The effect of the environment on the color variation of the shell of species Cochlicella barbara

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the colors in which the shell of the snails is colored and the reasons for this multicolor. After choosing some areas of Baghdad, it was found that the species Cochlicella barbara appears in more than one color; we studied it for over two years, and it was found that this species has two sets of colors: a –colored group that appears in winter and the darker colors that appears in summer. It was found from the study of the environmental conditions that the temperature difference had the most significant effect on the appearance of the colors of this species. Keywords: Gastropoda, Cochlicella barbara, color pattern, shell polymorphism.