Identification of land snails in Urmia city, Iran

Some snails are intermediate host of digenea flukes. So they are important in veterinary and medical aspects. The study was conducted about snail fauna in Urmia in 2015 and 2016.The study also investigates the frequency and distribution of snail species in the region Snails were sampled through the soil, between vegetation, under sands and trees trunk from different regions of Urmia. Snails were collected in 70% ethanol with the profile of history obtained. Snails were identified by identification keys and based on shell morphology. In this study, 915 snails were examined. A total of nine species of snails were identified as follows: Helicella derbentina (43.71%) , Helicella krynickii(32.27%), Euomphalia pisiformis(11.47%), Helix lucorum (6.55%), Lauria cylandrica (3.82%), Assyriella ceratomma(3.27%), Zebrina hohenackeri (2.18%), Succinea putris(1.09%), Jaminia isseliana (0.54%). Some species of recorded snails were able to transmit parasitic trematodes to livestock and humans. Therefore, further studies are needed on the ecology of snails and epidemiology of trematode.