The pretty Thiara winteri from Indonesia with its pagoda-like shell, the longitudinal ribs of which are more or less (this varies greatly from individual to individual) spiky at the junctions of the coils, belongs to the group of trumpet snails relatives to which, for example, also belongs the very common red-rimmed melania (Melanoides tuberculata). The front part of the shell is conspicuously transversely ribbed. As with all trumpet snails, this species also has a so-called operculum, with which it closes the shell when the soft body is retracted. The maximum length of the shell is about 5 cm.
The soft body is not very conspicuously colored, in shades of black and grey. But the broad “proboscis” is quite remarkable and the tentacle-like projections that the snail protrudes from the upper edge of the mantle look particularly interesting and probably represent a kind of external gills, i.e. they are used for breathing.
Thiara winteri is an egg-livebearing snail that gives birth to fully developed miniature Thiaras. The eggs develop in a special breeding cavity inside the mother’s body. The species is widespread in Indonesia and the Philippines.
For our customers: the animals have code 492002 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
