Otala lactea

Otala lactea
Five views of a shell of Otala lactea
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
(unranked): clade Heterobranchia

clade Euthyneura
clade Panpulmonata
clade Eupulmonata
clade Stylommatophora
informal group Sigmurethra

Superfamily: Helicoidea
Family: Helicidae
Genus: Otala
Species: O. lactea
Binomial name
Otala lactea
(Müller, 1774)
Synonyms
  • Helix ahmarina J. Mabille 1883
  • Helix canariensis Mousson 1872
  • Helix jacquemetana J. Mabille 1883
  • Helix lactea O.F. Muller 1774 (original description)

Otala lactea,[1] common names, the milk snail, or Spanish snail, is a large, edible species[2] of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Helicidae the typical snails. Archaeological recovery at the Volubilis illustrates prehistoric exploitation of O. lactea by humans.[3]

Synonyms include Helix lactea and Iberus alonensis.

Distribution

This species of snail is native to Europe and parts of North Africa. It has been introduced to the United States, including Arizona and Florida, and to Bermuda, Cuba, southeastern Australia.

Anatomy

love dart of Otala lactea.

This snail creates and uses love darts as part of its courtship behaviour, prior to mating.

References

  1. ↑ Taxonomy for Species Otala lactea
  2. ↑ Man and Mollusc's Data Base of Edible Molluscs
  3. ↑ C. Michael Hogan, Volubilis, The Megalithic Portal, ed. Andy Burnham (2007)
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