 Pilsbry placed Succinea ovalis in the subgenus Novisuccinea in 1948. Alan Solem (1976) considered this snail to be merely a form of Succinea ovalis, citing similarities in genitalia and radula, and attributing shell differences to, possibly, a marked genetic mutation. Grimm (1981) considered it to be a distinct species due to external morphological differences (color and shell shape). By 1981, Succinea ovalis could not be found at the Falls; however, during sampling for Hoagland ’ s electrophoretic analyses, Succinea ovalis was found at two locations within approximately 16 kilometers of Chittenango Falls. Individuals assigned to Novisuccinea chittenangoensis appeared to be divided into two color morphs, a "gray morph" that was relatively common and widespread at the Falls, and a "red morph" that was restricted to the ledges at the base of the Falls. A preliminary analysis by Hoagland (1984) stated unequivocally that the red and the gray morphs were two distinct species, possibly in separate genera. Solem examined specimens of the gray morph and assigned it to Succinea putris, an introduced snail possibly from Europe which appears to crowd out all other species.
