84 



ENDODONTIDAE 



Genus ANGUISPIRA Morse 



The genus Anguispira includes the largest species of the 

 family Endodontidae which live in Illinois. The shell is ahout 

 an inch in diameter and is easily recognized either hy bands of 

 brown or by dashes and spots of the same color. 



Key to Species 



Whorls with irregular vertical dashes and spots. . . .alternata^ p. 84 

 Body whorl with two horizontal stripes kochi^ p. 85 



-^ ANGUISPIRA ALTERNATA (Say) 



The common striped woodsnail Anguispira alternata, pre- 

 viously known as Pyramidula alternata, has a shell less than an 

 inch (20 mm.) in diameter which may be recognized easily by its 



open umbilicus and by the irreg- 

 ular dashes and spots of brown 

 color arranged almost vertically 

 on the light yellow background. 

 The sculpture of the shell, when 

 magnified, appears coarse and rib- 

 like. 



Anguispira alternata alterna- 

 ta (Say). Fig. A. The typical 

 variety has a shell with a rounded 

 periphery and a relatively high 

 spire. 



This variety is perhaps the 

 state's most abundant land snail. 

 It occurs under many conditions, in w^et or dry habitats, in 

 forests, on limestone ledges, on floodplains and on railway em- 

 bankments. It is characteristic of the started or loose bark 

 habitat. Specimens have been found 15 feet from the ground, 

 beneath the loose bark of dead trees. 



The animal is of large size compared with its shell. Usually 

 the head and eye peduncles are light slate color, the back is 

 brown, the rest of the body is a brownish-orange and the base 

 of the foot is whitish. It is subject to some variation in color, 

 some animals being almost wholly brown in color, while others 

 have a dark brown back and a foot with a soiled white base. 



