Thanks for all remarks. As indicated by Aydin Orstan and David Campbell one
(me) has to standardize his method, that is ok. but say if is a new species
figured only by genitalia and a photo who can understand it (whether a
particular method is applied)? Actually, in almost none of the landsnail
papers i read includes such an info...An example for the problems this can
cause, when you inspect Vitrea species in Schütt (2001) "Die Türkische
Landschnecken", when you compare figures and text you can see that both
methods i wrote were applied to separate species (see V. contracta and V.
heniae, lodosi....)

My problem with the slender and tall shells, like an Ena, is that how one
can say that there is 11 1/4 whorls if the general practise is to count in
'vertical' way...

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In Aydin's paper there is a discussion about the identity of circular hole
drillers in landshells...in this list once was a discussion about oval or
circular holes to identify the predator. Can carnivorous mollusks be the
reason for very small circular holes in land snails? For superficial
perfectness of the circles in shells, i harldy can think that heavy
mandibles can do it. maybe there is a group of small endoparasite worms of
alimentary canal(?) chemically dissolve shell or a heteropteran sting bug
penetrate the shell (latter seems more irrational).

And i wonder if Lampyris-type snail specialists bore shells
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Ümit


----- Original Message -----
From: "aydin" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2005 4:29 AM
Subject: Re: counts


> Ümit,
> There is no one standard whorl counting method. I prefer to count along
the
> suture, which gives 1/2 whorl more than does omitting the first
semicircle.
> There are other ways of doing it. I don't think anyone can reasonably
argue
> that one particular method is the "right" way of doing it. Just explain
how
> you did it if you write a paper.
>
> An easy way to count the whorls of clausiliids & other tall shells is to
> start from the aperture & go backwards; the body whorl will be #1,
> penultimate whorl #2 & so on. This is useful if you only need to refer
> especially to the lower whorls for whatever reason (see my paper on drill
> holes in Turkish land snails).
>
> Aydin
>
> On Mon, 21 Feb 2005 09:55:04 +0200, umit <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> >Dear all,
> >
> >I noticed a difference in counting whorls when reading Likharev and
> Rammelmeier (1952) "Lands Snails of....USSR" book. Normally when counting
> whorls a -the first- semicircle of embyronic turn is omitted and 360
dgress
> afterwards is accepted as 1 turn, so that 1st turn counted resembles
> profile of a Nautilus. But in that book, i think, the semicircle is not
> omitted and 1st turn counted ends where parallel to the median line of the
> semicircle passes (total count is 1/2 turns less than the former). Is
there
> any other applications?
> >
> >The other question, when counting clausiliids a practical method is to
> count whorls from the frontal view, i.g. mouth facing you. How do you
count
> similar slender snails like Subulinidae etc.?
> >
> >
> >Best wishes
> >
> >Ümit
> >
> >
> >
>
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