Powelliphanta gilliesi, one of the "amber snails", is a species of large, carnivorous land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Rhytididae.
| Powelliphanta gilliesi | |
|---|---|
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| Holotype of Powelliphanta gilliesi fallax from the Auckland War Memorial Museum | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Heterobranchia |
| Order: | Stylommatophora |
| Family: | Rhytididae |
| Genus: | Powelliphanta |
| Species: | P. gilliesi |
| Binomial name | |
| Powelliphanta gilliesi E. A. Smith, 1880 | |
| Synonyms | |
Paryphanta gilliesi Smith, 1880 | |
Distribution
This species is endemic to the West Nelson area of the South Island of New Zealand.
There are nine subspecies,[2] some of which are listed by the New Zealand Department of Conservation:[3]
- Powelliphanta gilliesi aurea Powell, 1946
- Powelliphanta gilliesi brunnea Powell, 1938
- Powelliphanta gilliesi compta Powell, 1930 – Nationally Vulnerable
- Powelliphanta gilliesi fallax Powell, 1930 – National Decline
- Powelliphanta gilliesi gilliesi Smith, 1880
- Powelliphanta gilliesi jamesoni Powell, 1936
- Powelliphanta gilliesi kahurangica Powell, 1936
- Powelliphanta gilliesi montana Powell, 1936
- Powelliphanta gilliesi subfusca Powell, 1930 – Gradual Decline
Life cycle
The eggs of this species are oval in shape and are seldom constant in dimensions, varying from 9 by 8 millimetres (0.35 in × 0.31 in), to 9.75 by 8 millimetres (0.384 in × 0.315 in), and 10 by 8 millimetres (0.39 in × 0.31 in).[4]