#snailblr
Mountain Shell (Cookeconcha hystricella)
These snails are only a couple of millimeters in size and live on the ground in the mountains on the island of O’ahu. They lay a single egg that hatches into an even tinier baby. Sadly, they are critically endangered and are on the verge of extinction, like many other species of Hawaiian land snails.
The Hawaiian name for this snail is pūpū kuahiwi which translates to “mountain shell.”
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O’ahu Tree Snail/Pūpū kani oe (Achatinella sowerbyana)
Snails in the genus Achatinella are commonly called the O’ahu tree snails because they are found only on the Hawaiian island of O’ahu. Sadly, like all other O’ahu tree snails, Sowerby’s O’ahu tree snail is at risk of going extinct. It lives in forests in the Ko’olau Mountains and faces many threats, from habitat loss, to predation from rosy wolfsnails, Jackson’s chameleons, and rats, to diminishing genetic diversity. Native Hawaiians believed that the tree snails had the ability to sing and that their songs were very special and significant.
The Hawaiian name for this snail is pūpū kani oe which translates to “shell that sounds with a long whistle”, or “singing shell.”
Read more about the singing snails of Hawaii here.
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White Italian Snail (Theba pisana)
This snail sometimes goes by the name sandhill snail or vineyard snail and is a common invasive species worldwide. Although it originally comes from Europe, it has become established in the United States, South Africa, Australia, and elsewhere. These snails have the tendency to climb and cluster together in massive congregations and they can be a serious pest where they become established.Etsy|DeviantArt|Instagram
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A special Floridian land snail sticker set has been added to my Etsy! All species in this set are either native to Florida or have been introduced.
Check it out here!
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Gray-foot Lancetooth (Haplotrema concavum)
This medium-sized snail can be found on the eastern coast of the United States and part of eastern Canada. Their shell has a deep, open umbilicus (the umbilicus is the reverse side of the coil that looks like a hole and the word umbilicus is also another word for a belly-button, which the shell umbilicus somewhat resembles). These snails are predatory and will eat worms, slugs, and other snails but they will also eat any detritus they come across.Post link
Sanguine Litter Snail/Pūpū kani oe (Laminella sanguinea)
While many other species of colorful Hawaiian snails live in trees, the small sanguine litter snail instead chooses to live on the ground, specifically in leaf litter. Because its shell is extremely colorful, it camouflages itself with debris (some of which is its own poop). The camouflage may have originally developed as protection against birds at a time when there were more native Hawaiian birds around to hunt it, but many of those birds are now extinct or have declined in numbers. Like the birds before it, this little snail is also marching towards extinction and is currently considered to be critically endangered.
The Hawaiian name for this snail is pūpū kani oe which translates to “shell that sounds with a long whistle”, or “singing shell.”
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Peripatetic Scrubsnail (Praticolella mexicana)
Peripatetic scrubsnails have a wide distribution including the southeast part of the United States and eastern Mexico. They are fairly small snails and the attractive light-colored banding is common in this genus.Etsy|DeviantArt|Instagram
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Ocala Liptooth (Daedalochila auriculata)
This snail is in the family Polygyridae. Within Polygyridae there are many snails that have an interesting shell feature - the presence of teeth. Teeth are shell protrusions near the aperture of the shell. It’s theorized that these teeth offer some protection to the snails that have them by making it harder for predatory arthropods to climb into the shell and eat the snail. Snails in the genus Daedalochila have some of the most extreme examples of teeth. The apertures of their shells are so convoluted it’s a wonder that the snail can even emerge from its own shell.Picture of shell opening
Ocala lipteeth can be found in swampy, grassy areas in Florida.
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Rosy Wolfsnail (Euglandina rosea)
The rosy wolfsnail is a species originally from the United States (notably Florida) that has caused the extinction of dozens upon dozens (if not hundreds) of other species of snails worldwide. How?
In several regions of the world where giant African land snails (GALS) were introduced, there was a lot of resulting crop damage. It was believed that in order to reduce the number of GALS, one of the best solutions would be to introduce a predator. The rosy wolfsnail was chosen even though there was no real proof that they would even be able to put a dent in GALS populations. This method of GALS control was implemented in Hawaii and some of the Society Islands. Tragically, the rosy wolfsnails were uninterested in eating the GALS (which are much bigger than the rosy wolfsnails) so they instead focused on eating the sensitive native species. Many species driven to extinction by rosy wolfsnails were colorful island tree snails.
