| Snake river physa snail | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| (unranked): | clade Heterobranchia clade Euthyneura clade Panpulmonata clade Hygrophila |
| Superfamily: | Planorboidea |
| Family: | Physidae |
| Genus: | Physella |
| Species: | P. natricina |
| Binomial name | |
| Physella natricina Taylor, 1988 |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Haitia (Physa) natricina Taylor, 1988 |
|
The snake river physa snail (Physella natricina) is a species of a freshwater snail, a gastropod in the family Physidae. It is endemic to Idaho in the United States.
The Snake River physa snail Haitia (Physa) natricina Taylor, 1988 is a freshwater mollusc found in the middle Snake River of southern Idaho. It has an ovoid shell that is amber to brown in color, and has 3 to 3.5 whorls. The physa can reach a maximum length of about 6.5 mm. The Snake River physa is believed to have evolved in the Pleistocene-Holocene lakes and rivers of northern Utah and southeastern Idaho. The species may have existed in the Snake River for approximately 3.5 million years ago. While much information exists on the family Physidae, very little is known about the biology or ecology of this species. It is believed to be confined to the Snake River, inhabiting areas of swift current on the undersides of large cobbles and boulder-sized rocks. In 1995, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reported the known modern range of the species to be from Grandview, Idaho (ca. RM 487) to the Hagerman Reach of the Snake River (ca. RM 573). The Snake River physa is rare with fewer than 50 total individuals having been collected. The recovery area for the species extends from Snake River mile 553 to Snake River mile 675. It is currently listed as an Endangered species since 14 December 1992.[2]
This article incorporates public domain work of the United States Government from the reference.[2]