15 Different Types of Snails: Pictures, Chart & Facts (2024)

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1. The Giant African Land Snail (Achatina Fulica)

When measured in total length, the gigantic African land snail is among the world’s biggest snail species, at around 2.75 inches tall (6.9cm) and 7.87 inches long (19.8cm)

Although it is indigenous to Africa, this snail kind may now be encountered on all continents, with the exception of Antarctica.

The gigantic African land snail is the most often seen invasive snail species, and it is well-known for causing extensive harm to agricultural plants and crops in its native habitat. Aside from that, it has been discovered to be a transmitter of plant infections.

With a brown, thick shell that is estimated to have the largest concentration of heavy metals of any snail species, it is the most dangerous of all. This type is a herbivore, which means it consumes a large number of plants, fruits, greens, and even paper products in its diet.

In addition to sand, small stones, skeletons, and eggshells as a nutritional supplement, the Giant African Land Snail may consume a variety of other materials. They will sometimes eat snails, snail eggs, and other deceased creatures, although this is quite rare.

2. Mediterranean Green Snail (Cantareus apertus)

This land snail, which is also known as a green garden snail, may grow to be up to 4.72 inches long (11.9cm)

It is endemic to Europe and Africa, where it may be found predominantly in rainforests. This plant is classified as invasive in the United States, and it has the potential to harm agriculture, human health, the environment, and trade.

This type is mostly a herbivore, consuming green vegetables, fruits, grasses, and other plants as its primary source of nutrition.

3. The Roman Snail (Helix pomatia)

This huge, edible snail, also referred to as escargot, is native to Europe and is a popular delicacy. However, it may now be discovered in practically every corner of the globe, including the United States.

The ivory to a medium brown shell of the Roman snail accounts for two-thirds of its total weight. Among the foods consumed by this snail are plants, fruits, vegetables, blossoms, and other botanicals as well.

4. The White-Lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)

This snail species is available in a variety of hues, with yellow being the most popular. The white ring that surrounds the aperture of its shell is what distinguishes it from other turtles.

Gardens, forests, meadows, sand bars, and rocky outcrops are all good places for the white-lipped snail to dwell since it prefers moist environments. Ragwort, thistles, and hogweed are among the plants that this land snail consumes.

5. Brown-lipped Snail (Cepaea nemoralis)

This snail species is closely related to the white-lipped snail. The brown-lipped snail differs from the other species primarily in that it has a brown band from around the entrance of its shell. Its shell is available in various hues, including yellow, pink, brown, and red.

It is most usually found throughout the United Kingdom, with the exception of the very northernmost parts of Scotland. It subsists on vegetation such as nettles and buttercups, among others.

While it may devour new plants, the brown-lipped snail favors dead ones, rendering it a non-issue for gardeners who want to keep their plants healthy.

6. Garden Snail (Cornu aspersum)

This variety is one of the most widely observed land mollusks globally. Originally from the Mediterranean area, it can now be found on every continent, with the exception of Antarctica, and is endemic to the area.

When it comes to food, the garden snail is highly regarded in certain parts of the world; nevertheless, it is considered a problem in other parts of the world where snails are not recognized as a meal.

Orchards, vegetables, flowers, wood, rose bushes, and grains are all part of a garden snail’s diet, as are a variety of other plants. They will sometimes consume rotting debris, which may be either natural materials.

7. Milk Snail (Otala lactea)

The milk snail, also referred to as the Spanish snail, is a massive, palatable snail endemic to Europe and certain areas of North Africa. Therefore, it is also recognized as the Spanish snail.

This species of snail mostly consumes greens such as cruciferous vegetables, salad greens, and yucca plants, as well as fruits and vegetables such as papaya plants, fennel, and lilies, among other things.

Snails from the milk are eaten as a delicacy in certain regions, such as those in the Mediterranean basin.

8. Apple Snails (Ampullariidae)

When properly maintained, an apple snail may grow up to 5.9 inches long (14.9cm) making it a common name for giant freshwater snails of this species.

This breed is most often kept as an aquatic pet due to its attractive look. Golden, azure, striped, and ivory are just a few of the hues available.

Apple snails eat a variety of items, including plants, fishmeal flakes, shellfish, frozen meals, and fish or bugs that have died.

This form of snail is viewed as a nuisance in Asia for its ability to navigate out of aquatic environments and consume the harvests of horticulturalists who have planted them.

9. Snail with a Golden Apple Shell (Pomacea canaliculata)

This species of aqueous snail, also known as the channeled apple snail, is endemic to South America and is also known by the common name.

It has, on the other hand, expanded around the globe. It is regarded as a serious commercial pest in Southeast Asian countries like Thailand and Vietnam.

Golden apple snails prey on immature, developing rice plants and taro and other root vegetables. Juvenile snails, on the other hand, consume algae and debris.

10. Mystery Snails (Pomacea bridgesii)

Because of their brightly colored shells and capacity to tidy up debris and surplus food, mystery snails are among the most renowned freshwater snails among aquarium lovers. In addition, mystery snails are a wonderful addition to any habitat due to their job of cleaning up waste products and extra food.

They will not devour healthy plants and may be kept with other fish, shrimp, or vegetation without harm. Mystery snails consume a variety of foods, including fish flakes, biofilm, and blanched plants such as cucumber, lettuce, greens, and squash, in addition to algae.