Interestingly, rosy wolfsnails (and many other related species of predatory snails) have a characteristic “moustache.” The moustache is an extension of their lips and they flick it around while hunting to smell for the trails of prey snails. Wolfsnails are also much faster than typical snails.
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Temasek Green Tree Snail (Amphidromus atricallosus temasek)
The genus name Amphidromus refers to a very interesting and highly unusual aspect of these Asian snails. Some species of Amphidromus have right-handed shells (dextral), which is the norm for most land snails, and some species of Amphidromus have left-handed shells (sinistral), which is unusual for land snails. Even more unusual are the species of Amphidromus that fall into a third category, the species of Amphidromus in which individuals can be born having either a right-handed or a left-handed shell, seemingly with the same frequency. Snails can only mate with snails that have a shell coiling the same direction as themselves, so this is a strange trait.The species portrayed in the illustration is the species Amphidromus atricallosus, specifically the subspecies Amphidromus atricallosus temasek. The subspecies name ‘temasek’ references a region in Singapore.
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Squatty Ambersnail (Succinea unicolor)
This snail is a member of the family Succineidae - the amber snails. Amber snails have a distinctively-shaped, fragile shell and are commonly found near bodies of freshwater (for example, they can sometimes be found on reeds near ponds and marshes). The squatty ambersnail is originally from Europe, but has become an invasive species in other parts of the world, such as the United States.Etsy|DeviantArt|Instagram
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Brown-lipped Snail (Cepaea nemoralis)
This snail is originally native to Europe, but it can now be found elsewhere in the world as an invasive species. There are two snails in the genus Cepaea that are commonly confused with one another, the grove snail or brown-lipped snail (Cepaea nemoralis) and the white-lipped snail (Cepaea hortensis). Distinguishing the two species is only possible by examining the color of the lip of the shell. The brown-lipped snail has a brown lip and the white-lipped snail has a white lip. Both species are extremely variable in appearance in shell color and banding, but the lip color will always be the same for each species. Consequently, identification can only be done on adult snails that possess a lip. Juveniles are impossible to identify.Post link
Copse Snail (Arianta arbustorum)
Copse snails are a European species of snail commonly found in forested areas (a copse is defined as being a small group of trees).Etsy|DeviantArt|Instagram
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Crenulate Horn (Chondropoma dentatum)
The crenulate horn is a type of prosobranch snail from south Florida and the Florida keys. Prosobranch snails share many similarities with aquatic snails, such as eyes at the base of the antennae and the presence of an operculum.Post link
Banded Caracol (Caracolus marginella)
The Banded Caracol is a medium-sized snail from Puerto Rico (‘caracol’ means snail in Spanish). Interestingly, a small population of Banded Caracols have established themselves in the Miami area in Florida. How they made it from Puerto Rico to Florida remains unclear. One theory states that some were attached to pieces of trees that were ripped out of the ground and blown across the ocean via hurricane winds. Whether or not this is actually possibly is disputed. These snails are tree snails and their diet is believed to consist primarily of the fungi that grow on the trees they live. Although the Florida population is nonnative, they aren’t considered to be invasive since they appear to be causing no negative side effects to the environment.Etsy|DeviantArt|Instagram
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Big Island Tree Snail/Pūpū kani oe (Partulina physa)
This snail is from Hawaii Island. It is the last known large species of tree snail left on the island.
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Lana'i Tree Snail/Pūpū kani oe (Partulina variabilis)
The scientific name for the Lana’i tree snail is Partulina variabilis because this snail can have a large variety of different shell colors and patterns. It is from the Hawaiian island of Lanai and is endangered.
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Maui Tree Snail/Pūpū kani oe (Newcombia cumingi)
This snail is native to the island of Maui in Hawaii. Its shell closely resembles the branches of the tree that it lives on, which likely offers it some camouflage. Sadly, the Maui tree snail is endangered and the entire wild population is confined to an area of less than seven acres.
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Ka'ala Snail/Pūpū kuahiwi (Kaala subrutila)
The Ka’ala snail is found only on Mt. Ka’ala, the highest mountain on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. It is a tiny ground snail that lives in the bog habitat at the top of the peak.
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Jumping Snail (Ovachlamys fulgens)
The jumping snail is really interesting because like its common name suggests, this snail has the ability to “jump” thanks to its modified caudal horn (the little spike at the tip of its tail). It can rapidly flick itself around by using its tail and caudal horn to push itself away from whatever surface it’s on. The jumping snail is native to parts of Japan, but has become established as an invasive species in places like Brazil, Costa Rica, and Hawaii and Florida in the United States. They eat orchid plants and have a lifespan of less than a year.Etsy|DeviantArt|Instagram
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Red Snot-in-a-Hat Snail (Succinea sp.)
