Carychium exiguum
(Say, 1822)- Obese Thorn
Classification
Domain: Eukarya
Kingdom: Animalia
Kingdom Animalia is composed of multicellular and heterotrophic organisms that do not have a cell wall. Animals are considered heterotrophic because they ingest their food rather than making it themselves to obtain their nutrients. (http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/biology/animal.html).
Phylum: Mollusca
The phylum Mollusca includes organisms that are coelemates with soft bodies that are divided into three body parts: the head, muscular foot, and visceral mass. Most of the members of this phylum also have a toothed- tongue which is called a radula
(Ramel).Class: Gastropoda
The members of the class Gastropoda are called “belly foots,” which includes organisms such as snail, slugs, and limpets. These members have a coiled shell and can twist their visceral mass by a process called “torsion”. (http://zoology.muohio.edu/crist/Zoo312/Molluscs.html).
Sub Class: Pulmonata
The organisms in the sub class Pulmonata have the ability to breathe air, by having a pallial lung instead of a gill and also have a pulmonary cavity. This sub class is composed of many land snails (http://www.eol.org/pages/2593).
Order: Basommatophora
The order Basommatophora have thin shells that are translucent and relatively colorless and eyes at the base of a pair of tentacles. (Kolb et al. 1975)
Family: Carychiidae
Genus: Carychium
The genus Carychium have small, elongated and transparent shells with few whirls. The foot of the genus are not transversely divided beneath (Binney & Bland 1869).
Species: Carychium exiguum (Say, 1822)—Obese Thorn
The origin of the common name is because the shell is apex and obtuse.
Now that you know how the Charychium exiguum is classified check out the habitat of this snail!