Interactions
Very little information was found on Inflectarius
ferrissi’s interactions with other specific species. I.
ferrissi typically feeds on fungi or any decaying matter and has a
particular relationship with many plant communities
(Solem, 1955).
Plant communities provide this particular snail species with shelter
and a retention of moisture during dry spells
(Solem, 1955).
Lime is also important to I. ferrissi, for it helps to make soil less
acidic, and also provides calcium and magnesium to the plants in which I.
ferrissi feeds on
(North
Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, 2012). The
relationship between snails and plants is therefore described as direct, for
the conditions described above help to determine the distribution of I.
ferrissi
(Solem, 1955).
To learn more about other plant nutrients, visit
North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
I. ferrissi is one of the only members of its family to
tolerate a constant flow of water over its microhabitat, and because of
this, it occupies a peculiar niche that is rarely invaded by other snails
(Solem,
1955). Read more about I. ferrissi's
Habitat. Other common organisms that live in the same
habitat as I. ferrissi include salamanders, beetles, frogs, birds, turtles, lizards,
and snakes
(National
Park Service, 2012). Many of these
organisms are predators to land snails, including I. ferrissi
(Hickman et
al., 2009).
Common terrestrial snail predators are identified after specific snail species are collected from both their gut contents and fecal matter (Dourson et al., 2006). A particular salamander predator to terrestrial snails is Ambystoma maculatum, or the spotted salamander (Dourson et al., 2006). A particular beetle species that is a predator to land snails is Schaphinotus (Dourson et al., 2006). This beetle species has head and thorax regions that are significantly smaller, which allows them to enter the aperture of the snail to extract the live organism (Dourson et al., 2006). Small mammals, including shrews and mice, are also known to consume many land snails (Dourson et al., 2006). These critters chew through the tops of the shells in order to extract the fleshy parts of the snail (Dourson et al., 2006).
To read even more about organisms that live
in the Great Smoky Mountains, please visit
The National Park Service Website.