Classification

Common Name: Gulf Hammock Liptooth

Domain: Eukarya
    Kingdom: Animalia
        Phylum: Mollusca
            Class: Gastropoda
                Order: Stylommatophora
                    Family: Polygyridae
                        Genus: Daedalochila
                            Species: Daedalochila delecta 
                                                        

Domain: Starting off Daedalochila delecta’s classification is its Eukarya domain. This domain includes all living organisms that have eukaryotic cells (cells that have membrane bound organelles). Eukarya account for the vast majority of living organisms that are seen each day, and have the following characteristics that differ from the Bacteria and Archea domains by the following: Eukaryotic cells, are either unicellular (yeasts) or multicellular (Animalia, Fungi, and Plantae kingdoms), and carry out cellular division by mitosis and reproduce in cycles (Madigan, et al. 2012). Eukarya is derived from the latin word Eukaryota and which means “those having a true nucleus”.
Kingdom: Daedalochila delecta is in the kingdom Animalia (meaning “Animals” in Latin). The common characteristics of things in the animal kingdom are: being multicellular, and have eukaryotic cells, they lack a cell wall, and they digest their food internally (Buffalo Biology 2003).
Phylum: Daedalochila delecta belongs to the phylum Mollusca. Mollusca comprises a large phylum of invertebrates, and also accounts for the largest marine phylum (Bunjie, 2003). While this group has a vast variety of characteristics, the main universal features are that the organisms have a true body coelom, meaning that they contain a fluid-filled body cavity that separates the muscles of an organism from the gut. Mollusks also have a mantle, which secretes the shell of the organism. Daedalochila delecta and the rest of the Mollusks have a calcium carbonate shell that is used for protection. Most, but not all, of the members also have a radula which is a rasping organ used for scraping, tearing, or drilling into prey (Bunjie, 2003). Mollusca is the neuter plural of Latin mollis, meaning “soft”.
Class: Daedalochila delecta is in the class Gastropoda. In Latin Gaster means stomach, and pous means foot, so Gastropoda means Stomach foot. Most Gastropods have a shell (usually spiral), that they can withdraw into. Also they all go through torsion. Torsion takes place during the veliger stage, and is basically a twist (180 degrees) of the visceral mass. Gastropods also have a muscular foot which is used for locomotion (Encyclopedia of Life).
Order: Daedalochila delecta belong to the order Stylommatophora. Members of this order are terrestrial air-breathing snails and slugs, and includes the majority of all land snails and slugs on earth. There are two defining synapomorphies of this order: a long pedal gland beneath a membrane, and two pairs of retractile tentacles (Encyclopedia of Life). Sty-lom-ma-toph-o-ra broken down in Latin means column+ eye+ to bear.
Family: Daedalochila delecta is in the family Polygyridae. Polygyridae have the common attributes of air breathing snails, and are terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks. They are different than other Gastropods because they have no dart apparatus, the muscles that allow the eyes and pharynx to be retracted are together on a single band, and the jaws are ribbed. Polygyridae snails are abundant in Eastern United States, but are also found in Western United States, Central America, and some Carribean Islands (Encyclopedia of Life).
Genus: Literally meaning “the intricate lip” in Latin, the genus Daedalochila comprise only land snails. They are very small in size; averaging to only 10 mm to 15 mm in diameter (Baker, 1939). This genus is famous for their elaborately complex apertures, which have very narrow openings. Daedalochila are limited to the southern United States and northern Mexico (Baker, 1939).
Species: Daedalochila delecta, commonly known as the Gulf Hammock Liptooth, is a species that is found in 10 different counties in the northern part of Florida (panhandle). Daedalochila delecta are terrestrial and are found in wet, weedy places usually hammocks or wet roadsides. They have shells between 10-15 mm (Encyclopedia of Life). 

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