{{Short description|Species of gastropod}} {{Speciesbox | image = Cepaea vindobonensis1.jpg | image_caption = | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="IUCN">{{cite iucn |author=Walther, F. |year=2025 |title=''Caucasotachea vindobonensis'' |volume=2025 |article-number=e.T156371A220158642 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-2.RLTS.T156371A220158642.en |language=en |access-date=23 April 2026}}</ref> | taxon = Caucasotachea vindobonensis | authority = ([[Carl Jonas Pfeiffer|C. Pfeiffer]], 1828)<ref>{{cite book | vauthors = Pfeiffer C | date = 1828 | title = Naturgeschichte deutscher Land- und Süsswasser-Mollusken | volume = Third | pages = I–VI [= 1–6], 1–84, Taf. I–VIII [= 1–8] | location = Weimar | publisher = Landes-Industrie-Comptoir }}</ref> }}
'''''Caucasotachea vindobonensis''''' is a large [[species]] of air-breathing [[land snail]], a [[terrestrial molluscs|terrestrial]] [[pulmonate]] [[gastropod]] in the family [[Helicidae]].
[[File:Cepaea vindobonensis moedling.jpg|left|thumb|''Caucasotachea vindobonensis'' photographed in [[Mödling]], near [[Vienna]]]]
The [[scientific name]] is derived from the Celtic settlement [[Vindobona]], now known as [[Vienna]], the capital of Austria. This species was formerly assigned to the genus ''[[Cepaea]]''. However, DNA sequences revealed that this species is not closely related to ''Cepaea'', but belongs instead to the genus ''Caucasotachea''.<ref name="pmid26256642">{{cite journal |last1=Neiber |first1=M.T. |last2=Hausdorf |first2=B. |year=2015 |title=Molecular phylogeny reveals the polyphyly of the snail genus ''Cepaea'' (Gastropoda: Helicidae) |journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution |volume=93 |pages=143–149 |doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2015.07.022 |pmid=26256642 |bibcode=2015MolPE..93..143N }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Neiber |first1=M.T. |last2=Sagorny |first2=C. |last3=Hausdorf |first3=B. |year=2016 |title=Increasing the number of molecular markers resolves the phylogenetic relationship of "''Cepaea''" ''vindobonensis'' (Pfeiffer 1828) with ''Caucasotachea'' Boettger 1909 (Gastropoda: Pulmonata: Helicidae) |journal=Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research |volume=54 |issue=1 |pages=40–45 |doi=10.1111/jzs.12116 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite WoRMS | id=1002170 | title = ''Caucasotachea vindobonensis'' (c. Pfeiffer, 1828) | access-date = 16 January 2019 }}</ref>
==Description== The right-hand coiled, globular shell of ''C. vindobonensis'' is 17–21 mm high and 20–25 mm broad with 5.5–6 whorls.<ref name="Welter-Schultes">{{cite book |first1=F.W. |last1=Welter-Schultes |title= European non-marine molluscs, a guide for species identification: Bestimmungsbuch für europäische Land- und Süsswassermollusken|location=Göttingen |publisher=Planet Poster Editions |date=2012 |isbn=978-3-933922-75-5 |page =268 }}</ref> In adults, the [[Gastropod_shell#Parts_of_the_shell|umbilicus]] is completely covered. The [[Gastropod_shell#Parts_of_the_shell|lip]] is brown at its inner end becoming pale towards the [[Gastropod_shell#Parts_of_the_shell|suture]]; this distinguishes it from the conchological similar ''[[Cepaea hortensis]]'' (usually pure white lip) and ''[[Cepaea nemoralis]]'' (usually a dark brown lip), with which ''C. vindobonensis'' often co-occurs. Another difference is that the shell ''C. vindobonensis'' has fine growth ridges whereas those of ''Cepaea'' are smooth.