In Hawaii, many ambersnails (family: Succineidae) are refereed to as “snot in a hat snails.” This is because many Hawaiian ambersnails have translucent flesh making them look a bit like snot or phlegm. Their small shells are often not large enough for them to fit their big bodies into, making it look a bit like a small puddle of snot is wearing a little hat. However, some Hawaiian ambersnails are not translucent. Some are an interesting shade of red. The ambersnail in the illustration is one of these red ambersnails.
The Hawaiian name for this snail is hinihini’ula or “red land snail.”
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Central American Mountain Mantleslug (Pallifera costaricensis alticola)
Like other mantleslugs, this slug’s mantle runs the length of its body which gives it a distinctive look. This species is often a light shade of tan or brown with black spots or stripes, however, the subspecies Pallifera costaricensis alticola can be an orange or yellowish color and it possesses exactly three black stripes that run down the length of its body. The Central American mountain mantleslug can be found at high elevations on rotten logs.
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Brown Garden Snail (Cornu aspersum)
This large snail is originally of European descent but nowadays it is commonly encountered worldwide as a prolific invasive species. Because it is so widespread, it may be one of the most well-known land snails and it is what many people envision when they think about what a snail looks like. This species was referred to as Helix aspersa for a long time, but the consensus now is that this snail should be placed in the genus Cornu, not Helix.The brown garden snail is commonly used in escargot dishes because these snails are very easy to farm. The snails themselves are omnivorous. They typically consume vegetation, but will readily consume detritus if they come across it.
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Red Triangle Slug (Triboniophorus graeffei)
The red triangle slug is a type of leaf-veined slug. This slug in particular is the biggest species of slug in Australia and can reach lengths of nearly six inches. It feeds on algae and mold and produces an extremely sticky slime when threatened. This extra sticky slime can glue predators down for days!These slugs are also notable for being highly polymorphic, meaning that they can come in many different colors. Some are totally cream-colored, others are cream with a reddish fringe. Still others may be a bright shade of yellow, red, or even dark grey instead of the typical cream color.
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Ash-black Slug (Limax cinereoniger)
The ash-black slug is the largest species of land slug in the world. It lives in Europe and can be identified by the white stripe on the sole of the foot. This slug can have a wide variation of markings and colors, but they will always have the white stripe underneath. They live in forests.Etsy|DeviantArt|Instagram
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Cuban Painted Snail (Polymita picta)
These stunning Cuban snails have brightly-colored shells that almost look like they were painted by someone. Their shells can come in dozens of different patterns and colors, ranging from yellow to orange to red. Sadly, their shells are also the reason why these snails are endangered. Demand for their shells by collectors and jewelry-makers leads to these snails being over-harvested. Cuban painted snails live in trees and eat moss, fungi, and lichen. They live for a little over a year.Etsy|DeviantArt|Instagram
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Widemouth Bulimulus (Amphibulima patula)
You might be thinking that this snail looks a bit too fat to retract into its shell and you’d be right to think that. The widemouth bulimulus is in fact totally unable to retract into its shell. It’s actually a semislug, not a snail. It is native to the island of Dominica where it eats banana and citrus leaves. It can grow to be around an inch long (2.5 cm).Post link
Glassy Grapeskin (Vitrinizonites latissimus)
The glassy grapeskin native to the Great Smoky Mountains in the United States and is the only semislug native to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is only found at high elevations.
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Broad-banded Tree Snail (Drymaeus laticinctus)
This rare tree snail can be found on the island of Dominica in the Caribbean and has an interesting teal-colored body. The shell can be variable in appearance. Some have stripes while some don’t and some are more yellow while others are more reddish. However, the shell color eventually fades to white once the animal dies.Etsy|DeviantArt|Instagram
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«I was just born like this» — Cavetown «Snail»
Now available!!!
10€
100% unbleached Cotton
Long handles
a lil charcuterie board on this rainy day
sylvester in action
MEET MY SNAILS !!!
Sylvia (all white)……
and Sylvester (white with brown stripes)……
settling in nicely :))
finally finished the terrarium
I have some live pothos and English ivy in there, as well as some various mosses; hoping they hold up well with the humidity. Still need to get a small food dish, but I cannot WAIT for the snails to arrive!!
I JUST ORDERED SNAILS
Two milk snails are on the way, and I could not be more EXCITED! Will post more updates as I put together the terrarium and once they arrive
Names???
