Vitrinizonites latissimus

(J. Lewis, 1875)

Glassy Grapeskin

G4Apparently Secure Found in 15 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.110633
Element CodeIMGAS84010
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryInvertebrate Animal
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumMollusca
ClassGastropoda
OrderStylommatophora
FamilyZonitidae
GenusVitrinizonites
Other Common Names
glassy grapeskin (EN)
Concept Reference
Turgeon, D. D., J. F. Quinn, Jr., A. E. Bogan, E. V. Coan, F. G. Hochberg, W. G. Lyons, P. M. Mikkelsen, R. J. Neves, C. F. E. Roper, G. Rosenberg, B. Roth, A. Scheltema, F. G. Thompson, M. Vecchione, and J. D. Williams. 1998. Common and scientific names of aquatic invertebrates from the United States and Canada: Mollusks. 2nd Edition. American Fisheries Society Special Publication 26, Bethesda, Maryland. 526 pp.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodLegacy Rank calculation - Excel v3.1x
Review Date2009-02-10
Change Date2002-10-08
Edition Date2009-02-10
Edition AuthorsCordeiro, J. (2009)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent5000-20,000 square km (about 2000-8000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 - 300
Rank Reasons
It is ubiquitous in the Great Smoky Mountains above 2000 feet, though not in great numbers; although some sites (e.g. Big Black Mountain in Kentucky) show high population numbers and greater viability. Threats are not known.
Range Extent Comments
It is ubiquitous in the Great Smoky Mountains above 2000 feet, though not in great numbers (Pilsbry, 1946).
Occurrences Comments
It occurs in one county in northern Alabama; one in northeastern Georgia, and throughout eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina as well as bordering Kentucky and Virginia (Hubricht, 1985). Pilsbry (1946) cites Tennessee (and along the North Carolina boundary) at Tusquita Bald Mt. (locality uncertain), in the Great Smoky Mountains near the summit of Thunderhead; Miry Ridge; Clingman Dome; Indian Pass at Newfound Gap northeast of Gatlinburg; Mt. Le Conte in Sevier Co.; the river in Paint Rock; Roan Mt. (both Tennessee and North Carolina); Washington Co.; and Limestone Co. in Unicoi Co.; and also cites North Carolian at Blockhouse Mt. south of Thunderhead and Stratten Bald in Swain Co.; Blowing Rock in Watauga Co.; Beef Market Mt. in Jackson Co.; Nantahala Gap; Frypan Gap near Big Pisgah Mt.; top fo Mt. Pisgah west of Ashville; Grandfather Mt. east of Roan Mt.; mountain near Waynesville in Haywood Co.; Mt. Mitchell, Bluff Mt., Tyson's, Wilson's and Meadow Cove and Bee tree Creek; Cranberry in Avery Co.; Nantahala Mountains between Franklin and Hayesville; Pinnacle of Blue Ridge; Banners Elk in Watauga Co.; and lastly in Alabama in the hills around Gurley, Madison Co.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

It is found under leaf litter or crawling on the ground in wet weather usually above 2000 feet in the mixed hardwood forests, but also in acidic soils thriving in heath balds and spruce-fir forests (Dourson 2013). It may occur below 1000 feet in the outlying hills (Hubricht 1985). It is restricted to moist places where moss carpets the rocks or logs above 2000 feet in the Great Smoky Mountains; usually at the lower levels where the mountain slopes are densely shaded, but on the cloud-touched heights not much shade is necessary (Pilsbry 1946).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandForest - HardwoodWoodland - Hardwood
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN4
ProvinceRankNative
GeorgiaSNRYes
AlabamaSNRYes
VirginiaSUYes
TennesseeS4Yes
KentuckyS2Yes
North CarolinaS4Yes
Roadless Areas (15)
North Carolina (8)
AreaForestAcres
Balsam ConePisgah National Forest10,591
Craggy MountainPisgah National Forest2,657
Graveyard Ridge (addition)Pisgah National Forest1,958
Harper CreekPisgah National Forest7,325
Laurel MountainPisgah National Forest5,683
Middle Prong AdditionPisgah National Forest1,852
Sam Knob (addition)Pisgah National Forest2,576
Wesser BaldNantahala National Forest4,061
Tennessee (5)
AreaForestAcres
Rogers RidgeCherokee National Forest4,738
Sampson Mountain AdditionCherokee National Forest3,064
Slide HollowCherokee National Forest4,057
Stone MountainCherokee National Forest5,367
Sycamore CreekCherokee National Forest6,984
Virginia (2)
AreaForestAcres
Raccoon BranchJefferson National Forest4,388
Seng MountainJefferson National Forest6,428
References (7)
  1. Branson, B.A. and D.L. Batch. 1988. Distribution of Kentucky land snails (Mollusca: Gastropoda). Transactions of the Kentucky Academy of Science, 49: 101-116.
  2. Dourson, D.C. 2010. Kentucky's land snails and their ecological communities. Goatslug Publications, Bakersville, NC. 298 pp.
  3. Dourson, D.C. 2013. Land snails of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and southern Appalachians. Goatslug Publications, Bakersville, NC. 336 pp.
  4. Hubricht, L. 1985. The distribution of the native land mollusks of the eastern United States. Fieldiana: Zoology 24:1-191.
  5. Petranka, J.G. 1982. The distribution and diversity of land snails on Big Black Mountain, Kentucky. MS Thesis, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, Kentucky.
  6. Pilsbry, H.A. 1946. Land Mollusca of North America (north of Mexico). Volume 2, Part 1. Monograph of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 2(1): 1-520.
  7. Turgeon, D. D., J. F. Quinn, Jr., A. E. Bogan, E. V. Coan, F. G. Hochberg, W. G. Lyons, P. M. Mikkelsen, R. J. Neves, C. F. E. Roper, G. Rosenberg, B. Roth, A. Scheltema, F. G. Thompson, M. Vecchione, and J. D. Williams. 1998. Common and scientific names of aquatic invertebrates from the United States and Canada: Mollusks. 2nd Edition. American Fisheries Society Special Publication 26, Bethesda, Maryland. 526 pp.