<ref name="Kerney1979">{{cite book |last1=Kerney |first1=M.P. |last2=Cameron |first2=R.A.D. |title=A field guide to the land snails of Britain and north-west Europe |date=1979 |publisher=Collins |location=London |isbn=000219676X}}</ref> The shell is whitish or yellowish, with typically 5 brown stripes, of which the upper two are usually weak. The lowermost stripe is nearer to the [[columella (gastropod)|columella]] than in ''Cepaea''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Horsák |first1=M. |last2=Juřičková |first2=L. |last3=Picka |first3=J. |title=Měkkýši České a Slovenské republiky |trans-title= Molluscs of the Czech and Slovak Republics |date=2013 |publisher=Nakladatelství Kabourek |location=Zlín |isbn=978-80-86447-15-5 |edition=1st}}</ref> There is a slight variation of shell colour within this species (see below). The animal itself is yellowish with grey tentacles. {{Gallery | title=Examples of variation in shell colour of ''C. vindobonensis'' |mode=nolines|noborder=yes |height=180|width=300 |File:Cepaea_vindobonensis_01.JPG | |File:Cepaea_vindobonensis_02.JPG | |File:Cepaea_vindobonensis_03.JPG | }}
==Distribution and habitat== [[File:Cepaea-vindobonensis-map-eur-nm-moll.jpg|left|thumb|Distribution of ''C. vindobonensis'' in Europe (modified after Welter-Schultes<ref name="Welter-Schultes"/>)]]The native distribution of this species is [[Black Sea|Pontic]], [[Pannonian Plain|Pannonian]] and [[Balkans|Balkanian]].<ref>{{cite book | last1 = Lisický |first1=M.J. | date = 1991 | url = https://archive.org/details/MolluscaSlovenska | title = Mollusca Slovenska | trans-title = The Slovak molluscs | language = sk | publisher = VEDA vydavateľstvo [[Slovak Academy of Sciences|Slovenskej akadémie vied]] | location = Bratislava | pages = [https://archive.org/details/MolluscaSlovenska/page/n349 344] }}</ref><ref name="Kajtoch">{{cite journal | vauthors = Kajtoch Ł, Davison A, Grindon A, Deli T, Sramkó G, Gwardjan M, Kramarenko S, Mierzwa-Szymkowiak D, Ruta R, Ścibior R, Pál Tóth J, Wade C, Kolasa M, Egorov RV, Fehér Z | display-authors = 6 | title = ''Caucasotachea vindobonensis'' (Gastropoda: Helicidae) | journal = Organisms, Diversity & Evolution | volume = 17 | issue = 3 | pages = 679–692 | date = September 2017 | pmid = 29805298 | pmc = 5965669 | doi = 10.1007/s13127-017-0337-3 }}</ref> It occurs in Albania,<ref name="IUCN"/> [[List of non-marine molluscs of Austria|Austria]],<ref name="IUCN"/> [[List of non-marine molluscs of Bulgaria|Bulgaria]],<ref name="Hausdorf2021"/> Bosnia and Herzegovina,<ref name="IUCN"/> Croatia,<ref name="IUCN"/> [[List of non-marine molluscs of the Czech Republic|Czech Republic]] (near threatened (NT)<ref>{{cite web | title = Red List of the molluscs (Mollusca) of the Czech Republic | url = http://mollusca.sav.sk/malacology/redlist.htm | work = Malacologica Bohemoslovaca }}</ref>),<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Dvořák |first1=L. |last2= Hlaváč |first2=J.Č. |date=2013 |title = Páskovka ''Cepaea vindobonensis'' (Pulmonata: Helicidae) v západních Čechách. | trans-title = The snail ''Cepaea vindobonensis'' (Pulmonata: Helicidae) in West Bohemia | language = sk | journal = [[Malacologica Bohemoslovaca]] | volume = 12 | pages = 99–104 | doi = 10.5817/MaB2013-12-99 | s2cid = 247307626 | url = http://mollusca.sav.sk/pdf/12/12.Dvorak.pdf }}</ref> Germany ([[reintroduction of a species|reintroduced]]),<ref name="IUCN"/> Greece,<ref name="IUCN"/> [[List of non-marine molluscs of Hungary|Hungary]],<ref name="IUCN"/> Italy,<ref name="IUCN"/> Latvia,<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Stalažs A, Šteffek J, Dreijers E | title = ''Cepaea vindobonensis'' (C. Pfeiffer, 1828) in Latvia. | journal = Acta Universitatis Latviensis | volume = 745 | pages = 199–203 | date = 2008 | url = http://eeb.lu.lv/EEB/2008/Stalazs.pdf }}</ref> Moldova,<ref name="IUCN"/> [[List of non-marine molluscs of Poland|Poland]],<ref name="IUCN"/> North Macedonia,<ref name="IUCN"/> Romania,<ref name="IUCN"/> [[List of non-marine molluscs of Slovakia|Slovakia]],<ref name="IUCN"/> Russia (Rostov Oblast, Stavropol Krai, Krasnodar Krai; Moscow Region as an introduction<ref>{{cite journal |author=Egorov R. |year=2014|title=The first record of ''Cepaea vindobonensis'' (Pfeiffer, 1828) (Stylommatophora: Helicidae) in the central part of European Russia|journal=[[Malacologica Bohemoslovaca]]|volume=13|pages= 110–113|doi=10.5817/MaB2014-13-110 |url= http://mollusca.sav.sk/pdf/13/13.Egorov.pdf}}</ref>) Serbia,<ref name="Hausdorf2021">{{cite journal |last1=Hausdorf |first1=B. |last2=Parr |first2=M. |last3=Shappell |first3=L.J. |last4=Oldeland |first4=J. |last5=Robinson |first5=Da.G. |title=The introduction of the European ''Caucasotachea vindobonensis'' (Gastropoda: Helicidae) in North America, its origin and its potential range |journal=Biological Invasions |date=November 2021 |volume=23 |issue=11 |pages=3281–3289 |doi=10.1007/s10530-021-02579-4|doi-access=free |bibcode=2021BiInv..23.3281H }}</ref> Slovenia,<ref name="IUCN"/> and [[List of non-marine molluscs of Ukraine|Ukraine]].<ref name=" Balashov">{{cite journal | vauthors = Balashov I, Gural-Sverlova N | title = An annotated checklist of the terrestrial molluscs of Ukraine. | journal = [[Journal of Conchology]] | date = August 2012 | volume = 41 | pages = 91–109 }}</ref><ref name="IUCN"/>
Introduced populations in the United States (New York State) have been known since 2015 and in Canada (Quebec) since 2020.<ref name="Hausdorf2021"/>
The original habitat of ''C. vindobonensis'' was most probably open forests in the Balkans, from where it spread over large parts of Central and Eastern Europe after the last glaciation.<ref name="Kajtoch"/> Nevertheless, it also dwells in several grassland habitats like meadows, steppe and ruderal areas, especially in the north of its distribution area. The highest vertical occurrence is about {{cvt|1600|m|-1}} asl in Southern Bulgaria.<ref name="Welter-Schultes"/>
==Life cycle== All the following information originates from a Greek study. <ref name="Staikou">{{cite journal | last1=Staikou |first1=A.E. | title = Aspects of life cycle, population dynamics, growth and secondary production of the pulmonate snail ''Cepaea vindobonensis'' (Férussac, 1821) in northern Greece. | journal = Journal of Molluscan Studies | volume = 64 | issue = 3 | pages = 297–308 | date = 1998 | doi = 10.1093/mollus/64.3.297 | doi-access = free }}</ref> Because Greece is in the southernmost part of the distribution area, the phenology for this species might be quite different in the more northerly countries where it is found. ''Caucasotachea vindobonensis'' becomes mature after its second year and can reach a maximum life span of about 7 years. The reproductive period lasts from April to June, with a maximum in May. Each year, adults lay about 50 eggs, about 3 mm in diameter, and the juveniles hatch out after 18 days. During hot summer days, these snails rest attached to leaves or the stems of tall plants. Hibernation commences at the end of October to the beginning of November, and the snails come out of hibernation in March.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category|Caucasotachea vindobonensis}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q898580}}
[[Category:Helicidae]] [[Category:Gastropods described in 1828]] [[Category:Taxa named by Carl Jonas Pfeiffer]]