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Physella lordi (Baird, 1863)
Twisted Physa
Family: Physidae

Photograph

Map

Distribution of Physella lordi in British Columbia in British Columbia

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Species Information

This family of snails is characterized by shells exhibiting sinistral or left-handed coiling They are typically elliptical to ovate in shape with a large ovate aperture and a short spire (Perez et al. 2004). They display a lot of ecophenotypic variation and are difficult to identify (Perez et al. 2004).

Biology

Like other physids, this species is ectothermic and cannot regulate its body temperature, and as such, prefers habitat with favourable tempratures for reproduction. As with other members of this snail family, this is an egg-laying hermaphroditic species that lays eggs in the spring; eggs hatch directly as substrate-dependent juveniles.

Habitat

“Known localities are all large or medium sized oligotrophic lakes (Taylor, 2003)” (BCCDC 2010).

Distribution

Global Distribution

In North America, this species is reported from British Columbia and Washington (Taylor 2003).

Distribution in British Columbia

In British Columbia, this species is reported from Kootenay, New Westminster, Yale districts, and Lake Osoyoos (Taylor 2003).

Status Information

Origin Status	Provincial Status	BC List (Red Blue List)	COSEWIC
Native	S4S5	Yellow	Not Listed

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

Synonyms and Alternate Names

Physa lordi Baird, 1863
Physa zomos Baily & Baily, 1952

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Genetic and lineage information (NCBI Taxonomy Browser)

Additional Range and Status Information Links

NatureServe Explorer

Additional Photo Sources

Flickr Image Search
Google Image Search
Images from Calphoto

Related Databases

Mollus.ca Web Site
A Snail's Odyssey

Species References

British Columbia Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks. 2000. Freshwater molluscs. BC Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks, Victoria.

British Columbia Conservation Data Centre. 2010. BC Species and Ecosystem Explorer. Species Report. BC Ministry of Environment, Victoria. Available online.

Perez, Kathryn, E., Stephanie A. Clark and Chafles Lydeard (eds). 2004. Showing Your Shells. A Primer to Freshwater Gastropod Identification. University of Alabama. Available online.

General References

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