Description: A small to medium-sized, slightly turreted, conical shell. Surface matt to slightly shiny, with slightly coarse growth lines crossed by a final spiral striation. Thin-shelled, colour brown. Ubiquitous in wet places 7-12 mm.

World Distribution: This has an exceptionally wide distribution in Europe and the northern hemisphere. It also occurs in the southern hemisphere and has been reported as native in east and south Africa (Appleton, 1996). Distribution type (northern hemisphere): Circumpolar Boreo-temperate (56) and Circumpolar Wide-boreal (36).

Irish Distribution: The sheep or flukesnail is the main vector of the liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica, in the British Isles and is ubiquitous and abundant in Ireland except at higher altitudes or in very impoverished conditions.

Ecology:

• Amphibious by small streams and at the margins of a variety of wetlands and bodies of fresh water
• Almost ubiquitous in damp field margins where it may crawl considerable distances from open water

Key Identification Features:

• A small to medium-sized turreted, conical shell
• Whorls convex, sutures deep
• Umbilicus open but very narrow
• Shell mid brown, translucent with fine spiral striations

Red list status:

• Least concern (lc).

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

iNaturalist: Galba truncatula at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

GBIF data for Galba truncatula | Classification: Gastropoda, incertae sedis, Lymnaeidae, Galba

Thumbnails for genus Galba