Dot snails - Punctum pygmaeum (Draparnaud 1801) - Cyprus

See also

List of non-marine molluscs of Cyprus - Freshwater snails and Land snails of Cyprus

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.

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).

Habitat

These gastropods are commonly found in damp, dim, and undisturbed areas[4] including the margins or wetlands, wet woodland, and leaf-littered forests.  They may also live in mossy suburban gardens. They commonly lay their eggs underneath damp soil or rocks

Photos by George Konstantinou