Euchondrus is a genus of very small air-breathing , terrestrial pulmonate gastropod in the family Enidae.
Distribution
The snails in this genus are of
levant distribution, which includes Cyprus, Turkey, Syria,
Israel and Jordan.
Shell description
The
gastropod shell of
Euchondrus is 6.5–13 mm in height in
Euchondrus parreyssi, that has very variable size in
Euchondrus.
[ "Species summary for Euchondrus parreyssi". AnimalBase, last modified 24 February 2009, accessed 7 September 2010.] The shell is elongate with 5-7 whorls
and a high spire. The aperture is toothed.
Ecology
This snail species lives in open habitats, under limestone rocks in the desert.
Three species of Euchondrus in the Negev desert are noted for eating growing under the surface limestone rocks and slabs (endolithic lichens).[Odling-Smee F. J., Laland K. N. & Feldman M. W. (2003). "Niche Construction: The Neglected Process in Evolution (MPB-37)". Princeton University Press. 468 pp. HTM , PDF. Chapter 1. page 7-8.] They have a significant effect on the region: the total population of snails is estimated to process between 0.7 and 1.1 metric ton per hectare per year of limestone in the Negev desert.
Species
Species within the genus
Euchondrus include:
-
Euchondrus albulus (Mousson, 1861)
-
Euchondrus borealis (Mousson, 1874)
[ "Species in genus Euchondrus" n=6. AnimalBase, accessed 6 September 2010.]
-
Euchondrus chondriformis (Mousson, 1861) - type species
-
Euchondrus desertorum Rochanab, 1981
-
Euchondrus ledereri (L. Pfeiffer, 1868)
-
Euchondrus limbodentatus (Mousson, 1854)
-
Euchondrus nucifragus (L. Pfeiffer, 1848)
-
Euchondrus parreyssi (L. Pfeiffer, 1846)
-
Euchondrus ramonensis
-
Euchondrus saulcyi (Bourguignat, 1852)
-
Euchondrus septemdentatus (Roth, 1839)
