An extremely rare land snail from Borneo - Vitrinula sp.
These photos show a rare species of land snails of the genus Vitrinula, probably Vitrinula muluensis (Stylommatophora - Ariophantidae), found on the climb up Gunung Api to the Pinnacles overlook, in Gunung Mulu National Park, Sarawak, Borneo.
The most interesting feature of these snails is that the animal has two mantle-lobes as metallic-colored tendrils covering part of front of shell, which continually lick the shell. Those tendrils are in fact a double penis which exceed the periphery of the shell and are a diagnostic feature of the genus.
Little is known about this rarely seen species, which is not surprising considering that they have a very restricted habitat in the karst area of Gunung Mulu, since as Clements et al. (2008) indicate, limestone karsts on tropical land masses are considered de facto habitat islands due to their isolation from one another by non-calcareous substrata; this spatial configuration limits gene flow and induces high levels of species endemism.
Wolf Snails are fearsome predators from the neotropics.
Next to their eye stalks and tentacles they have a kind of moustache known as oral lappets. These are extremely sensitive and provide the Wolf with a keen sense of taste so that they can follow the slimy trails left by other snails.
The Wolf Snail follows these trails until they catch up with their prey, before stabbing them with a radula and eating them.
Small prey are eaten whole, while larger ones are cut to pieces. The Wolf Snail has a long, slender body and proboscis which lets them delve deep into a shell to consume every last bit of flesh.
They are such proficient predators that they’ve driven hundreds of snail species to extinction, particularly when humans brought them to islands to deal with pests.
Despite all that, I still find them quite pretty and cute. They have moustaches!