11. The Colombian Ramshorn Apple Snail (Marisa cornuarietis)

This species, also known as the paradise snail, is a huge freshwater snail that is widely utilized as a biocontrol agent in both aquariums and the wild. This species of snail is indigenous to South and Central America. It is an omnivore, consuming algae, vegetation, other snails, and dead animals as its primary sources of nutrition.

12. The Common Whelk (Buccinum undatum)

The common whelk is a big, edible sea snail that may be found in a variety of colors, including white, red, and yellow.

The fact that this species consumes living bivalves means that it reaps significant advantages from starfish feeding, as it feasts on the bivalve remnants left behind by the starfish.

A variety of fish and shellfish feed on the common whelk, which in turn preys on them. These vegetables are also regarded as a menu item in several regions of the globe.

13. The Periwinkle Snail (Littorina littorea)

Snails like these are found only on the stony coasts of the northern Atlantic Ocean, where they are tiny and tasty. In antiquity, this snail was regarded as a vital source of sustenance in Scotland.

It is currently regarded as a specialty in African and Asian cuisines, among other places. In addition, Periwinkle snails are often used as a lure for capturing fish, another benefit of the snails.

The common periwinkle snail is an omnivore that prefers to feed on algae; however, it may also consume tiny animals such as benthic larvae if they are available.

14. Nerite Snails (Neritina natalensis)

Although this species can survive in freshwater aquariums, it is regarded as an exceptional algae consumer. In fact, nerite snails devour any leftover fish male, dead vegetation, and other waste that has accumulated at the base of the aquarium’s water column.

They don’t consume good plants, and their feces contain bacteria that are beneficial to the intestinal systems of shrimp, making them an excellent choice for shrimp tank residents.

15. Assassin Snails (Clea Helena)

Assassin snails are beneficial critters since they devour pest snails in any tank, removing them as a problem.

They are effective in keeping the snail numbers in the region they dwell in under control. Indigenous to Southeast Asia, assassin snails are predators that prey on many other snails.

The fact that they can consume dwarf shrimp if given a chance should be taken into consideration while keeping them in the same enclosure with them.

Generally, keeping them alongside fish and living plants is not a cause for concern because they are primarily inclined to eat other snails.

Despite their voracious appetite for other snails, they will not consume those of their species.

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Interesting Facts About Snails

1. Some snails hibernate throughout the winter.

Several kinds of snails hibernate throughout the cold season of the year, while others remain active throughout the year. They protect their bodies with a delicate mucus covering, which keeps them from withering throughout the summer. This process is called estivation. The fact that they have lived for millennia is presumably due to the mechanisms described above.

2. Snails can live for a very long time.

The average lifespan of snails is determined by their environment as much as their species. They have a life expectancy of roughly five years for a few of them. Others kept in captivity, on the other hand, may survive for up to 25 years.

3. There are huge snails to be found.

The largest land snail ever measured was 12 inches in length (30cm) and weighed around 2 pounds (.9kg). It turned out to be a Giant African Snail. Other kinds are quite little, measuring just a few millimeters in length and weighing only a few ounces once they are fully grown.

4. The Snail’s Pace.

When snails move, they leave a trail of slime in their wake. This mucus functions as lubrication, reducing irritation between the mucus and the surface over which they flow.

5. Snail Mucus is another kind of mucus.

It is a fallacy that snail mucus may cause illness in people. Some people are concerned that the snails in their landscapes would destroy the crops they are growing and render them unsuitable for human use, but this is unfounded.

6. Snails are creatures of slow motion

Garden snails (Helix apersa) may travel at a maximal pace of 50 yards per hour, which is about 0.5 inches per second, according to some estimates. Even though they don’t move extremely quickly, they do it at a fairly steady rate. Snails are among the most sluggish organisms on the face of the planet.

7. Snails are Hermaphrodites

Snails have genitalia that are similar to those of both sexes, which classifies them as hermaphrodites. On the other hand, they are not typically capable of reproducing by themselves. However, once they have mated with another snail, they will both produce eggs.

8. Snails are able to see but are deaf.

The majority of land snails have two sets of tentacles, with the top one carrying the eyes and the bottom one carrying the olfactory organs, as seen in the illustration. They, on the other hand, do not even have hearing or an inner ear.

9. Snails are only active at night.

Snails are nocturnal creatures, which means that most of their operations occur during the evening hours.

Snails dislike direct sunshine, which is why you’ll see them in greater numbers on gloomy days. Keep in mind that if you store them in a tank, they will stop feeding and will retreat within their shell when there is excessive sunshine in the room where they are kept.

10. Salt is deadly to them

If you sprinkle salt on snails, they will perish. If you keep one in captivity, make sure it does not come into touch with salt since its body cannot absorb it.

11. Some are very gluttonous

There are more than 500 distinct species of plants that the Giant African Land Snail has been seen to consume.

12. Being small does not imply being weak.

Snakes are very powerful and can carry up to ten times their own body weight while in an upright posture.

13. Snails belong to a large family.

There exist at least 200,000 varieties of mollusks, comprising snails, in the world, but only 50,000 of them have been identified so far.

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