Classification

The following is the classification of the land snail Millerelix troostiana. The classification tree comes from the Encyclopedia of Life website (EOL.org).

 

Domain:  Eukarya
            Kingdom:  Animalia
                        Phylum:  Mollusca
                                    Class:  Gastropoda
                                                Order: Stylommatophora
                                                             Family:  Polygyridae
                                                                         Genus:  Millerelix
                                                                                      Species:  Millerelix troostiana

The Domain Eukarya is defined by the members all having a nucleus which is membrane bounded (Hickman et al., 2012).

The members in Kingdom Animalia share similar characteristics in including synapamorphies such as being multicellular, being heterotrophs, and having cell walls (EOL.org).

 

The Phylum Mollusca is defined by the species having a foot (used for movement,) a mantle (which develops the shell,) and can either be marine, freshwater, or live on land (EOL.org).

 

80% of the Phylum Mollusca is made up of the Class Gastropoda (EOL.org).  The class is made up of animals such as slugs and snails, and has bilateral symmetry (Hickman et al., 2012). The actual members of the class are all so different that it is hard to make specific generalizations about it (Hickman et al., 2012).

The Order Stylommatophora houses the Gastropoda with distinctions including having a long mucus producing gland located on the front of the foot; the mucus is used to help with movement (Zipcodezoo.com). Another characteristic, according to Zipcodezoo.com, is that the members have two sets of tentacles.

The family Polygyridae is part of the snail species in which the end of the shell, the lip, is folded outwards (sometimes with teeth,) and the shell is normally a solid color (Pilsbry, 1948). The family is also defined by the absence of a love dart (Zipcodezoo.com).  Love darts are spears made out of calcium by some snails which are shot out at other snails during mating rituals (Wikipedia.org).

 

The Genus Millerelix was defined using many strategies including looking at the shell and reproductive organs (Emberton, 1994). The Genus is separated by having hair, sometimes long, on the shell (Emberton, 1994).

The title Millerelix was formed by the man who made the new species(Emberton, 1994).  The meaning of troostiana is unknown.

 

Now that you have information about the Classification, continue to Habitat