Tag Archives: Taipidon

Taipidon anceyana (Garrett)

Ancey’s Taipidon Snail (Taipidon anceyana)

Ancey’s Taipidon Snail was endemic to the island of Hiva Oa, Marquesas, it was described in 1887 when the species apparently was still alive, the author gives some slight information about it.:

“Sa grande taille, son large ombilic, ses grandes lamelles aperturales blanches et bien visibles, empêcheront de confondre cette Espèce avec ses congénerès.“

translation:

“Its large size, its large umbilicus, and its large, white apertural lamellae, well visible, will prevent this species from being confused with its congeners.“

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Ancey’s Taipidon Snail was apparently a lowland species and might already have been extinct at the time of its discovery.

As far as I know, only three specimens of the species remain today with the holotype reaching a heigth of 0,23 cm and 0,5 cm in diameter, it is furthermore light yellow-brown and decorated with irregular, reddish flammulations.

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References:

[1] Andrew Garrett: Mollusques terrestres des Iles Marquises (Polynésie). Bulletins de la Société malacologique de France 4: 1-48. 1887
[2] Alan Solem: Endodontoid land snails from Pacific Islands (Mollusca: Pulmonata: Sigmurethra). Part I, Family Endodontidae. Field Museum of Natural History Chicago, Illinois 1976

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edited: 20.04.2019

Taipidon octolamellata (Garrett)

Eight-grooved Taipidon Snail (Taipidon octolamellata)

The Eight-grooved Taipidon Snail was endemic to the island of Hiva Oa, Marquesas, it was described in 1887 when the species apparently was still alive, the author gives some hint of information about it.:

“Quelques individus ont été trouvés a l’île Dominique, sous du bois pourri. C’est la proche parente de l’Espèce qui précède, mais elle est plus variée de brun, les plis sont plus distants, et elle possède en outre une lamelle palatale en plus.“

translation:

“ Some individuals were found on Dominica Island [Hiva Oa] under rotten wood. It is the close relative of the above species [Taipidon woapoensis (Garrett)], but it is more variegated with brown, the folds are more distant, and it has moreover a palatal lamella in addition.” [1][2]

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The species obviously died out shortly after and to my knowlegde only a single specimen is remaining today, a small shell of about 0,4 cm diameter.

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References:

[1] Andrew Garrett: Mollusques terrestres des Iles Marquises (Polynésie). Bulletins de la Société malacologique de France 4: 1-48. 1887
[2] Alan Solem: Endodontoid land snails from Pacific Islands (Mollusca: Pulmonata: Sigmurethra). Part I, Family Endodontidae. Field Museum of Natural History Chicago, Illinois 1976

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edited: 20.04.2019

Taipidon marquesana (Garrett)

Marquesan Taipidon Snail (Taipidon marquesana)

The Marquesan Taipidon Snail was endemic to the island of Nuku Hiva, Marquesas, it was described in 1887 when the species apparently was still alive, the author gives some very slight information about it.:

“Plusieurs exemplaires ont été récoltés sous du bois pourri, dans un ravin d’une montagne élevée.“

translation:

“Several examples were harvested under rotten wood in a ravine on a high mountain.” [1]

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The shells are rather small, they reach sizes of about 0.17 cm in heigth and 0.38 cm in diameter. 

As far as I know, only 12 specimens of this species are left today. [2]

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References:

[1] Andrew Garrett: Mollusques terrestres des Iles Marquises (Polynésie). Bulletins de la Société malacologique de France 4: 1-48. 1887
[2] Alan Solem: Endodontoid land snails from Pacific Islands (Mollusca: Pulmonata: Sigmurethra). Part I, Family Endodontidae. Field Museum of Natural History Chicago, Illinois 1976

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edited: 20.04.2019