helicina

Helicina is a genus of tropical land snails in the family Helicinidae, within the class Gastropoda. The genus comprises numerous species distributed across the Americas, including the Caribbean, Central America, and parts of northern South America. Helicina snails are terrestrial, operculate gastropods: they possess an operculum that can seal the aperture, and most members have shells that are globose to depressed in shape with a relatively thick shell.

Shells in the genus show variation in color and pattern, often with bands or mottling. The animals inhabit leaf litter, low vegetation, and other moist microhabitats in tropical forests and woodlands, and they can occur in urban areas where humidity remains sufficient. Their activity is closely tied to moisture, with greater movement and feeding after rainfall.

Ecology and feeding habits are typical of detritivores and herbivores, with diets including decaying plant matter, fungi, and microalgae on surfaces. Reproduction and life history vary among species; most Helicina taxa reproduce sexually, and several described species lay eggs (oviparity), though exact modes can differ regionally and taxonomically.

Taxonomy and classification within Helicina are subject to revision as new species are described and molecular data are incorporated. The genus is part of a broader group of operculate land snails that are distinct from the true pulmonate land snails, due to their operculum and differing respiratory and anatomical features.

Conservation and research considerations include habitat disturbance and island or montane endemism, which can threaten certain species with restricted ranges. Helicina remains of interest to malacologists and biogeographers studying tropical snail diversity and evolutionary history.