, 1891)
** ''Euglandina mazatlanica abbreviata'' (Von Martens, 1891)
* '' Euglandina pseudoturris'' (Strebel, 1875)
* ''Euglandina singleyana'' (W. G. Binney, 1878)
* '' Euglandina tenella'' (Strebel, 1875)
* '' Euglandina turris'' (Pfeiffer, 1846)
** ''Euglandina turris longurio'' Pilsbry & Cockerell, 1926
* '' Euglandina wani'' (Jacobson, 1968)

Subgenus '' Cosmomenus'' H. B. Baker, 1941
* '' Euglandina cumingi'' (Beck, 1827)
* '' Euglandina cylindracea'' (Phillips, 1846)

; Species brought into synonymy:
* '' Euglandina exesa'' Cockerell, 1930 - fossil: synonym of ''Euglandina singleyana'' (W. G. Binney, 1892)

Description

The various species of ''Euglandina'' are similar in numerous ways. The shells are simple, oval in outline (sometimes broadly so), but occasionally more-or-less straight-sided, the lip of the aperture is also simple, without any thickening. These shells may be brown, orange, or pink in color, or some intermediate shade. Shell sculpture when present usually consists of striae that mark progressive growth increments. All species are carnivores, and probably have essentially the same hunting and feeding strategies, and reproductive techniques.Cook A. (1985). "The courtship of ''Euglandina rosea'' Férrusac". ''Journal of Molluscan Studies'' 51: 211-214.

Habitat

Members of this genus can be found in many microhabitats. They can be found in semitropical moist jungle, and in near-desert. Their only requirements seem to be a relatively warm climate, and the presence of a sufficient supply of food.

References

Further reading

* Hubricht L. (1985). "The distribution of the native land mollusks of the eastern United States". ''Fieldiana Zoology'' 24: 1-191.
* Perez K. & Strenth N. E. (2003). "A systematic review of the land snail ''Euglandina singleyana'' (Binney, 1892) (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Spiraxidae)". '' Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington'' 116(3): 649-660.
* Perez K. & Strenth N. E. (2002). "Enzymatic variation in the land snail ''Euglandina texasiana'' (Gastropoda: Pulmonata) from south Texas and northeastern Mexico". ''Texas J. Science'', 1 February 2002.

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Spiraxidae