Common garden snail
The common garden snail, scientifically known as Helix aspersa, is a terrestrial gastropod widely found throughout Europe and the British Isles. This mollusk typically inhabits various environments with rich plant life, such as gardens, fields, and coastal areas, preferring moist and shaded locations. As a nocturnal creature, it emerges at night to feed primarily on leaves and plant matter, although it may also consume algae and small insects. The snail is characterized by its rounded, spiraled shell, which can grow up to two inches wide, and a slimy body that can reach lengths of three to four inches.
Common garden snails play a role in the ecosystem as both herbivores and prey for numerous animals, including birds and rodents. In Europe, they are considered a delicacy, although they can also be viewed as invasive pests in some regions, such as parts of the United States, where they were introduced in the late 1800s. As hermaphrodites, common garden snails possess both male and female reproductive organs, engaging in a mating process that can last several hours, after which they lay eggs that hatch into young snails about a month later. With a lifespan of up to ten years, these snails can contribute significantly to their habitats.
On this Page
Common garden snail
In spite of its name, the common garden snail does not only inhabit gardens. This snail may be found in a variety of habitats with abundant plant growth. This snail is also known as the edible garden snail. It is a delicacy throughout much of Europe.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Stylommatophora
Family: Stylommatophora
Genus: Helix
Species: Aspersa
The common garden snail is typically found throughout the British Isles and Europe. It lives in yards, grasses, fields, coastal cliffs, dunes, woods, and many other places with abundant leafy plants. The common garden snail inhabits moist places with plenty of shade. As a nocturnal creature, the common garden snail rests in the shade during the day and comes out to feed at night.
Like other snails, the common garden snail has a hard, protective outer shell and a slimy, slippery body. At the head of its slug-like body, the common garden snail has two pairs of antennae. The longer of the two pairs holds the snail's eyes. The common garden snail uses its antennae to sense its environment.
The common garden snail's slimy body may grow to be three to four inches (7 1/2 to 10 centimeters) long. This length includes the common garden snail's strong, muscular foot. Like other snails, the common garden snail uses its foot to help it slide from place to place.
Unlike animals which have nests or burrows to which they return at the end of the day, the common garden snail carries its home on its back. The common garden snail's shell is rounded with many spirals. Although some snails have shells which come to a point at a narrow tip, like a cone, the shell of the common garden snail is more rounded and more closely resembles a cinnamon roll. This shell may grow to be up to two inches (five centimeters) wide and one inch (2 1/2 centimeters) tall.
Two other kinds of snails are sometimes confused with the common garden snail. They are the brown-lipped snail (Cepaea nemoralis) and the white-lipped snail (Cepaea hortensis). The trick to telling these three snails apart is in their shells. The common garden snail has a brown shell with black flecks. The brown-lipped snail has a brown, pink, or yellow shell which is either plain or has one to five dark brown bands. The white-lipped snail has a smaller shell which is usually yellow with a white edge near the snail's soft body. The shell of the white-lipped snail may also have five dark bands.
The common garden snail typically feeds on leaves and plant matter. It may also sometimes feed on lichens, algae, small insects, or other snails.
Predators of the common garden snail include birds, rodents and wild boars. Humans can also consume the common garden snail, although they prefer other species of snails. In the United States, the common garden snail was introduced, primarily in the state of California, in the late 1800s. In certain areas, the common garden snail is considered invasive and a pest.
Mating for the common garden snail typically takes place on warm, damp summer nights. As a hermaphrodite, the common garden snail is equipped with both male and female sexual organs. When it mates, it passes sperm to its partner and receives sperm from its partner. The common garden snail's eggs are fertilized by its mate. The mating process typically lasts from four to twelve hours. The common garden snail may lay many batches of eggs after mating. These eggs hatch after about one month. The tiny, young common garden snail has a transparent shell and an extremely soft, fragile body. As it grows it becomes stronger and its shell becomes harder. The common garden snail becomes sexually mature when it is about two years old.
The common garden snail has a maximum life span of about ten years.
Related species:
- Edible snail(Helix pomatia)
- Roman snail (Helix pomatia)
- Grove snail (Cepaea nemoralis)
Bibliography
Boudreau, Ivy. “15 Most Common Types of Garden Snails [& How to Identify Them].” Garden Tabs, 7 Nov. 2022, gardentabs.com/common-types-of-garden-snails. Accessed 3 Apr. 2024.
Morton, Ian. “A Simple Guide to Britain’s Snails.” Country Life, 8 Apr. 2020, www.countrylife.co.uk/out-and-about/dogs/a-simple-guide-to-snails-213910. Accessed 3 Apr. 2024.
“Garden Snail.” iNaturalist, www.inaturalist.org/taxa/480298-Cornu-aspersum. Accessed 3 Apr. 2024.