Family SUCCINEIDAE Beck, 1837

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Introduction

A worldwide family, these snails are sometimes called "amber snails" because of the colour of their shells. In Australia members of this family are found in widely differing habitats throughout the country. No detailed taxonomic study has been carried out on this family and many undescribed species may exist. Specimens collected from the many habitats bear a close resemblance to one another and sophisticated research techniques may be required to elucidate their relationships.

The family is characterized by the shell possessing a greatly enlarged body whorl and low spire. This stylommatophoran snail has a similar shell to the basommatophoran lymnaeid snails.

General References

Laws, H.M. 1973. The chromosomes of Succinea australis (Férussac). Journal of the Malacological Society of Australia 2: 389-392

Patterson, C.M. 1971. Taxonomic studies of the land snail family Succineidae. Malacological Review 4: 131-202

Smith, B.J. & Kershaw, R.C. 1979. Field Guide to the Non-marine Molluscs of South-eastern Australia. Canberra : A.N.U. Press 285 pp.

Solem, A. 1998. Family Succineidae. pp. 1108-1109 in Beesley, P.L., Ross, G.J.B. & Wells, A. (eds). Mollusca: The Southern Synthesis. Fauna of Australia. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing Vol. 5(Part B) pp. vi–viii, 565–1234.

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