ADW: 10.rjb2.jpg

Identification

Permissions for Use

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Caption

Land snails from Mexico in the family Polygyridae. Many land snails have barriers ("teeth") in their shell apertures, which help keep out predators, e.g., beetles. Scanning electron microscope studies show that the surface of the barriers are not smooth, but consist of the jagged edges of calcium carbonate crystals, with the crystal edges directed outward.

Contributors

John B. Burch (photographer; copyright holder), Mollusk Division, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan

To cite this page: Myers, P., R. Espinosa, C. S. Parr, T. Jones, G. S. Hammond, and T. A. Dewey. 2012. The Animal Diversity Web (online). Accessed at http://animaldiversity.org.

Disclaimer: The Animal Diversity Web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students. ADW doesn't cover all species in the world, nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe. Though we edit our accounts for accuracy, we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts. While ADW staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable, we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control.

Sponsored in part by the Interagency Education Research Initiative,
the Homeland Foundation and the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grants DUE-0633095 and DRL-0628151.
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