// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did Cryptomastix germana say? Shell I hide?
| Cryptomastix germana | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pygmy Oregonian found under a log on the Coal Creek Trail, a nature trail in Bellevue, Washington | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Order: | Stylommatophora |
| Family: | Polygyridae |
| Genus: | Cryptomastix |
| Species: | C. germana |
| Binomial name | |
| Cryptomastix germana Gould, 1851 | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Cryptomastix germana, or the pygmy Oregonian, is a terrestrial snail belonging to the family Polygyridae.[2]
Distribution
[edit]This species is endemic to the top half of the Pacific Northwest, with its range cutting off at the top of California.[3][4][5][6]
Appearance
[edit]This species is characterized by a hairy shell in a classical spiral shape. It also is very small, usually only a few millimeters (Usually about 2mm).The hairs are generally long, hooked and spiraling. It generally has a "Leopard print" pattern on the shell[3][5]
Similar species
[edit]The most similar species to this snail would be Vespericola columbianus, which also has a hairy shell, but is much bigger than the Pygmy Oregonian, and has shorter hairs.[7]
References
[edit]- ↑ NatureServe. "Cryptomastix germana". NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
- ↑ Cryptomastix germana (A. A. Gould, 1851). 13 January 2026. Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species.
- 1 2 "Species Summary". a100.gov.bc.ca. Retrieved 2026-01-07.
- ↑ "Pygmy Oregonian (Cryptomastix germana) | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service". www.fws.gov. Retrieved 2026-01-07.
- 1 2 "Pygmy Oregonian Snail Cryptomastix germana". Wild Columbia County. 2020-08-09. Retrieved 2026-01-07.
- ↑ Forsyth, Robert (September 2000). "The land snail Cryptomastix germana (Gastropoda: Polygyridae) in the Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia: A range extension north from Vancouver Island".
- ↑ "Vespericola". Oregon Department of Agriculture guides. Retrieved 2026-01-07.
- Gould, A.A. (1851). The terrestrial air-breathing mollusks of the United States, and the adjacent territories of North America. Vol. 2. Little, Brown and Company, Boston. 1-366.