Iberus alonensis(Ferussac,1801)
Shell whitish or greyish with 5 brown bands,also uniformly colored without banding.
Aperture semi-circular with a thin white lip,5 whorls.
16-19 mm high and 30-38 mm wide.
On limestone rocks in the south of Spain.
photo:Femorale
Iberus gualterianus(Linnaeus,1758)
Shell brown to whitish with a white lip,very variable from rounded to sharply keeled.
Aperture oblique,5 whorls, 17-20 mm high and 34-40 mm wide.
On bare limestone rocks.
In the south of Spain.
photo:Femorale
Iberus marmoratus(Ferussac,1801)
Shell whitish or yellowish with brown banding and brownish speckles,aperture rounded
half-moon shaped.5 whorls,9.5-11.5 mm high and 17-22 mm wide.
On limestone rocks in the south of Spain.
photo:Femorale
Liburnica setosa(Rossmassler,1836) Shell light brownish-yellow with reddish-brown bands,thin and fragile,and covered with bristly hairs.5 whorls,12-16 mm high and 26-30 mm wide.Umbilicus large. In limestone areas,mountainous forests up to 1800 m altitude,lowlands.On stone walls or in rock crevices. In Yugoslavia and Albania
Liburnica denudata(Rossmassler,1836) Shell yellowish brown with dark brown stripes,strong and glossy without hairs,with 6 whorls.12-15 mm high and 28-34 mm wide. In limestone areas,mountainous forests up to 1800 m altitude,lowlands.On stone walls or in rock crevices. In Yugoslavia and Albania
Dinarica pouzolzi(Deshayes,1830)
Shell olive-green to yellowish brown with reddish brown stripes with 5.5-6.5 whorls.
Aperture wide and semi-circular,umbilicus very wide.17-35 mm high and 24-53 mm wide.
Apparently very variable;snails from mountainous areas are smaller than the ones from
lower areas.
In limestone areas,mountainous forests up to 1800 m altitude,lowlands.On stone walls
or in rock crevices.
In Yugoslavia and Albania.
photo:W.Fischer
Lindholmiola corcyrensis(Ferussac,1839)
Shell light brown with a white lip,in young snails its covered with long hairs,
with 6-7 whorls.4-6 mm high and 9-12 mm wide.Umbilicus wide and deep.
In mountain forests and lowland between fallen leaves.
In Yugoslavia,Albania,Greece,Bulgaria,Greece and sometimes Italy.
photo:Bisyogai
Murella muralis(Muller,1774)
Shell whitish with brown and grey spots which form bands,19-20 mm wide x 9-10 mm high,
with 5 whorls.
It has a fine grooved surface.The aperture is half-moon shaped and a wide white
lip.
On limestone rocks and old walls in Italy,Spain,Southern France and Mediterranean
islands.
Marmorana serpentina(Ferussac,1801) Shell whitish or pale yellowish with brown spots which form bands, 19-21 wide x 9.5-10.5 mm high with 4-5 whorls. The aperture is half-moon shaped and has a thinner lip than Murella muralis. A brown spot marks the base of the columellar margin,this sometimes covers the whole columellar edge and aperture wall. In Italy,Sardinia and Corsica on ruins and walls.
Subfamily Helicinae
Cepaea nemoralis(Linnaeus,1758)
This one of the most seen snails in gardens and parks.The color of the shell can be very diverse.It has 4.5-5.5 whorls.
The edge of the margin of the aperture is dark-brown both
inside and outside.
It is 15-20,5mm high (0.6-0.8 inches) and 19-25,5mm wide (0.7-1 inch).
This snail is very wide-spread throughout the world.
Cepaea hortensis(Muller,1774) The shell can have many different colors and is smaller than the shell of C.nemoralis. The lip is usually white which makes it easy to distinguish from C.nemoralis. This snail lives in woods,under shrubs,in gardens,mostly on colder and damper places than C.nemoralis. Identification of these two species can be tricky. more information
Cepaea vindobonensis(Ferussac,1821)
Shell is whitish or yellowish with five dark stripes,17-21 mm heigh x 20-25 mm wide.
In South-East Europe on warm slopes in rocky soil.
Cepaea sylvatica(Draparnaud,1801)
Whitish or yellowish shell with 0-5 brown stripes,the two on the top more like
spots,12-16 mm high x 18-25mm wide.It has 5-6 whorls.
In the Western Alps in woods and meadows between 500 and
2400 mtrs.
Helix(Cornu)aspersa(aspersum)(Muller,1774)(aka Cryptomphalus aspersus,Cantareus aspersus)
The shell is yellow-brown with brown stripes and yellow-brown spots.There is no
umbilicus.It is 23-33mm high (1-1.4 inches) and 22-35mm wide (0.9-1.5 inches).
