Odd Fulica

[Kevin]

Ive been wondering about one of my snails for a whille, but have thought since he's small (about 6cm) his shape will look different when he's larger, but his shell has remained very rounded...He's one of the snails I got a whille back (the suspected albopicta-fulica ones), his opening to his shell is a odd-shape as well, I cant describe it, but have pictures ;D









His shell opening is like that of a fulica umbilicata, the part thats the same Ive circled on this pic



Any idea if he may be a variation of fulica?

[sezzy5889]

yes it does look very much like that shell, could it be albopicta? if not then i'd say yes it's umbilicata

didn't read it properly, maybe not albopicta then

[section8angel]

It's a beach ball snail!! lol.
Aww he's so cuteeeee.

Mm the opening does look the same and it's the same roundness and number of whorls too.

But I have no idea lol. He is a cutie though! ;D

[LisaLQ]

Haha - he's Cooper's bro

He's absolutely gorgeous Cooper is very round too, but he's not got the funny curly bit there. At least I dont think so...*fetches him out*...not really no, shall ask Kathy what her fella's like.

But for now Cooper is a whojeewotsit, but I think they're just odd fulica or crosses.

[Paul]

pandatazz said:

Ive been wondering about one of my snails for a whille, but have thought since he's small (about 6cm) his shape will look different when he's larger, but his shell has remained very rounded...He's one of the snails I got a whille back (the suspected albopicta-fulica ones), his opening to his shell is a odd-shape as well....His shell opening is like that of a fulica umbilicata

His shell has an umbilicate abnormality. I'm not sure why there is a subspecies named umbilicatus, there used to be an "umbilicata" and perhaps more correctly a "monstr. umbilicatum" at one time until it was realised that they are simply abnormalities of typical fulica.

Umbilicate abnormalities have been found in a number of species such as achatina and panthera/immaculata so it isn't special to fulica. I think they are genetic abnormalties as oppose to things like scalariform abnormalities caused by growth difficulties such as damaged shells, although I could be wrong. I negatively inferred that by virtue of it mentioning the cause behind scalariform but not that of umbilicate.

[sezzy5889]

yes one of my young margie suturalis has that curled bit where the columella is

[KathyM]

I'm still wondering about Jethro (this one's batch-mate). His markings are like a cross between smithi and albopicta, although he's not as pale as he was now. He has thin black stripes that are textured, not like any fulica I've seen, more like smithi. I know the batch was basically found in a load of albopictas and smithis, and poss fulicas too.

They're probably just odd fulicas, but very striking. Jethro looked more albopicta as a bay, and now looks more smithi.


This was taken last week, but the flash made him look oranger than he is, he's actually black, yellow and white, and the brown parts are not as "warm" as they look in this, but more like the next pic:


Last month.


November


When he first arrived.

[KathyM]

Sorry, should add, Jethro's shell is very rounded and broad too, unlike our others (more like the dimis). It's wider than Keith's by a long way, and Keith is longer by about 3cm (fulica).

[sarkymite]

I have had 2 margies with umbilicate abnormailities just like this. They were also stunted (both grew to no bigger than 6cm) and paler in shell and flesh colour than their siblings who were all normal marginata marginata.