The snails of Australia's Queensland region show many similarities with those of the Papua New Guinea
region.A number of these snails belong to the Camaenidae,for example the genus Thersites with the subgenera
Rhagada,Hadra and Sphaerospira.There are about 50 species in the genus Thersites.
Thersites thorogoodi-Thersites etheridgei-Rhagada convicta(all photo's:Specimen landshell sales)
Pedinogyra and Hedleyella are two genera belonging to the Acavidea which are endemic to Australia,Tasmania
and New Guinea.The species of Pedinogyra have large shells measuring between 45-65 mm,the Hedleyella species
have globose shells.They are distributed in the coastal region of eastern Australia,and especially in the mountain ranges.
Hedleyella atomata-Hedleyella falconeri-Pedinogyra hayi-Rhytida greenwoodi(all photo's:Femorale)
A dozen species belonging to the Rhytididae can be found here,they are carnivorous snails.Other members of this family can be found in New Zealand. Some 40 species of operculate snails live here,Ditropis,Hedleya and Suavocallia are endemic.
New Zealand
New Zealand has some very beautiful snailspecies of the Rhytidae family,namely Paryphanta and Powelliphanta(which were named Paryphanta
before too).The name Paryphanta should apparently only be used for the Kauri snail:Paryphanta busbyi,Gray 1830.
Powelliphanta snails live in North west Nelson and North Westland.They can also be found in the Marlborough Sounds and Mount Richmond
Forest Park, as far south as Fiordland and Southland and,(across Cook Strait)on parts of the Kapiti Coast and into the central North Island.
(source=Powelliphanta landsnails)
They are carnivorous snails feeding on earthworms,slugs and other snails.
All shell pictures used with kind permission of Femorale