There are 4,5-5 whorls.
The eggs are white and spherical,circa 3mm and laid 5 days to 3 weeks after
mating(depending on the climate).There can be as many as 85 eggs in a hole
in the soil.In warm climates there can be a batch of eggs each month,from
February till October.The eggs hatch in 2 weeks or 4 weeks if the weather
is cooler.
The snails mature in 2 years,but in warm climates this can be 10 months.
H.aspersa is found throughout Europe,the Middle-East,South-America and North-
America where it has been introduced either by French or Italian immigrants.
It can adapt itself to a wide variety of conditions,climates and habitats.
This makes it the most wide spread snailspecies.
more information
Helix cincta Müller,1774
Shell:spherical,aperture oval,umbilicus hidden.
Color is yellowish-grey with light to dark brown spiral bands,parietal wall and lip
light brown.28 - 40 mm wide and 30 - 42 mm high.
Habitat:rocky and shrubby plains under shrubs.
Distribution:eastern Mediterranean,Greece,central- and western Asia minor,eastern
Adriatic coastal area from Albania to North-Italy.
Photo: Naturhistorisches Museum Wien (K. Edlinger).
Helix ligata Müller,1774
Shell:spherical,aperture oval,umbilicus almost covered by the columellar edge,sometimes
completely hidden.25 - 40 mm wide and 22 - 37 mm high.
Habitat:thickets,light mountain woods to the treeline,in Italy to 2000m.
Distribution:Central- and South-Italy to Calabria.
Photo:Naturhistorisches Museum Wien (K. Edlinger).
Helix pomatiaLinnaeus,1758Roman Snail
The shell is yellow-brown with dark-brown stripes with 4.5-5 whorls.
It is 35-48 mm high(1.5-2 inches)and 37-47 mm wide (1.5-2 inches).
In copses and thickets,also in cultivated areas.It likes chalky soil and appears in The
Alps up to 2000 m altitude.
This species has and is been used in snailfarming since ancient times.The distributing
is sometimes closely connected with this purpose.
In southern England,Germany,Denmark,The Netherlands,southern Sweden,Belgium,
eastern France,The Balkans,Poland and the Ukraine.
more information
Helix(Cantareus)aperta(Born,1778)
The shell is oval with thin walls and a little glossy.It has 3.5-4 whorls,
a very large,oval aperture,with a height of 20-26 mm and a width of 24-30 mm.
The color is yellowish brown,sometimes with speckles.The animal itself
is greenish brown.
The snail lives in vineyards in France(west of the Rhône-delta),central and South-Italy,
Central Greece,Cyprus and North-Africa.
It is one of the species used as escargot.
Helix lucorum Linnaeus,1758
Shell:spherical,apex rounded,aperture oval,umbilicus very small
almost completely covered by the columellar edge.
Color is very variable,whitish with reddish-brown bands,which are blotched.
35-55 mm wide x 20-50 mm high,5 whorls.
Habitat:In parks,gardens,open woods,diverse dry and damp places.
Distribution:In Italy,the Balkan,the Crimea,the Caucasus.
Helix melanostoma(Draparnaud,1801)
Shell:spherical with axial grooves,bodywhorl large,aperture oval,umbilicus is not visible.
Color is reddish grey with light bands,parietal wall brownish violet,the lip and inner wall
of aperture are dark brown.
25-40 mm wide x 25-50 mm high,with 4 whorls.
Habitat:In vineyards,olive groves,gardens.
Distribution:Southern France,Spain,The Mediterranean Islands,
Algeria and Tunesia.
Helix secernenda Rossmässler 1847
Shell:spherical with a blunt apex,bodywhorl large,aperture oval,umbilicus often hidden
by the columellar edge.
Color is yellowish-pale brown to white with 3-4 yellowish-brown spiral bands.
Habitat:In rocky places to 1600 m.
Distribution:In coastal areas of Croatia,Dalmatia,Dalmatian islands,West-Montenegro to Northwest-Albania,
scattered localities in South-Albania,Northern Greece and on Corfu.
Theba pisana(Muller,1774)Sandhill Snail
Shell is whitish or yellowish with dark stripes and spots,9-20 mm high x 12-25 mm wide.
It has 5,5-6 whorls and a narrow umbilicus.
Its habitat is dry places,close to the coast and usually in dunes.
In the Mediterranean and Atlantic coast.
Eobania vermiculata(Muller,1774)
Shell is a creamy white,with five brown stripes,but can be very variable,
17-21 mm high x 20-25 mm wide.
It has 5 whorls,and a thick lip.
This snail is found in the Mediterranean in gardens,hedges and dunes.
photo:www.schneckenzucht.de
