E-Fauna BC: Electronic Atlas of the Wildlife of British Columbia

Allogona townsendiana (I. Lea, 1839)
Oregon Forestsnail
Family: Polygyridae
Species account author: Robert Forsyth.
Introduction to the Land Snails of BC

© Robert Forsyth  Email the photographer   (Photo ID #304)
Distribution of Allogona townsendiana in British Columbia
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Introduction


The Oregon Forestsnail is restricted in distribution in British Columbia to the southwestern corner of the province. It is found typically in woods dominated by Bigleaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum) and is frequently associated with seepage areas. It is often associated with stinging nettle (Urtica dioica). This species is hermaphroditic, lays eggs, and may be slow-maturing and long-lived.

Species Information

Diagnosis

This species is most similar to Allogona ptychophora but differs in being larger and has coarser, more irregular axial riblets below the sutures and is frequently sculptured with fairly strong malleations.

Shell

Large, heliciform, brown or yellow-brown, with lighter coloured, irregular ribs; periostracum never hairy; lip thickened and expanded, white; aperture without denticles.

Habitat


Forests

Distribution


Global Distribution

BC to northwest Oregon.

BC Distribution

Fraser Valley; one isolated location on southeast Vancouver Island (Forsyth 2004; map data).

Notes


Etymology

Genus name derived from the Greek "allos" meaning "other" or "different" + "gona" , "genitalia"; the gender is feminine. The species is named after John Kirk Townsend (1809–51), the Philadelphia physician and naturalist who accompanied Thomas Nuttall on the 1834–35 Wyeth Expedition across the Rockies to Fort Vancouver on the Columbia River.

Status Information

Origin StatusProvincial StatusBC List
(Red Blue List)		COSEWIC
NativeS1S2RedE (Nov 2002)



BC Ministry of Environment: BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer--the authoritative source for conservation information in British Columbia.

Additional Notes

Recommended Reading

Forsyth, Robert G. 2004. Land Snails of British Columbia. Handbook. Royal BC Museum, Victoria.

Additional Range and Status Information Links

NatureServe Explorer

Additional Photo Sources

Flickr Image Search
Google Image Search
Images from Calphoto

General References

Google Scholar Search
Recommended citation: Author, Date. Page title. In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Editor) 2012. E-Fauna BC: Electronic Atlas of the Fauna of British Columbia [efauna.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. [Accessed: 5/19/2013 7:36:05 AM]
Disclaimer: The information contained in an E-Fauna BC atlas pages is derived from expert sources as cited in each section. This information is scientifically based.  E-Fauna BC also acts as a portal to other sites via deep links.  As always, users should refer to the original sources for complete information.  E-Fauna BC is not responsible for the accuracy or completeness of the original information.

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