General Description

Shell very round (globose) with 4-5 whorls, positioned towards the tail-end of the body. Shell colour mostly dark brown to black, yellow to white at the centre. Foot dark blue to black. Shell up to 4 cm across.

Biology

Otway Black Snails are carnivorous, eating insect larvae, earthworms, slugs and other snails. They do not eat their own species. While they are mostly nocturnal but are seen during the day in cool, damp weather. There is little known about the life span of the Otway Black Snail, but it is thought to be between two and eight years based on other species in the same family. Theyl lay clumps of small (2-3 mm), hard, white eggs. The range of the species is very small; it occurs only in the Otway Ranges of Victoria and is highly susceptible to damage to its habitat. They can be distinguished from the Orange Foot Snail, Victaphanta atramentaria, by the lack of an orange rim around the foot.

Distribution

South-western Victoria.

Habitat

Leaf litter around trees in cool temperate rainforest of the Otway Ranges.

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