Rounded Snail

Discus rotundatus

SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

Shell diameter to 6mm. A disk snail with a pale yellow-brown shell that has broad reddish stripes. Body is grey.

HABITAT

Found everywhere except in the driest habitats. Very common in leaf litter and in garden compost heaps.

FOOD AND HABITS

Feeds on decaying plant material and fungi.

Brown-lipped Snail

Cepaea nemoralis

SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

Shell diameter 18 x 22mm. Lip of shell usually brown, sometimes very pale. Shell colour straw to yellow, to pink to brown. Up to five dark spiral bands, but sometimes none.

HABITAT

Inhabits woods, hedges, rough vegetation and gardens (but less frequently than White-lipped Snail). Found across Europe, but not as far north as White-lipped Snail.

FOOD AND HABITS

Eats grass and low-growing plants. Feeds at night and after rain, often alongside other species.

SIMILAR SPECIES

White-lipped Snail (C. hortensis). Shell diameter 14 x 17mm. Lip of shell is usually white, sometimes brown. Shell has up to five dark spirals, but may have none. Found in woods, hedges and gardens, especially in moist habitats. Occurs throughout Europe as far north as Iceland. Food and habits similar to those of Brown-lipped Snail.

Strawberry Snail

Trichia striolata

SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

Shell diameter 14mm. Colour of flattened-spiral shell varies from yellow to reddish-brown or purple, with a prominent white ring around the shell mouth.

HABITAT

Hedgerows, gardens and wasteland with plenty of moisture. Occurs from Britain across Europe to Hungary.

FOOD AND HABITS

Mainly nocturnal, but also browses on plants after rain. Shelters under plants during the day.

Garden Snail

Helix aspersa

SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

Shell diameter 25–40mm. Large round shell with a wide, round white-lipped mouth. Shell is brown or yellowish with pale flecking and up to five darker spirals.

HABITAT

Parks, woods and wasteland throughout Europe. Frequently found in gardens, especially in northern regions, where it needs shelter from the winter cold.

FOOD AND HABITS

Feeds on low-growing plants. Active at night, and congregates during the day at regular resting places.

Kentish Snail

Monacha cantiana

SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

Shell diameter to 20mm. Shell colour varies from off-white to reddish-pink, and is often darker near the mouth.

HABITAT

Long grass in hedge banks, wasteland, fields and herbaceous garden borders on calcareous soils. Widespread throughout southern and central Europe.

FOOD AND HABITS

Feeds on decaying vegetation, including lawn grass cuttings.

Great Pond Snail

Lymnaea stagnalis

SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

Shell height 35–50mm; width 18–25mm. Pointed spiral shell is yellowish to dark brown.

HABITAT

Large calcium-rich ponds, and slow-flowing rivers and canals. Widely distributed across Europe, and common in many countries.

FOOD AND HABITS

Feeds on algae and decaying vegetation. Eggs are laid in a sausage-shaped gelatinous sac on the undersides of leaves.

Garlic Snail

Oxychilus alliarius

SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

Shell diameter 6mm. A species of glass snail with a dark brown shell that is very glossy. Body is black. When disturbed it gives off a strong smell similar to that of garlic or onions, hence its common name.

HABITAT

Found in leaf litter in a range of habitats. Lurks under stones and in garden compost heaps.

FOOD AND HABITS

Feeds mainly at night on fungi and rotting vegetation on the ground, but also climbs walls and trees on damp nights.

Great Ram’s-horn Snail

Planorbis corneus

SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

Shell diameter up to 35mm; height 12mm. The shape of the dark brown shell gives this large snail its common name.

HABITAT

Ponds, lakes and slow-flowing rivers. Also found in garden ponds because it is sold by aquarium dealers. Native range is from Europe to central Asia.

FOOD AND HABITS

Feeds on algae on stones and plants. Its eggs, which are laid on stones, may be spread to other ponds whenever they stick to the feet of birds.

Garden Slug

Arion hortensis

SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

Length to 40mm. Bluish-black and paler on flanks, with an orange underside. Mucus is orange or yellow.

HABITAT

Most common on cultivated land, but can also be found in woods and gardens. Occurs throughout Europe except far north.

FOOD AND HABITS

Eats any plants near the ground, and is a serious pest of strawberries, lettuces and seedlings.

SIMILAR SPECIES

Bourguignat’s Slug (A. fasciatus). To 40mm long. Body grey with dark patches. Similar to Garden Slug, but with a white underside. Found in gardens and woods. Feeds on fungi and decaying material.

Large Black Slug

Arion ater

SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

Length to 150mm; may reach 200mm when extended. Colour ranges from jet-black through orange, to creamy-white with an orange fringe. Back is covered with elongated tubercles. No keel. Sticky mucus.

HABITAT

Well-vegetated habitats throughout Europe to Iceland. Darker forms are most common in north, paler ones in south.

FOOD AND HABITS

Nocturnal feeder on dung, plants and carrion. Eats grass cuttings after rain.

Great Grey Slug

Limax maximus

Length to 200mm. Pale grey slug heavily marked with dark spots, appearing striped at the end of its body. Short keel on the rear end of the body. Inhabits woods, hedges and gardens, especially around compost heaps, in much of Europe except far north. Eats fungi and rotting plant material. Mating involves two individuals climbing a fence, tree trunk or wall, then lowering themselves on a string of mucus. Each of these hermaphrodites then lays eggs.

Shelled Slug

Testacella haliotidea

Length to 120mm. Creamy-white or pale yellow body, with a small flat shell at the rear end. Dark lines run forwards at angles along the sides of the body. Lives in well-manured and well-drained soil in parks and gardens across western Europe. Main food is earthworms. It can extend its body to become narrow enough to follow worms down their holes.

Netted Slug

Deroceras reticulatum

Length to 50mm. Small in size. Light brown or dark grey with darker flecks and rectangular tubercles that create a netted pattern. Short keel at the rear. Occurs in gardens, hedges, arable fields and rough pasture. One of Europe’s most common and most widespread slugs. Exudes white mucus when disturbed. Eats a wide range of plants, especially newly planted seedlings, and is regarded as a garden pest.

Smooth Jet Slug

Milax gagates

Length to 75mm. Greyish-brown and heavily specked, with a keel darker than the rest of its body. Exudes clear mucus. Very similar to Sowerby’s Slug (M. sowerbyi), which has a yellowish or orange keel and exudes yellowish mucus. Relatively dry-skinned. Inhabits gardens and arable fields. Most common in western Europe. Feeds on roots and tubers.