Description: The prevailing form of the ear pond snail in Ireland (lagotis Schrank) is not very ear-shaped and rather similar to forms of Ampullaceana balthica, but has a sharper spire with deflected protoconch (seen in the angle which the shell makes with the animal body during movement) and a generally more expanded body whorl. Local in Ireland and uncommon. 15-30 mm.

World Distribution: In Europe it occurs mainly in the milder central and western lowlands or in southern parts and thence across Siberia to east Asia. Distribution type: Eurasian Wide-temperate (65) and Southern-temperate (85).

Irish Distribution: Sparsely distributed through the central plain and around Loughs Neagh and Erne. It has apparently declined recently in much of central Ireland (Byrne et al., 2009).

Ecology:

• Scattered in silty habitats of peri-neutral to alkaline pH with abundant macrophytes
• Generally confined to large lake systems and rivers
• Relatively resistant to eutrophication and found, for instance, among dense growths of Cladophora along the hypertrophic shoreline of Lough Neagh

Key Identification Features:

• A medium to large shell with very large body whorl and short spire
• Aperture ear-shaped, with strongly reflected lip, but in the typical Irish form the aperture is smaller and the lip less reflected, more like that of Ampullaceana balthica
• Upper edge of the aperture makes a right angle with the body whorl
• Spire is deflected so that when the animal crawls it points obliquely to one side

Red list status:

• Vulnerable (VU).

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

iNaturalist: Radix auricularia at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

GBIF data for Radix auricularia | Classification: Gastropoda, incertae sedis, Lymnaeidae, Radix

Thumbnails for genus Radix