Name of animal-plant: Purple bankclimber

Species name: Elliptoideus sloatianus

The purple bankclimber, Elliptoideus sloatianus, is a rare and endangered species of freshwater mussel, an aquatic bivalve mollusk in the family Unionidae, the river mussels.This species is endemic to the United States. It can be found in the Chattahoochee, Flint, and Ochlockonee Rivers. Its habitats are rivers and streams. It is normally found in medium currents over sand, sand mixed with mud, or gravel substrates, swept free of silt by the current.

The threats to this mussel are habitat change, sedimentation, and water quality degradation.

 

Animal type: INVERT

Subcategory: bivalve

 

Fact:

All animals and plants are given a species name based on a technical term in biological taxnomy. The species name consists of two words and is based on Latin.

The first part of the name identifies the genus to which the species belongs and  the second part identifies the species within the genus. In this animals case it is: Elliptoideus sloatianus

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos by Kenny Wray,