# Pseudofusulus

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{{Short description|Species of gastropod}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Pseudofusulus varians.png
| image_caption = Common and [albinistic](/source/Albinism_in_biology) colour forms of ''Pseudofusulus varians''
| display_parents = 3
| genus = Pseudofusulus
| parent_authority = [Nordsieck](/source/Hartmut_Nordsieck), 1977<ref>{{in lang|de}} Nordsieck H. (1977). "Zur Anatomie und Systematik der Clausilien, XVIII. Neue Taxa rezenter Clausilien". ''[Archiv für Molluskenkunde](/source/Archiv_f%C3%BCr_Molluskenkunde)'' '''108'''(1/3): 73–107. page 96.</ref>
| species = varians
| authority = ([C. Pfeiffer](/source/Carl_Jonas_Pfeiffer), 1828)<ref name="Pfeiffer 1828">{{in lang|de}} Pfeiffer C. (1828). [http://resolver.sub.uni-goettingen.de/purl?PPN620452897 "Naturgeschichte deutscher Land- und Süsswasser-Mollusken"]. Dritte Abtheilung. pp. I-VI, 1–84 pp., Taf. I-VIII. Weimar. (Landes-Industrie-Comptoir). p. 40, Taf. 7, Fig. 24-25.</ref>
| synonyms =
{{Species list
| Helix (Clausilia) diaphana | C. Pfeiffer, 1828
| Helix (Clausilia) varians | C. Pfeiffer, 1828
}}
| synonyms_ref = <ref>{{cite WoRMS |title=''Pseudofusulus'' |id=996091 |access-date=13 November 2021}}</ref>
}}

'''''Pseudofusulus varians''''' is a [species](/source/species) of air-breathing [land snail](/source/land_snail), a [terrestrial](/source/terrestrial_molluscs) [pulmonate](/source/pulmonate) [gastropod](/source/gastropod) [mollusk](/source/mollusk) in the family [Clausiliidae](/source/Clausiliidae).

Genus '''''Pseudofusulus''''' is [monotypic genus](/source/monotypic_genus) (contains one species only) with ''Pseudofusulus varians'' as its [type species](/source/type_species).

It is a [relict species](/source/relict_species) from [Atlantic period](/source/Atlantic_period) of the [Holocene](/source/Holocene), inhabiting exclusively nature [beech](/source/beech) and [scree](/source/scree) forests in Europe.<ref name="Lacina 2011"/>

== Distribution ==
The distribution of this species is Eastern Alpine and Western Carpathian.<ref name="Lacina 2009"/> The [type locality](/source/type_locality_(biology)) is the [High Alps](/source/High_Alps) in [Styria](/source/Styria), Austria.<ref name="Pfeiffer 1828"/>

The key area of its range is in the [Western Alps](/source/Western_Alps) (from the south-western part of the Alps to Croatia, and also to the [Dolomites](/source/Dolomites) in the southern [Tyrol](/source/Tyrol_(state))).<ref name="Lacina 2011"/>
* [Austria](/source/List_of_non-marine_molluscs_of_Austria)<ref name="Lacina 2011"/>
* [Germany](/source/List_of_non-marine_molluscs_of_Germany)<ref name="Lacina 2011"/>
* [Czech Republic](/source/List_of_non-marine_molluscs_of_the_Czech_Republic) – 7 confirmed sites in Ore Mountains in Bohemia,<ref name="Lacina 2011"/> locally extinct in Moravia.<ref name="Lacina 2011"/> Already [Vojen Ložek](/source/Vojen_Lo%C5%BEek) has been calling for the effective conservation of this species in the 1980s.<ref name="Lacina 2011"/><ref>{{in lang|cs}} [Ložek V.](/source/Vojen_Lo%C5%BEek) (1985). "Z červené knihy našich měkkýšů – je ohrožen vřetenec horský?". ''[Živa](/source/%C5%BDiva_(journal))'' '''33''': 221.</ref> It is one of the most endangered species in the Czech Republic, restricted to hidden and undisturbed natural deciduous forests.<ref name="AB"/> Originally it was known from 16 sites in the [Ore Mountains](/source/Ore_Mountains) (Krušné Hory Mts.), in the northwestern Bohemia, Czech Republic and one site on the slope of Smrk Mount in the [Moravian-Silesian Beskids](/source/Moravian-Silesian_Beskids) (Moravskoslezské Beskydy Mts.), East Moravia, Czech Republic.<ref name="Lacina 2011"/>
** extinct in Moravia: The forest at the only (but well populated) locality in the Moravia has been seriously damaged by [air pollution](/source/air_pollution) from factories (such as [Třinec Iron and Steel Works](/source/T%C5%99inec_Iron_and_Steel_Works) and others) jointly with the 20&nbsp;°C dropping of temperatures in [inversion](/source/Inversion_(meteorology)) on 31 December 1978.<ref name="Lacina 2011"/> The nearly all pollution-damaged stand died out at the southwestern slope on the Smrk Mount.<ref name="Lacina 2011"/>
** in Bohemia: The occurrence of the snail was recently confirmed only at seven sites in the Krušné Hory Mts.<ref name="Lacina 2011"/> Remaining sites were destroyed due to human impacts, mainly [acid rain](/source/acid_rain)s and insensitive [forest management](/source/forest_management)<ref name="Lacina 2011"/> mainly due to removal of dead wood and [clearcutting](/source/clearcutting).<ref name="AB"/> Therefore, its populations survived only in forest patches hidden in hardly accessible places.<ref name="Lacina 2011"/>
* [Slovakia](/source/List_of_non-marine_molluscs_of_Slovakia) – in the eastern part of [Low Tatras](/source/Low_Tatras), in the peak level of [Poľana](/source/Po%C4%BEana), [Klenovský Vepor](/source/Klenovsk%C3%BD_Vepor) Mount in the [Vepor Mountains](/source/Vepor_Mountains), [Muránska planina](/source/Mur%C3%A1nska_planina) and the [Ondrejsko](/source/Ondrejsko) in [Slovak Paradise](/source/Slovak_Paradise) is the easternmost.<ref name="Lacina 2011"/> All of these records in the Slovakia are coming from 1960s–1970s and there has been no verification since.<ref name="Lacina 2011"/>
* [Croatia](/source/List_of_non-marine_molluscs_of_Croatia)<ref name="Lacina 2011"/>
* [Italy](/source/Italy)
* and others

