Otala lactea | |
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Otala lactea | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Gastropoda |
(unranked): | clade Heterobranchia clade Euthyneura |
Superfamily: | Helicoidea |
Family: | Helicidae |
Genus: | Otala |
Species: | O. lactea |
Binomial name | |
Otala lactea (Müller, 1774) |
Otala lactea,[1] common names, the milk snail, or Spanish snail, is a large, edible species[2] of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Helicidae. Archaeological recovery at the Volubilis illustrates prehistoric exploitation of O. lactea by humans.[3]
Synonyms include Helix lactea and Iberus alonensis.
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This species of snail is native to Europe and parts of North Africa. It has been introduced to the USA, including Arizona and Florida, and to Bermuda, Cuba, southeastern Australia.
This snail creates and uses love darts as part of its courtship behaviour, prior to mating. Also, the name Heterobranchia suggests that O. lactea has two kinds of gills.