Paryphanta Explained

Paryphanta is a genus of land snails in the family Rhytididae. Species from New Zealand are known commonly as kauri snails (Māori: pūpūrangi).^[1] They are closely related and similar to snails in the genus Powelliphanta, which was formerly included within Paryphanta.

There are just two species of Paryphanta:^[2] Paryphanta busbyi and Paryphanta watti, which occur from North Cape to West Auckland.^[3]

P. watti occurs only at the extreme northern end of this range near Kaeo. This form is of much darker coloration and often smaller, although does reach the same size as P. busbyi if allowed to reach old age. Classification of some land snails can be complicated by variations in shell induced by environmental changes.^[4]

See also

• Paryphanta busbyi
• Paryphanta watti

Further reading

• Powell A. W. B., New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979

Notes and References

1. Web site: Snails and slugs - Flax snails, giant snails and veined slugs. Ryan. Paddy. 24 September 2007. Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. 19 November 2018.
2. http://www.molluscs.otago.ac.nz/index.html Gastropoda.
3. https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/invertebrates/kauri-snail/ Kauri Snails.
4. Proćków . Małgorzata . Kuźnik-Kowalska . Elżbieta . Żeromska . Aleksandra . Mackiewicz . Paweł . Temporal variation in climatic factors influences phenotypic diversity of Trochulus land snails . Scientific Reports . 19 July 2022 . 12 . 1 . 12357 . 10.1038/s41598-022-16638-w. 9296580 .