left|thumb|shells of ''Pseudofusulus varians''

== Description ==
The [shell](/source/gastropod_shell) is horny or greenish brown and finely ribbed.<ref name="AB"/> The shell has 9–10 [whorls](/source/whorl_(mollusc)).<ref name="AB"/> The apertural margin is detached.<ref name="AB"/> Columellaris is deep inside and forked, hardly visible in a perpendicular view.<ref name="AB"/> Palatal wall is white and prominent.<ref name="AB"/> There is no lunula.<ref name="AB"/> Subcolumellaris is very close to basal furrow, visible in an oblique view.<ref name="AB"/> [Clausilium](/source/Clausilium) is not very concave.<ref name="AB"/>

The width of the shell is 2.2–3&nbsp;mm.<ref name="AB"/> The height of the shell is 9–12&nbsp;mm.<ref name="AB"/>

== Habitat ==
''Pseudofusulus varians'' is very exacting on the quality of its [environment](/source/Environment_(biophysical)) and its populations are small and quite scattered in the whole of its [range](/source/range_(biology)).<ref name="Lacina 2011"/>

It lives in virgin-like [forest](/source/forest)s<ref name="Lacina 2009">{{in lang|cs}} Lacina A. & Horsák M. (2009). [http://ziva.avcr.cz/?c=1451 "Jak se vede vřetenatci horskému – z červené knihy našich měkkýšů"] ["Is the land Snail ''Pseudofusulus varinas'' Doing Well? From the Czech Republic's Red Book of Molluscs"]. ''Živa'', Praha '''LVII'''(2): 73–74. [http://ziva.avcr.cz/?c=1451&lng=en English abstract].</ref> and [old-growth forest](/source/old-growth_forest) with fallen dead wood ([coarse woody debris](/source/coarse_woody_debris)) in [montane](/source/montane) and [submontane](/source/submontane).<ref name="Lacina 2011"/> It is found in humid and shady habitats in woods, under ground litter and stones, in mountains.<ref name="AB"/> In the Czech Republic it is strictly associated with trees, restricted to undisturbed and hardly accessible natural [beech](/source/beech) forests.<ref name="AB"/> ''Pseudofusulus varians'' is strictly [dendrophilous](/source/dendrophilous) species, so the main threat is dead wood removing and [clearcutting](/source/clearcutting).<ref name="Lacina 2011"/>

As it is endangered in the whole Europe, it is very important to [protect its modern sites](/source/Conservation_biology).<ref name="Lacina 2011"/>

==References==
This article incorporates public domain text from the reference<ref name="AB">[http://www.animalbase.uni-goettingen.de/zooweb/servlet/AnimalBase/home/species?id=258 "Species summary for ''Pseudofusulus varians''"]. [AnimalBase](/source/AnimalBase), last modified 23 March 2011, accessed 27 April 2011.</ref> and CC-BY-3.0 text from the reference<ref name="Lacina 2011">{{in lang|cs}} Lacina A. (2011). "Poznámky k ekologii, rozšíření a ochraně vřetence horského (''Pseudofusulus varians'') v České republice. [Notes to the ecology, distribution and protection of Pseudofusulus varians in the Czech Republic]". ''[Malacologica Bohemoslovaca](/source/Malacologica_Bohemoslovaca)'' '''10''': 18–23. [http://mollusca.sav.sk/pdf/10/10.Lacina.pdf PDF].</ref>
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Commons category-inline|Pseudofusulus varians}}

{{Taxonbar|from2=Q7254795|from1=Q21229962}}

Category:Clausiliidae
Category:Gastropods described in 1828
Category:Monotypic gastropod genera
Category:Taxa named by Carl Jonas Pfeiffer

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Pseudofusulus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudofusulus) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudofusulus?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.