Classification

Domain: Eukarya
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Stylommatophora
Family: Polygyridae
Genus: Patera
Species: clenchi

Eukarya:  Members of this domain possess a nucleus and membrane bound organelles (Hickman et al., 2011).

Animalia:  The Animal Kingdom consists of multicellular, heterotrophic organisms (Hickman et al., 2011).

Mollusca:  Large invertebrate group defined by presence of a visceral mass and ventral foot.  The body is covered with a mantle that may secrete a shell (Gillis, 2012).  Typically an open circulatory system is in place (Gillis, 2012).

Gastropoda:  The class name translates to “belly foots” which refers to their form of locomotion.  Torsion 180 degrees of the visceral mass leads to anterior positioning of both the head and anus (Hickman et al., 2011).  They eat using a scraping device called a radula (Gillis, 2012).

Stylommatophora: These snails live in terrestrial habitats and undergo direct development (Wilbur, 1984).

Polygyridae:  A family of land snails with ribbed jaws, a narrow  kidney, and a yellow to brown shell.(Pilsbry, 1940).

Patera: A member of the Polygyridae possessing a saucer shaped shell with an umbilicus (Pilsbry, 1940).

Patera clenchi: A species in the Patera genus with an umbilicate shell that has approximately 5 whorls, irregular striations, and a dark straw color with a flat tone (Pilsbry, 1940).

Now we will discuss where to find these very rare Gastropods.

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