Shelled species in the Family HUMBOLDTIANIDAE are of a single genus, Humboldtiana. A second genus Bunnya are slug-like snails with vestigial shells. The shells of Humboldtiana are relatively large, globose, ovate and have a coarse granular or ribbed-striate surface sculpture. Some Humboldtiana species are among the largest terrestrial gastropods in North America. Until recently the genus Humboltiana was classified in the Family Helminthogyptidae, a similar group of North American helicids. Extensive field collecting during the past half century has doubled the number of newly discovered species. The geographical range of many Humboldtiana is very limited, sometimes only know from in and around the type locality. Humboldtiana are uncommon to rare in collections due to the difficult and often out-of-reach cliff faces and remote habitats in which the species live.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: Southern Texas and the Guadalupe Mountains of New Mexico, southward to the high elevation mountains of the northern Mexican plateau.

ECOLOGY: In Mexico, species of Humboldtiana are often found living in high coniferous forests from 7,000 to 10,000 feet above sea level. The exposed and arid environments provide little protection. The snails are often found in cracks and crevices of limestone cliffs, in manmade stone walls and property borders. In Texas the species tends to be found in more moist habitats.

TAXONOMY: Humboldtiana is one of only two genera in the Family Humboldtianidae; the other, Bunnya Baker, 1942 is a slug-like snail with a vestigial shell folded into the snail's mantle. Three subgenera have been created within Humboldtiana, to differentiate unique structural characteristics of the shell and snail anatomy.
Humboldtianidae
Humboldtianidae

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SELECTED HUMBOLDTIANIDAE LITERATURE

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HUMBOLDTIANIDAE CLASSIFICATION
Highlight and/or click the taxa for additional information.

Phylum: MOLLUSCA (Linné, 1758) Cuvier, 1795

Class: GASTROPODA Cuvier, 1797

Subclass: ORTHOGASTROPODA Ponder & Lindberg, 1996

Superorder: HETEROBRANCHIA J.E. Gray, 1840

Order: PULMONATA Cuvier in Blainville, 1814

Suborder: EUPULMONATA Haszprunar & Huber, 1990

Infraorder: STYLOMMATOPHORA A. Schmidt, 1855

      Superfamily: HELICOIDEA Rafinesque, 1815

Family: HUMBOLDTIANIDAE Pilsbry, 1939

SUBGENERA OF GENUS HUMBOLDTIANA
Humboldtiana Von Ihering, 1892
     
  







The genus Bunnya Baker, 1942, a group with a vestigial shell, is not dealt with here.

