Columella species
The black and white illustrations of shells are reproduced by kind permission of the publisher, Harley Books (B.H. & A. Harley Ltd.), from "Atlas of Land and Freshwater Molluscs of Britain and Ireland" by Dr. Michael Kerney, published in 1999.
Columella edentula
Columella edentula: (Draparnaud, 1805)
Description: Bluntly domed apex; whorls evenly rounded; medium suture. Last whorl often distinctly broader than the middle cylindrical part of the spire. Mouth edge simple and delicate, columellar lip reflected, nearly covering the minute umbical opening. Shell thin and translucent, pale yellowish-brown, rather shiny, with poorly defined irregular growth lines.
Habitat: Catholic; marshes, woods, grasslands;usually in moderately damp and calcareous places; typically lowland.
Columella columella
Columella columella (Martens, 1830)
Description: Apex broader and less domed (flatter); whorls often slightly shouldered; deeper sutures.Taller than C. edentula, up to 7½ whorls, and more nearly cylindrical.
Habitat: Only found as a Pleistocene fossil in Britain.