Garden snail

Other invertebrate

Illustration of garden snail
Snail

Helix aspersa

The garden snail has a pale grey, moist skin and a large, brown or yellowish shell with paler flecking and darker, spiraling bands. They are widespread and common throughout the UK and often considered garden pests.

They come out at night to feed and rest during the day in sheltered places, such as under rocks. If conditions are too dry, the snail retreats inside its shell, which it is able to seal: it can remain like this for several months if necessary. Garden snails generally hibernate during winter.

They have both female and male reproductive cells (they are hermaphrodite), but must find a partner to exchange sperm before they can reproduce. After mating they lay about 100 white eggs in a damp, underground nest. The newly-hatched snails have fragile shells and take about two year to mature.