Photo of the day (43): Clausilia rugosa

Clausilia rugosa is a clausiliid living in forests on limestone rocks. Its shell measure up to 9.5 mm and it is the smallest species in the genus Clausilia.

The locality is Průchodnice Nature Reserve in the Czech Republic. It is a deciduous forest reserve with European beech Fagus sylvatica on limestone rocks. There are also remnants of caves by Upper Paleolithic men (Magdalenian culture). It is a nice reserve especially in April:

References

Hlaváč J. Č. (2002) Molluscan fauna of the Javoříčský Karst (Czech Republic, central Moravia). Malacological Newsletter, 20: 93–105.

Horsák M., Juřičková L. & Picka J. (2013) Měkkýši České a Slovenské republiky. Molluscs of the Czech and Slovak Republics. Kabourek, Zlín, 264 pp. (in Czech and English). page 89.

Photo of the day (1): Macrogastra ventricosa

Macrogastra ventricosa is a clausiliid living in forests. The photo was taken in small woody parts along Bystřice river between Olomouc and Bystrovany, the Czech Republic. It is Near Threatened species in the Czech Republic. The shell of this specimen is 17 mm long, but the animal is much smaller. The white base is a fungus growing on coarse woody debris. Dead wood helps to keep good humidity conditions for this and also for many other species.