Zonitoides nitidus (sometimes Zonitoides nitida), also known as the shiny glass snail or black gloss, is a species of small, air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Gastrodontidae.
It is the type species of the genus Zonitoides.
Distribution
Zonitoides nitidus has a Holarctic distribution. It is found in most of Europe, except the southernmost regions.
Czech Republic – least concern (LC)Juřičková L., Horsák M. & Beran L. (2001). "Check-list of the molluscs (Mollusca) of the Czech Republic". Acta Soc. Zool. Bohem. 65: 25–40. Netherlands Russia – Tver, Moscow, Novgorod, and Ulyanovsk UkraineBalashov I. & Gural-Sverlova N. 2012. An annotated checklist of the terrestrial molluscs of Ukraine. Journal of Conchology. 41 (1): 91–109. Slovakia Great Britain – north British highland zones and not in north Scotland. In some regions in Britain the species has declined due to drainage. Ireland Hebrides Orkney Shetland rare in northern Greece Canada
The non-indigenous distribution of this species includes: introduced to Menorca
Description
The shell of Z. nitidus is reddish brown. The umbilicus is large: almost 25% of shell diameter. The shell has radial growth lines. It is wider than it is tall. It is 6–7 mm (0.24–0.28 in) wide and 3.5–4.0 mm (0.14–0.16 in) tall.
The body of the adult animal is black with an orange dash: the (mantle gland is visible under the shell's aperture). Juveniles are whitish grey with light brown translucent shells.
Ecology Zonitoides nitidus occurs in wet meadows and river woods, usually near water bodies, swamps and swampy forests, in the zone of emergent vegetation. Man-made habitats such as pools in old quarries are sometimes colonized after a few years. In Switzerland it is found up to 2100m (6900 ft) of altitude.
Zonitoides nitidus is largely herbivorous, but is malacophagous in summer. Z. nitidus feed on disintegrating leaves, mushrooms, roots and fruit, but they do not eat dry leaves. When consuming soft food such as mushrooms or soft fruits, Z. nitidus penetrates perpendicularly inside; the entire animal including its shell can penetrate inside the fruit. In summer, Z. nitidus prey upon snails and bivalves.
In Germany up to three clutches of 2–9 eggs per individual are laid in all seasons, with some days or weeks spacing between egg-laying. Egg diameter is 1.0–1.6 mm (0.04–0.06 in). Eggs are laid loose into the soil. Juveniles have 1.5 whorls (diameter 1–1.2 mm, 0.04–0.05 in) after hatching. They start feeding on disintegrating plant remains in the soil. After 3 months the shell diameter reaches up to 3 mm (0.12 in) under favourable conditions, after 10 months 6 mm (0.24 in), and full size after slightly more than one year. Maximum age is 18 months under laboratory conditions.
Parasites of Zonitoides nitidus include: Elaphostrongylus spp.Olsson I.-M., Stéen M. & Mann H. (1993). "Gastropod hosts of Elaphostrongylus spp. (Protostrongylidae, Nematoda)". Rangifer 13(1): 53–55. PDF. Parelaphostrongylus tenuisMichigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment. "Brainworm". accessed 14 December 2010.
References This article incorporates public domain text from the reference."Species summary for Zonitoides nitidus". AnimalBase, last modified 29 August 2010, accessed 3 September 2010.
Minato, H. (1988). A systematic and bibliographic list of the Japanese land snails. H. Minato, Shirahama, 294 pp., 7 pls. Riedel, A. (1995). Zonitidae sensu lato (Gastropoda, Stylommatophora) der Türkei. Übersicht der Arten. Fragmenta Faunistica, 38 (1): 1–86. Warszawa Sysoev, A. V. & Schileyko, A. A. (2009). Land snails and slugs of Russia and adjacent countries. Sofia/Moskva (Pensoft). 312 pp., 142 plates. Bank, R. A.; Neubert, E. (2017). Checklist of the land and freshwater Gastropoda of Europe. Last update: July 16, 2017
External links
Reinhardt, O. (1877). Über japanische Hyalinen, unter Zugrundelegung der Sammlungen des Herrn Hilgendorf. Sitzungsberichte der Gesellschaft naturforschender Freunde zu Berlin. 1877: 89–97 Pilsbry, H. A. (1902). New land mollusks from the Japanese Empire. The Nautilus. 16(4): 45–47; 16(5): 53–57 Clessin, S. (1878). Nordschwedische Mollusken. Malakozoologische Blätter. 25: 67–79.
Didier, B. & Rondelaud, D. (1989). Première données sur le régime alimentaire de Zonitoides nitidus Müller (Mollusque Gasteropod Pulmone). Bulletin de la Société d'Historie Naturelle de Toulouse. 125: 111–118
image of Zonitoides nitidus