Description: A brown, conical shell of characteristic, slightly barrelled shape and oval aperture framed by a broad, reflected rim. Found, often covered by algal deposits, on rocks and walls, but very local in Ireland. 8.5-9 mm.

World Distribution: Widespread in western and central Europe to southern Scandinavia and the British Isles. Distribution type: European Southern-temperate (83).

Irish Distribution: Widely distributed in Ireland but absent from most of the north, west and south-west and nowhere common. Less rare in the eastern central plain.

Ecology:

• Thermophilic, preferring warm, south-facing places
• Principally on minimally disturbed calcareous rocks and walls
• Often in light woodland or scrub

Key Identification Features:

• A brown, conical shell of characteristic, slightly barrelled shape
• Surface mid to dark brown with fine, irregular radial growth lines
• Whorls convex and sutures moderately deep
• Umbilicus closed

Red list status:

• Endangered (EN).

Distribution Map from NBN: Merdigera obscura at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Merdigera obscura at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

GBIF data for Merdigera obscura | Classification: Gastropoda, Stylommatophora, Enidae, Merdigera

Thumbnails for genus Merdigera