Adaptation
This
snail has several adaptations like many other terrestrial snails in order to live
their life. Patera
indianorum belongs to a group of pulmonates in the Class
Gastropoda. Instead of respiration through the use of water-breathing gills,
this group is adapted with a mantle cavity that has turned into an air
breathing lung (Whiteley, 1971). On the outside
of the mantle cavity is a hole which is referred to as the pneumostome, and
this is where the exchange of air and wastes takes place
(Whiteley, 1971). There are also some
interesting internal adaptations.
Regarding the internal structure, there has been a change to the arrangement of nerves. The nerve cords have undergone a shortening process for which they no longer cross-over near the viscera, the internal organs, and instead lie near the head (Pilsbry, 1940). As part of the Gastropods, Patera indianorum has a well developed nervous system which contains three pairs of ganglia joined together by nerves (Hickman et al., 2009). The sensory organs include eyes, statocysts which are used for equilibrium and balance, tactile organs, and chemoreceptors which are used to sense chemical stimuli in the environment (Hickman et al., 2009). Movement is another important aspect to look at.
With respect to movement, it is kept to a minimum since it requires quite a large amount of energy. According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, movement occurs through the use of a muscular foot which produces the mucous. Mucous glands are what make up the snail's external skin. The mucous assists with movement and keeps the snail from getting too dry. A snail's environment makes a impact on how easily it is to move around.
When wet conditions are present (not heavy rain), scavenging for food is induced. In dry conditions, the snail hides in its shell and secretes an epiphragm, a thick mucous membrane, to protect its shell opening (Grzimek, 2003). When winter arrives, this species reverts to hibernation and buries in soil or leaf litter (Grzimek, 2003).
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