Anatomy

  

    Snails are found in the Class Gastropoda. This class is specifically known for torsion, which is the twisting of the visceral mass where the head and anus are on the same side of the body (Myers and Burch). Usually a snail species will have a coiled shell that is used for protection, which is mostly made up of calcium (Hickman).

Image below from (Pilsbry, 744) 

The snail species Patera kiowaensis has not had a lot of research done, however much of the research has been done by Pilsbry in the late 1800’s. According to him, the snail Patera kiowaensis, has a shell that is brown in color with five whorls, which are turns or spirals in the shell. He also explains that the aperture of the snail, which is the opening of the shell, is significantly wider than the shell is tall. To get a sense of the size of the snail here are some measurements that Pilsbry had made and recorded of Patera kiowaensis in his book. See table below: 

 Measurements of Patera kiowaensis (Height and diameter in mm) 

Height	Diameter	Whorls
8.7	14.5	5.3
7.6	15.1	5.3
7.6	14	N/A
9.0	15.3	5.5
8.9	15.6	N/A

    The height, diameter, and whorls, of these 5 sampled species of Patera kiowaensis are consistent, which shows that the snails do not get very large.

     As many gastropods are herbivores, a radula is used to scrap off algae and other specific plants to feed (Gillis, 6-1). Another significant part of a snail to help with identification is the peristome, which is the part of the edge of the aperture on a snail shell (Pilsbry, 745). In Patera kiowaensis, Pilsbry describes it as blunt and more prolonged, as well as thick and hardend. Below is the microscopic view of a snail's radula. (Gillis, 6-11)

 

Learn what Patera kiowaensis eats on the Nutrition page or Go to Home Page