Garden snail
(Cornu asperum)
The garden snail is the largest common land snail in the UK. It has a heavy, coiled shell, about the size of a 50p coin. Well-suited to our damp and relatively mild conditions, they are common and widespread throughout the country. Garden snails are usually be found in Killearn in damp, dark conditions: under woodpiles, under the rims of flower pots, and in walls. A snail travels on a muscle under its body called a ‘foot’ that produces the slime for it to move over, at a maximum speed of around 0.05 km/h.
Mainly nocturnal, they will also emerge after rain during the day. In cold weather garden snails can retract into their shells and seal them with dried mucus. They live between two and three years in the wild, but longer in captivity.
Fascinating fact:
Garden snails have 14,000 teeth arranged on their tongues.
Garden snails are primarily herbivore. They feed on numerous types of fruit trees, vegetable crops, rose bushes, garden flowers and grains. They are also omnivorous scavengers that will feed on rotting plant material and, on occasion, scavenge animal matter, such as crushed snails and worms. Garden snails obtain the calcium required to build their shells by consuming soil.
Although garden snails are able to self-fertilise, most snails mate with another snail, generally during early summer. During mating, snails stab a calcite spine, known as a love dart, into their partner.
Garden snails are a food source for many other animals, including small mammals, some birds, lizards, frogs, centipedes, predatory insects such as glowworms and predatory terrestrial snails.
Garden snails can be used as an indicator of environmental pollution, because they deposit heavy metals. They are also a popular gastronomic dish in France, often served in garlic butter.
THINGS TO TRY: Garden snails can be kept as pets – they need to be fed on vegetable matter. For more information see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8kh4vyB6mc
Did you know
Snail slime has antibacterial properties. It can help repair skin blemishes and makes an effective skin lotion.