Description: A tiny dull white shell with oval aperture ornamented with two denticles and a thickened lip produced into a small, inward-pointing knob in the middle. Spire relatively longer and body whorl narrower than in Carychium minimum. Mainly in woods but also in wet, open places. 1.8-2.0 mm.

World Distribution: With a similar distribution to Carychium minimum but not in Siberia. Distribution type: European Boreo-temperate (53).

Irish Distribution: Widespread and frequent in all kinds of ancient broadleaf woodland. Also, at the margins of wetlands in the company of C. minimum.

Ecology:

• Found in deep, stable leaf litter in old woods, particularly under evergreens such as holly Ilex, but also under broadleafs with durable leaf litter such as beech Fagus
• Like C. minimum can inhabit wet places outside woodland, usually in dense vegetation

Key Identification Features:

• A tiny dull white, cylindrical shell
• Main differences from Carychium minimum lie in the narrower body whorl and relatively tall spire
• Internally, there is a sinuate lamella running around the columella, seen by breaking open the front of the shell above the aperture

Red list status:

• Least concern (lc).

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

iNaturalist: Carychium tridentatum at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

GBIF data for Carychium tridentatum | Classification: Gastropoda, Ellobiida, Ellobiidae, Carychium

Thumbnails for genus Carychium