Euglandina is the type genus of the subfamily Euglandininae. The pulmonate genus Euglandina is often referred to as Glandina in older literature, and the most widely known species, Euglandina rosea, may commonly be found under the synonym Glandina truncata.[4]
These snails are especially notable for being carnivorous and predatory. They are sometimes called "wolf snails" for that reason.
The natural range of Euglandina encompasses much of the tropical and subtropicalWestern Hemisphere, including the Southeastern United States to Texas, Mexico, and various locations in Central and South America. The species E. rosea has been intentionally introduced into many other warm areas — from Hawaii to New Guinea, Bermuda, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, and numerous other locations — in a vain attempt to control accidentally introduced species of snails, usually the giant African Achatina fulica.[5]
Those species of Euglandina that are not indigenous to the USA have not yet become established there, but they are considered to represent a potentially serious threat as a pest, an invasive species that could negatively affect agriculture, natural ecosystems, human health, or commerce. Therefore, these species should be given top national quarantine significance in the USA.[6]
Euglandina exesa Cockerell, 1930 - fossil: synonym of Euglandina singleyana (W. G. Binney, 1892)
The various species of Euglandina are similar in numerous ways. The shells are simple, oval in outline (sometimes broadly so), but occasionally more-or-less straight-sided, the lip of the aperture is also simple, without any thickening. These shells may be brown, orange, or pink in color, or some intermediate shade. Shell sculpture when present usually consists of striae that mark progressive growth increments. All species are carnivores, and probably have essentially the same hunting and feeding strategies,[11][12] and reproductive techniques.[13]
Members of this genus can be found in many microhabitats. They can be found in semitropical moist jungle, and in near-desert.[citation needed] Their only requirements seem to be a relatively warm climate, and the presence of a sufficient supply of food.[citation needed]
Cowie R. H., Dillon R. T., Robinson D. G. & Smith J. W. (2009). "Alien non-marine snails and slugs of priority quarantine importance in the United States: A preliminary risk assessment". American Malacological Bulletin27: 113-132. PDFArchived 2016-06-16 at the Wayback Machine.
Binney W. G. (1878). "The Terrestrial Air-Breathing Mollusks of the United States and Adjacent Territories of North America". Vol. 5 (plates). Bull. Mus. Comparative Zool., Harvard. Plate 59.
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Hubricht L. (1985). "The distribution of the native land mollusks of the eastern United States". Fieldiana Zoology24: 1-191.
Perez K. & Strenth N. E. (2003). "A systematic review of the land snail Euglandina singleyana (Binney, 1892) (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Spiraxidae)". Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington116(3): 649-660.
Perez K. & Strenth N. E. (2002). "Enzymatic variation in the land snail Euglandina texasiana (Gastropoda: Pulmonata) from south Texas and northeastern Mexico". Texas J. Science, 1 February 2002.