Habitat and Geography
Inflectarius kalmianus is a terrestrial snail that tends to live in open areas containing grassy plains, meadows and also alongside roads (Dourson, 2010). Generally, terrestrial snails prefer habitats that provide them with a shelter and an adequate supply of food and moisture (Burch, 1962). Snails are also attracted to regions that bear limestone, so a region abundant with this sedimentary rock can increase their presence (Burch, 1962). Kentucky, where Inflectarius kalmianus is found, is an area that contains this sedimentary rock. The Laurel River has limestone; so Inflectarius kalmianus is also found on low ground, near streams such as this one (Hubricht, 1965).
Terrestrial snails are most likely to be found around gardens and greenhouses (Burch, 1962). This attraction causes them to have a negative economic effect due to their destruction of crops and gardens (Burch, 1962). In many areas, a human views their company to be very similar to insect pests by the amount of damage they do to vegetables and other plants (Burch, 1962). This is a species with a very small population that is native to the United States (Turgeon, 1998).
This geographical map below illustrates that Inflectarius kalmianus can be found in Kentucky and Tennessee. The yellow dot indicates the area where the species has been found.
For more information on the habitat of terrestrial snails, please click here:
http://animals.about.com/od/mollusks/ig/World-of-Snails/Snail-6.htm
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