pulmonaten

Pulmonata, commonly referred to as pulmonates, is a traditional informal group of air-breathing snails and slugs within the class Gastropoda. Members are primarily terrestrial or semi-terrestrial, and many possess a pallial lung formed by the mantle cavity that opens to the outside through a small pneumostome. This adaptation allows breathing air, although some freshwater species retain or use different respiratory structures.

In modern science, Pulmonata is not recognized as a formal monophyletic group. Molecular studies have shown that the traditional grouping is polyphyletic, and many lineages once placed in Pulmonata are now treated within broader, more natural clades such as Eupulmonata and other subgroups within Heterobranchia. Despite its status as a historical term, Pulmonata remains widely used in old literature and in some ecological and agricultural contexts as a practical label for many land-dwelling snails and slugs.

Ecology and biology: Pulmonates are primarily herbivores or detritivores, feeding on plant material, fungi, and decaying matter. Most are hermaphroditic, possessing both male and female reproductive organs, and many exhibit elaborate mating behaviors, including the use of love darts in some species. They are important as decomposers and as prey for a variety of animals, but several species are also agricultural pests.

Examples include garden snails such as Cornu aspersum and giant African land snail Achatina fulica, as well as various slugs. Their distribution is worldwide, with diversity greatest in temperate and tropical regions. Conservation concerns arise mainly from habitat loss, pollution, and the introduction of non-native species that alter local ecosystems.