Ventridens - Dome Snails (Family Gastrodontidae)

a Ventridens snail

These are a group of mid-sized land snails with a dome shape, perforate umbilicus, and glossy shell. They tend to have a thickened basal callus inside the aperture.​

The two most widespread species were Ventridens ligera, the Globose Dome Snail, and Ventridens intertextus, the Pyramid Dome Snail. Also found, but very limited and in the southern half of the state, were Ventridens demissus, the Perforate Dome Snail, and Ventridens gularis, the Throaty Dome Snail. A fifth species, Ventridens suppressus, the Flat Dome Snail has only one observation of two shells with no definitive location other than Vermillion County on the Illinois border where it has not been found. It has been collected in extreme southeast KY (Dourson 2010). 

Identification

1a. Aperture in adults has lamellae or teeth – Ventridens gularis
1b. Aperture in adults has a callus pad, but without teeth or large lamellae – go to 2

2a. Shell larger, generally more than 11 mm in diameter, dome higher – go to 3
2b. Shell smaller, generally less than 11 mm in diameter, dome lower –Ventridens demissus

3a. Shell with well-developed spiral striae; surface dull – Ventridens intertextus
3b. Shell with poorly developed striae, surface moderately glossy – Ventridens ligera

Ventridens ligera (Say, 1821)

Ventridens ligera (Say, 1821)

Globose Dome Snail
Ventridens ligera (Say, 1821)

image shows callus in base of aperture, the lamellae of V. gularis (see below) is very different

Ventridens ligera - view of callus inside aperture

Pyramid Dome Snail
Ventridens intertextus (A. Binney, 1843)

Perforate Dome Snail
Ventridens demissus (A. Binney, 1843)

Throaty Dome
Ventridens gularis (Say, 1822)