Sphincterochilidae

Sphincterochilidae is a taxonomic family of medium-sized air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Helicoidea (according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005).

In the fossil record, Sphincterochilidae are known from the upper Eocene to the Holocene.

Distribution

The distribution of Sphincterochilidae includes the western-Palearctic zone.

Taxonomy

The following two subfamilies have been recognized in the taxonomy of Bouchet & Rocroi (2005):

• subfamily Sphincterochilinae Zilch, 1960 (1910) - synonyms: Calcarinidae Pallary, 1909 (inv.); Albeidae Pallary, 1910. Sphincterochilidae is a conserved name to take the priority of Leucochroidae Westerlund, 1886.
• subfamily † Pseudoleptaxinae H. Nordsieck, 1986

Genera

Genera within the family Sphincterochilidae include:

Sphincterochilinae

• † Asensidea <small>Calzada, 2003</small>
• Sphincterochila <small>Ancey, 1887</small> - type genus of the family Sphincterochilidae

† Pseudoleptaxinae

• † Dentellocaracolus <small>Oppenheim, 1890</small>
• † Fridolinia <small>Pilsbry, 1895</small> â€Â
• † Pseudoleptaxis Pilsbry, 1895 - type genus o the subfamily Pseudoleptaxinae
• † Wenzia <small>Pfeffer, 1930</small>

Ecology

Sphincterochilidae land snails are xerothermophilous, i.e. they are well adapted to hot, arid places.

References

• Bank, R. A. (2017). Classification of the Recent terrestrial Gastropoda of the World. Last update: July 16, 2017.