Garden Snail (specifically the Brown Garden Snail)
Scientific Name: Cornu aspersum (formerly Helix aspersa)
Order & Family: Order: Stylommatophora; Family: Helicidae
Size: The shell is typically 25–40 mm (1 to 1.5 inches) in diameter and 25–35 mm high.
Natural Habitat
Found in gardens, parks, woodlands, and agricultural areas with moisture and calcium-rich soil for shell growth.
Diet & Feeding
Herbivorous, consuming a wide range of plants including fruit trees, vegetables, flowers, garden weeds, and decaying organic matter.
Behavior Patterns
Primarily nocturnal or active during damp/rainy weather; they move via a muscular foot lubricated by mucus and can enter dormancy (estivation) during dry periods.
Risks & Benefits
They are major garden pests that damage crops and ornamental plants. While generally harmless to touch, they can carry parasites like the rat lungworm, so hands should be washed after handling.
Identified on: 4/12/2026