Testacella

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Testacella
Shelled Slug, Testacella haliotidea
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Mollusca Class: Gastropoda Order: Pulmonata Family: Testacellidae Genus: Testacella Cuvier, 1800
Species
See text.

Testacella is genus of small to medium-large, predatory, air-breathing, land slugs. They are terrestrial gastropod mollusks in the family Testacellidae, the shelled slugs. They are not often seen because they live underground.

Testacella is the only genus in the family, in other words it is a monotypic family.

Contents 1 Description 2 Distribution 3 Habitat 4 Life habits 5 Species within the genus Testacella 6 References

[edit] Description

These slugs have a very small, ear-shaped shell, which is situated far back on their bodies.

[edit] Distribution

Species within this genus of slugs live in western Europe.

[edit] Habitat

These slug are rarely observed, but they tend to live in gardens and farms where there is rich soil and a lot of earthworms.

[edit] Life habits

These slugs live underground and hunt earthworms. They are usually only seen when they are forced up to the surface because the soil has become completely saturated with rain.

[edit] Species within the genus Testacella

• Testacella haliotidea Draparnaud, 1801 Shelled slug
• Testacella maugei Férussac, 1819
• Testacella scutulum Sowerby, 1821

[edit] References

• [1]
• [2]
• Janus, Horst, 1965. ‘’The young specialist looks at land and freshwater molluscs’’, Burke, London