Write things. Estivate. Acclimate. Repeat.
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The musings, brain droppings, and research interests of Nick D. Waters
Tank, the Phoenix talussnail, Sonorella allynsmithi (Gregg & Miller, 1969), unwashed, within and upon its native habitat from the embankments of the New River, Arizona.
Selected desert snails
Selected desert snails
October 19, 2026.
I keep making promises and I can't keep up. Note to self: Stop that.
This is a living document. One of the promises I make is sending photos of snails to fellow snail nerds. It is an innocent enough promise, one that I regret making because something else a bit more important pops up and must be squashed. Sharing pictures of talussnails is best done here. I am killing many birds with one stone. The birds should be very thankful for this simple gift, and I will feel better, too. Kumbayah.
At some point I will extract portions of this to make self-contained species accounts formatted in such a way they can be printed to a pdf and distributed for reasons.
I made a lovely poster years ago, I worked very hard to make it, and it resides at redbubble for you to behold its majestic majesty:
https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/14237158
I believe my cousin Anne purchased a mug and I believe the late Barry Roth acquired a poster as well. Redbubble offers a 24"x36" framed poster which I have, and it's beautiful, if I do say so myself. Should you have enough money to buy a cup of coffee or help fill a tank of gas, why not treat yourself to the most beautiful poster of desert snails in the history of mankind, in the form factor of your desires? A pillow to cuddle up with, a cup of joe, a poster. You help yourself and behold nature's secrets. What's not to like?
Below please find photographs of desert snails. Included but not limited to Sonorella and Eremarionta. Microsnails like Chaenaxis tuba are in there. I have included photos of shells if that's all I have for a species, as placeholders. Other species that I consider "Central Arizona" will be in a bucket list at bottom. I'm still working out what it means to be from Central Arizona, but for the sake of simplicity, I define it two ways: a day trip from my home in north Phoenix, and more concretely as a 100 km radius centered on the intersection of West Washington Street and North Central Avenue, downtown Phoenix. I don't always stick within the radius and just drive where I want. I'll thank you for turning a blind eye to that.
Phoenix talussnail
Phoenix talussnail
Sonorella allynsmithi Gregg & Miller 1969
PP20
Central morphotype near Piestewa Peak type locality, highly depressed, gracile, shoulderband diminished or nearly absent, 14mm, adult 3.5 whorls. Occurs in highly exposed locales such as Deem Hills and Thunderbird Park as well.
Phoenix talussnail
Phoenix talussnail
Sonorella allynsmithi Gregg & Miller 1969
New River First Stop
Northern morphotype but not consistent throughout northern range, robust,
shoulderband, to 17mm, adult 3.9 whorls. Might be an interesting question to address morphotype expression within laboratory setting.
Phoenix talussnail
Phoenix talussnail
Sonorella allynsmithi Gregg & Miller 1969
US.AZ.MA.SC02
McDowell Mts spicy morphotype, roja, subadult 3.3 whorls.
Superstition Mountains talussnail
Superstition Mountains talussnail
Sonorella s. superstitionis Pilsbry 1939
South Mountains talussnail
South Mountains talussnail
Sonorella superstitionis taylori Miller 1969
New River talussnail
New River talussnail
Sonorella superstitionis "interfluminea" Waters et al. tbd
US.AZ.MA.A17
Carefree talussnail
Carefree talussnail
Sonorella "carefreeensis" Waters et al. tbd
US.AZ.MA.CWC
capacious shell, pronounced lip, abundant tan glands on tail and skirt
adult 4.3 whorls
Milk Ranch Point talussnail
Milk Ranch Point talussnail
Sonorella micromphala Pilsbry 1939
US.AZ.PN.T08
adult 4.3 whorls
Tonto talussnail
Tonto talussnail
Sonorella rooseveltiana =rooseveltiana fragilis Berry 1917
US.AZ.GI.RL04
thin shell, very dark body, subtle flecking, narrow halo around band,
adult 3.6 whorls
Mazatzal Mountains talussnail
Mazatzal Mountains talussnail
Sonorella rooseveltiana rooseveltiana Pilsbry 1939
US.AZ.GI.RL02
thicker shell than fragilis, abundant flecking, adult 4.3 whorls
Richinbar talussnail
Richinbar talussnail
Sonorella ashmuni Bartsch 1904
US.AZ.YV...
Black Canyon talussnail
Black Canyon talussnail
Sonorella "tortuophala" Waters et al. tbd
US.AZ.YV.A04
Oak Creek Canyon talussnail
Oak Creek Canyon talussnail
Sonorella compar Pilsbry 1919
Sonorella coltoniana Pilsbry 1939
Sonorella ambigua verdensis Pilsbry 1939
US.AZ.PN...
Galiuros Mountains talussnail
Galiuros Mountains talussnail
Sonorella galiurensis superioris Pilsbry 1939
US.AZ.GI...
That. Shell.
Bradshaw Mountains talussnail
Bradshaw Mountains talussnail
Sonorella bradshavaena Miller 1984
Note. Don't forget Something else lurks closer to Prescott.
US.AZ.YV.BS01
Sonorella russelli Miller 1984
US.AZ.YV...
Little Grand Canyon talussnail
Little Grand Canyon talussnail
Sonorella "gigachad" Waters et al. tbd
US.AZ.YV.WM04
Williams Mesa talussnail
Williams Mesa talussnail
Sonorella "melicochlearis" Waters et al. tbd
US.AZ.YV.WM02
Eastern desertsnail
Eastern desertsnail
Eremarionta rowelli Newcomb 1865
US.AZ.MA.WT10
modestly depressed shell, very dark body, minimal white flecking, body strongly fluoresces in UV light presumably because of calcium sequestration
Eastern desertsnail
Eastern desertsnail
Eremarionta rowelli Newcomb 1865
US.AZ.MA.WT08
capacious shell, abundant light flecks on tail and skirt, adult, 4.3 whorls
If you didn't know better, you'd swear it was Eremarionta fultoni. Sorry, Barry. Dartsacs are autopomorphies within Eremarionta. DNA.
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