Backeljaia gigaxii

Backeljaia gigaxii
Backeljaia gigaxii shells (specimen at MNHN, Paris)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Order:	Stylommatophora
Superfamily:	Helicoidea
Family:	Geomitridae
Genus:	Backeljaia
Species:	B. gigaxii
Binomial name
Backeljaia gigaxii (L. Pfeiffer, 1847)
Synonyms
Candidula gigaxii (L. Pfeiffer, 1847) (invalid combination) Glischrus (Helix) gratiosa S. Studer, 1820 · (senior synonym of Helix caperata...) Helicopsis gigaxii (L. Pfeiffer, 1847) · (chresonym) Helix acentromphala Bourguignat, in Servain, 1880 · (junior synonym) Helix andalusica Kobelt, 1882 · (junior synonym) Helix caperata var. gigaxii L. Pfeiffer, 1847 (original combination) Helix gigaxii L. Pfeiffer, 1847 · ( combination) Helix hispalina Servain, 1880 · (junior synonym) Helix limatula Locard, 1899 · (junior synonym) Helix phlomiphila Mabille, 1881 · (junior synonym) Helix ramburi Mabille, 1867 · (junior synonym) Helix saxaea Bourguignat in Locard, 1894 · (junior synonym) Helix saxaea var. nicaeensis Caziot, 1909 · (suspected synonym) Helix valcourtiana Bourguignat in Servain, 1880 · (junior synonym) Helix xenilica Servain, 1880 ·

Backeljaia gigaxii is a species of air-breathing land snail, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Geomitridae.^[1]

The 5.4-8.1 × 7.4-12.2 mm. shell of this species has, in comparison with Candidula intersecta, whorls that increase more rapidly, the inside of the umbilicus is very narrow, but remarkably wider at last whorl. The shell is light brown or sandy-coloured with pale colour bands. It is usually flatter and larger than the shell of C. intersecta.^[2]

This species is known to occur in a number of Western European countries and islands including:

• Great Britain
• Ireland
• France
• Italy
• Belgium
• Netherlands
• Germany
• Spain

• Studer, S. (1820). Kurzes Verzeichnis der bis jetzt in unserm Vaterlande entdeckten Conchylien. Naturwissenschaftlicher Anzeiger der Allgemeinen Schweizerischen Gesellschaft für die Gesammten Naturwissenschaften, 3 (11): 83–90; (12): 91–94. Bern

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Backeljaia gigaxii.

• Media related to Backeljaia gigaxii at Wikimedia Commons
• Candidula gigaxii at Animalbase taxonomy, short description, distribution, biology, status (threats), images
• Candidula gigaxii images at Encyclopedia of Life
• Pfeiffer, L. (1847-1848). Monographia heliceorum viventium. Sistens descriptiones systematicas et criticas omnium huius familiae generum et specierum hodie cognitarum. Volumen primum. Lipsiae (Brockhaus). (1): 1–160 (1847) [before 27.9.]; (2): 161–321 (1847 [after 27.9.]); (3): i-xxxii, 321–484 (before 23.6.1848).
• Caziot, E. (1909). Description d'espèces nouvelles de mollusques terrestres et fluviatiles du département des Alpes-Maritimes. Bulletin de la Société zoologique de France. 34: 87-95, 99-104
• Servain, G. (1880). Etude sur les Mollusques recueillis en Espagne et au Portugal. Saint-Germain: Imprimerie D. Bardin. 172 pp