Tag Archives: Cylindrella

Cylindrella pilocerei Pfeiffer

Cactus Spindle Snail (Cylindrella pilocerei)

The enigmatic Cactus Spindle Snail was described in1841; it is known from somewhere in Mexico (Guanajuato and Hidalgo?) and apparently was found hiding under the conspicuously elongated, hair-like modified spines of the so-called Old Man Cactus (Cephalocereus senilis (Haw.) Pfeiff.).:

C. pilocerei lebt auf Cactus, namentlich Pilocereus senilis.” [1]

Translation:

C. pilocerei lives on Cactus, namely Pilocereus senilis.

The taxonomic status of this species is somewhat questionable and, if it ever existed, it is now possibly extinct. [2]

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References:

[1] Johann Christian Albers: Die Heliceen nach natürlicher Verwandtschaft systematisch geordnet. Zweite Ausgabe nach dem hinterlassenen Manuskript besorgt von Eduard von Martens. Leipzig: Wilhelm Engelmann 1860
[2] Robert H. Cowie; Claire Régnier; Benoît Fontaine; Philippe Bouchet. Measuring the Sixth Extinction: what do mollusks tell us? The Nautilus 131(1): 3-41. 2017

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Photo: Naturalis Biodiversity Center
https://www.naturalis.nl 

(no copyright)

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edited: 17.05.2022