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• Carychium tridentatum (Risso 1826) Slender herald snail

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© Dr Roy Anderson

A tiny dull white shell with oval aperture ornamented with two denticles and a thickened lip produced into a small, inward-pointing knob in the middle. Spire relatively longer and body whorl narrower than in Carychium minimum. Mainly in woods but also in wet, open places.

Key characteristics

• A tiny dull white, cylindrical shell
• Main differences from Carychium minimum lie in the narrower body whorl and relatively tall spire
• Internally, there is a sinuate lamella running around the columella, seen by breaking open the front of the shell above the aperture

Size

1.8-2.0 mm.

World Distribution

With a similar distribution to Carychium minimum but not in Siberia. Distribution type: European Boreo-temperate (53).

GBIF distribution map [open in new tab]

Irish Distribution

Widespread and frequent in all kinds of ancient broadleaf woodland. Also, at the margins of wetlands in the company of C. minimum.

Ecology

• Found in deep, stable leaf litter in old woods, particularly under evergreens such as holly Ilex, but also under broadleafs with durable leaf litter such as beech Fagus
• Like C. minimum can inhabit wet places outside woodland, usually in dense vegetation

Red List status

• Least concern (lc).

Wikipedia link

Wikipedia page for Carychium tridentatum