Otala

Otala
	Otala punctata
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Order:	Stylommatophora
Infraorder:	Helicoidei
Superfamily:	Helicoidea
Family:	Helicidae
Genus:	Otala; Schumacher, 1817
Synonyms
	Archelix Albers, 1850 (objective junior synonym); Archelix (Dupotetia) Kobelt, 1904; Helix (Archelix) Albers, 1850 (objective junior synonym); Otala (Deserticola) P. Hesse, 1911· accepted, alternate representation; Otala (Dupotetia) Kobelt, 1904· accepted, alternate representation; Otala (Otala) Schumacher, 1817· accepted, alternate representation; † Pachydupotetia Pfeffer, 1930 (junior subjective synonym); Tingitana Pallary, 1919 (junior synonym);

Otala is a genus of land snails in the subfamily Helicinae of the family Helicidae.^[1]^[2]

Archaeological evidence in Morocco indicates the exploitation of O. lactea by ancient Romans as a food source.^[3]

Distribution

This genus of snail is native to northwestern Africa and southwestern Europe.

These snails create and shoot love darts as part of their courtship and mating behavior.

Species within the genus Otala include:^[4]

Otala (Otala) alicantensis Truc, 1971 †: synonym of Schlickumia alicantensis (Truc, 1971) †
Otala (Otala) bottini (Sacco, 1884) †: synonym of Schlickumia bottinii (Sacco, 1884) † (incorrect subsequent spelling; new combination)
Otala canariensis Mousson, 1872: synonym of Otala lactea (Müller, 1774)
Otala jacquemetana Mabille, 1883: synonym of Otala lactea (Müller, 1774)
Otala vermiculata (O. F. Müller, 1774): synonym of Eobania vermiculata (O. F. Müller, 1774)

^ Taxonomy of the Genus Otala (2008). Uniprot.
^ MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Otala Schumacher, 1817. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=818443 on 2021-02-14
^ Hogan, C. M. Volubilis. In: Burnham, A. (ed.) The Megalithic Portal. 2007.
^ Genus summary for Otala. AnimalBase, accessed 7 August 2009.

Pfeffer, G. (1930). Zur Kenntnis tertiärer Landschnecken. Geologisch-Paläontologische Abhandlungen, neue Folge. 17(3): 153–380.
Pallary, P. (1918). Diagnoses d'une cinquantaine de mollusques terrestres nouveaux du Nord de l'Afrique. Bulletin de la Société d'Histoire Naturelle d'Afrique du Nord, 9 (7): 137–152. Alger
Holyoak, D.T. & Holyoak, G.A. (2017). A revision of the land-snail genera Otala and Eobania (Gastropoda, helicidae) in Morocco and Algeria. Journal of Conchology, 40 (6): 419–490. London

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