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Animal Identification Game

Discussion in 'Quizzes, Competitions & Games' started by BerdNerd, 20 Oct 2020.

  1. MizzB

    MizzB Well-Known Member

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    is it a Common Striped Woodlouse?
     
  2. CheeseChameleon1945

    CheeseChameleon1945 Well-Known Member

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    Nope.
     
  3. amur leopard

    amur leopard Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Is it in the genus Chaetophiloscia?
     
  4. CheeseChameleon1945

    CheeseChameleon1945 Well-Known Member

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    Nope.
     
  5. MizzB

    MizzB Well-Known Member

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    Is it in the family Philosciidae?
     
  6. CheeseChameleon1945

    CheeseChameleon1945 Well-Known Member

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    Nope, not even close. Im gonna give you guys a hint. Its in the family Ligiidae.
     
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  7. CheeseChameleon1945

    CheeseChameleon1945 Well-Known Member

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    I think another hint is in order. This species is found in North America. Hopefully this helps a little bit.
     
  8. CheeseChameleon1945

    CheeseChameleon1945 Well-Known Member

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    Not really related to my picture, but I recently obtained this mollusk shell of some friends. Do any of you guys know what it is? Possibly a ram's horn squid, but it doesn't quite match up by looking at some google images. It could just be beat up. But Looking at it more closely it resembles
    polygyra cereolus a lot more.
    [​IMG]
     
  9. Tetzoo Quizzer

    Tetzoo Quizzer Well-Known Member

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    Difficult from a photo, but I don’t think it’s a Ramshorn Squid as the aperture is slightly angled and attached to the previous whorl. Any details of where it came from, or size? It could be some kind of Ramshorn Snail; not familiar with non British species. Alternatively, is there anything to suggest that the lower surface had previously been attached to a substrate, in which case it could be an annelid tube.
     
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  10. Tetzoo Quizzer

    Tetzoo Quizzer Well-Known Member

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    Not familiar with Polygyra, but after looking at some sites, I am certain that it is not that species either; too many differences in shell sculpture. The big problem is that most snail shell shapes show high levels of convergence, so, on their own are not great for indicating relationships. It’s the reason that Conchology (study of shells) diverged from Malacology (study of molluscs as organisms).
     
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  11. CheeseChameleon1945

    CheeseChameleon1945 Well-Known Member

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    Thanks for your guys's help. I got it from a friend, and that's pretty much it. He asked if I would like any of his shells. That's pretty much it, I would need to ask him for more details. Yeah, I also don't think it is a ramshorn squid either. Ramshorn snails are actually a term used to describe any freshwater snails, and I doubt it is a freshwater specimen. I'm really not sure if its an annelid. I am almost certain it is a gastropod. I'ts not just this shell I own, I have multiple in a large collection. I have periwinkles, cockles, and some Florida conchs. I beg to differ. I don't think polygera is quite out of the range.
    You have probably heard of Inaturalist, and I decided to go there for some observations for polygera. I actually found multiple observations that looked almost Identical. This observation is research grade, and confirmed by a mollusk expert.
    Here is the observation.
    [​IMG]
    This looks pretty gosh darn similar.
     
    Last edited: 2 Nov 2020
  12. Tetzoo Quizzer

    Tetzoo Quizzer Well-Known Member

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    Ok; as a mollusc taxonomist; I’ll explain my doubts, but my area of real expertise is in slugs, particularly Onchideaceans, rather than snails. As I said, I have no experience of Polygyra, but I do have a feel for useful shell characters. The fresh specimens photographed show lots of fine grooves; can these be lost to leave a smooth shell like this? Your specimen appears to have a central gap; the reference photo above is unclear, the good photos on the net show the spiral continuing to the centre; I am surprised that the gap appears real. Lastly, your specimen has an aperture with little sculpturing, while the reference photo shows a quite triangular aperture. I could conceive that an eroded specimen might be able to match your specimen, but I am by no means certain that the case is proven. I hope you find a conclusive answer, and, if it turns out to be Polygyra then I’m more than happy to learn something, but the similarities do not strike me as conclusive. Good luck with finding the information you need to make the identification.
     
  13. CheeseChameleon1945

    CheeseChameleon1945 Well-Known Member

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    Thanks @Tetzoo Quizzer! This truly is a mystery shell I own, and it is a real one though, as at first I wasn't sure if they were real or not. :p But I hope to find a conclusive answer to my problem soon, and all the help and insight you have gave me truly is appreciated.
    I really don't know what it is? I will have to ask my friend who I got it from, as all he knew he just collected it on a beach, and never really did anything with it. I have since posted this shell picture on my very own Inaturalist account, but no conclusive taxa has been assigned to this mollusk shell. All I really know that I think it might be a gastropod.
     
  14. CheeseChameleon1945

    CheeseChameleon1945 Well-Known Member

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    Okay, I don't think anyone will find out what the Isopod Id is, so its Ligidium gracile.
    Someone else can go now.
     
  15. BerdNerd

    BerdNerd Well-Known Member

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    Can I go? I have a hard one.
     
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  16. CheeseChameleon1945

    CheeseChameleon1945 Well-Known Member

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    Of course!
     
  17. BerdNerd

    BerdNerd Well-Known Member

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    221571381.jpg

    Hint: Native to Africa.
     
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  18. CheeseChameleon1945

    CheeseChameleon1945 Well-Known Member

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    Sylvietta of some sort I think.
     
  19. BerdNerd

    BerdNerd Well-Known Member

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    Nice guess, but no.
     
  20. CheeseChameleon1945

    CheeseChameleon1945 Well-Known Member

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    This probably isn't right, but maybe its an Western Subalpine warbler?
     
    Last edited: 8 Nov 2020