Habitat: M. capillaceus – Peru, Paraguay, Bolivia, Brazil
M. maximus – Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil
Status: Not Listed
These bizarre “melting snails” are members of the genus Megalobulimus which is a genus of air-breathing land snail in the subfamily Megalobuliminae within the family Strophocheilidae – if that means anything to you at all.
This is a photo of Megalobulimus capillaceus and below that is a photo of Megalobulimus maximus.
Megalobulimus maximus
photo: Valentín Mogollón
Megalobulimus capillaceus
photo: Valentín Mogollón
Both specimens were collected in the area near Tingo Maria, Dept. Huánuco, Peru. They do look like your typical snails, except for the fact that their bodies are slowly spilling out from either side. It’s like if the Wicked Witch of the West was a snail and got hit by a bucket full of water.
Can’t you just hear that nails-on-a-chalkboard voice now? “I’m meltttttiiingggg, I’m melllttttiinnggggg!”
If anyone has any more hard facts on these Megalobulimus, I’d love to read them in the comments section.
