- · Grid units represent actual meters (m); human and animals are drawn to the exact same scale with original silhouette aspect ratios preserved.
- · When a size range is recorded (e.g. 1–1.6m), the lower bound is used for scale comparison.
- · Karaftohelix koreana: Drawn using our own body-shape diagram where an open-licensed silhouette was unavailable.
- · Human silhouette: PhyloPic — NASA · Public Domain Mark 1.0
Karaftohelix koreana
Karaftohelix koreana (Karaftohelix koreana · Karaftohelix koreana)
Not Evaluated (NE) on the IUCN Red List yet.
💡 Everyday Comparisons for Size, Mass & Speed
- 💡 Its shell diameter of 2.3 cm is slightly smaller than a Korean 500-won coin (diameter about 2.65 cm) (Comparison).
- 💡 It is mainly observed around human settlements and field edges on Hongdo (National Institute of Ecology).
Reference standards: coach bus ~12 m, mid-size car ~4.9 m, compact car ~1 t, basketball hoop 3.05 m, credit card 8.56 cm.
📖 1. Overview
Karaftohelix koreana is a land snail endemic to Korea, living mainly on Hongdo in Sinan-gun, Jeollanam-do.
🦴 2. Anatomy & Morphology
Its shell is a low cone about 2.3 cm in diameter and 1.6 cm in height. Its color varies from cream and yellowish-brown to reddish-brown, though it is mostly reddish-brown. The umbilicus is narrow and deep.
🔍 3. Ecology & Behavior
It lives mainly under damp shrublands in forests or on trees. It is a hermaphrodite that exchanges sperm with a partner to fertilize eggs, lays eggs all at once, and the young hatch directly in snail form. Little else is known about its ecology.
🇰🇷 4. Connection to Korea
It is a Korean endemic species listed on the endangered wildlife list of the National Institute of Ecology. It is mainly observed around densely inhabited areas and fields on Hongdo in Sinan-gun, Jeollanam-do, and habitat development and pesticide use are threat factors.
📚 Sources & References
- • IUCN Red List: not evaluated (NE) — cross-checked with the Wikidata conservation-status entry
- • catalogueoflife.org — VQY74
- • wikidata.org — Q106630231
- • nie.re.kr — view.do
Recorded dimensions are widely cited representative estimates from public literature and may vary by study or specimen.