The Hotwater physa makes its home in Liard River Hotsprings Provincial Park, northern British Columbia. In the stream where it lives-Alpha Stream in Liard River Hotsprings Provincial Park-the Hotwater physa spends its time on mats of Chara and on the waterway's soft sediments.

Not only are Hotwater Physas restricted to one stream in all of Canada, but in fact to a two-meter-wide section of that stream (called Alpha Stream). As its name implies, this mollusc prefers warm water temperatures-up to and even beyond 36°C. Recent estimates suggest its population is comprised of about 1,735 snails, and that its numbers have been fairly stable since its discovery in 1973.

The Hotwater Physa has a small, high-spired shell that ranges between 3.25 and 9.1 mm in size. The opening in the shell is ear-shaped, with an outer lip callus and a curved perimeter.