Hausdorf & Bouchet, in Bouchet & Rocroi 2005: 269-270. Classification and Nomenclature of Gastropod Families. Malacologia 47 (1-2): 397 pp. [Sep 2005].
Subgenus: Humboldtiana s.s. back to menutop of page
HUMBOLDTIANA s.s. Ihering, 1892  >
HUMBOLDTIANA Ihering, 1892, Zeitsch. f. Wissensch. Zool., 44: 472, for Helix humboldtiana.
Ref.: Pilsbry, 1927[16], Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 79:166.		 Humboldtiana edesmaHumboldtiana (H.) edesma Thompson & Brewer, 2000 - Nuevo Leon State, Mexico, 32mm - Found in the Sierra San Francisco de Desmontes, which extends across Nuevo Leon northeast to southwest into Coahuila State. The species lives at elevations around 1000 meters above sea level. It is a limestone dweller associated with Agave and low grasses. Unlike many of the larger Humboldtiana species, H. edesma is smooth with fine growth striae on the body whorl. Three bands are characteristic for the species, and are visible from inside the aperture as well. The shell is thin and light weight. Ref.: Thompson, F.G. and Brewer, G.P. 2000. Landsnails of the Genus Humboldtiana from Northern Mexico (Gastropod, Pulmonata, Helicoidea, Humboldtianidae). Bull. Florida Mus. Nat. Hist. 43(2), pp.62-63, figs. 30-34. Humboldtiana malenaeHumboldtiana (H.) malenae Metcalf, 1983 - Coahuila State, Mexico, 26-27mm - A small species for Humboldtiana. It is less granular than the closely occurring H. taylori Drake, 1951. H. malenae has a very limited range in north western Coahuila State. Ref.: Metcalf, A.L. 1983. A New Humboldtiana (Pulmonata: Helminthoglyptidae) from Northwestern Coahuila, Mexico. The Nautilus, 97(2): 69-72, figs. 1-4.
Humboldtiana cf. montezumaHumboldtiana (H.) cf. montezuma montezuma Pilsbry, 1940 - Nuevo Leon State, Mexico, 56mm - One of the largest species of Humboldtiana. This population differs from the type of H. montezuma, by its larger size, and three faint bands, which is lacking in typical H. montezuma. This may represent a new species in the H. montezuma complex. The species is found on canyon walls below 3000 meters above sea level. Ref.: Pilsbry, H.A. 1940. Two New Mexican Species of Humboldtiana. The Nautilus, 53(4):140-141. Humboldtiana montezuma inferiorHumboldtiana (H.) montezuma inferior Pilsbry, 1948 - Nuevo Leon State, Mexico, 37mm - A smaller, banded subspecies with a very limited range in south eastern Nuevo Leon. This shell was collected at 2000 meters above sea level, and living in leaf litter under Juniper trees in a pine forest. The nominate form is larger, without bands and has a much wider range from Nuevo Leon northwest into Coahuila State. Ref.: Pilsbry, H.A. 1948. Inland Mollusks of Northern Mexico - I. The Genera Humboldtiana, Sonorella, Oreohelix and Ashmunella. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., Vol. C, p.188, pl.12, figs. 3-8. Humboldtiana pinicolaHumboldtiana (H.)pinicola Thompson & Brewer, 2000 - Querétaro State, Mexico, 40mm - found in the high elevation hardwood-pines forests above 3000 meters above sea level, aestivating in a rock crevice. The narrow umbilicus is somewhat obstructed by the expanded columellar. In this species two bands are always above the periphery of the body whorl, and one below, the center band usually being the most narrow. Ref.: Thompson, F.G. and Brewer, G.P. 2000. Landsnails of the Genus Humboldtiana from Northern Mexico (Gastropod, Pulmonata, Helicoidea, Humboldtianidae). Bull. Florida Mus. Nat. Hist. 43(2), pp.55-59, figs. 10-18.
Humboldtiana pinicolaHumboldtiana (H.) pinicola Thompson & Brewer, 2000 - Querétaro State, Mexico, 42mm - The type specimen of H. pinicola has three bands, but this illustrated shell exhibits only two. The species does not exhibit too much variability. Ref.: Thompson, F.G. and Brewer, G.P. 2000. Landsnails of the Genus Humboldtiana from Northern Mexico (Gastropod, Pulmonata, Helicoidea, Humboldtianidae). Bull. Florida Mus. Nat. Hist. 43(2), pp.55-59, figs. 10-18.    
Subgenus: Oreades back to menutop of page
OREADES Thompson & Brewer, 2000  >
Oreades Thompson & Brewer, 2000; .
Ref.: Thompson & Brewer, 2000. p.66..
 Humboldtiana porteraeHumboldtiana porterae Thompson & Brewer, 2000 - Nuevo Leon, Mexico, 40mm - The species lives on steep cliffs covered by xeric vegetation. It is only know from the type locality of Ref.: Thompson, F.G. and Brewer, G.P. 2000. Landsnails of the Genus Humboldtiana from Northern Mexico (Gastropod, Pulmonata, Helicoidea, Humboldtianidae). Bull. Florida Mus. Nat. Hist. 43(2), pp.68-71, figs. 48-54.  
Subgenus: Polyomphala back to menutop of page
POLYOMPHALA Thompson & Brewer, 2000  >
Polyomphala Thompson & Brewer, 2000; .
Ref.: Thompson & Brewer, 2000. p.71..
 Humboldtiana oreinaHumboldtiana oreina Thompson & Brewer, 2000 - Coahuila, Mexico, 37mm - H. oreina is only known from the type locality. It is similar to H. plana Metcalf & Riskind, 1976, but H. oreina differs by having a less depressed spire, is generally smaller in diameter, and the granular dorsal surface sculpture is coarser. The species lives at elevations above 2000 meters, on limestone cliffs. Ref.: Thompson, F.G. and Brewer, G.P. 2000. Landsnails of the Genus Humboldtiana from Northern Mexico (Gastropod, Pulmonata, Helicoidea, Humboldtianidae). Bull. Florida Mus. Nat. Hist. 43(2), pp.71-75, figs. 55-59, 61-64, 68.