| Crikey steveirwini | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| (unranked): | clade Heterobranchia clade Euthyneura clade Panpulmonata clade Eupulmonata clade Stylommatophora informal group Sigmurethra |
| Superfamily: | Helicoidea |
| Family: | Camaenidae |
| Genus: | Crikey Stanisic, 2009[1] |
| Species: | C. steveirwini |
| Binomial name | |
| Crikey steveirwini Stanisic, 2009[1] |
|
Crikey steveirwini is a very rare species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Camaenidae. Crikey steveirwini is the only species in the genus Crikey, and is found in the north-eastern part of Queensland, Australia.
The specific name steveirwini is in memory of wildlife expert Steve Irwin. The genus name was a favourite exclamation of Steve Irwin's, "crikey!" being an Australian minced oath.[2]
The snail was named by John Stanisic, a scientist at the Queensland Museum.[2]
Crikey steveirwini occurs in the tropical rain forests also known as the Wet Tropics.[1] It has only been known since 1989, mainly from dead shells found lying on the ground. Most shells have some physical damage, possibly from predation. Only two live specimens have ever been found, and as one of these was in a low bush it is thought Crikey steveirwini may be an arboreal (tree-living) species.[1]