Garden Snail

Cornu aspersum

The garden snail (Cornu aspersum), still often seen under the older name Helix aspersa, is a common land snail native to the Mediterranean region and now established in many temperate places. It has a coiled brown shell, soft muscular foot, rasping radula, and tentacles with eyes at the tips. Garden snails feed on tender plants, algae, fungi, and decaying material, which makes them both familiar backyard animals and agricultural pests in some crops.

People keep garden snails for classroom observation, heliciculture, composting interest, or as simple invertebrate pets, but containment and hygiene matter. They need moist ventilated housing, calcium for shell growth, pesticide-free greens, vegetables, and cuttlebone or other safe calcium sources. Escapes can create local pest problems, and some regions restrict possession or transport. Breeding is easy because adults are hermaphrodites and lay eggs in damp soil, so keepers should plan for offspring rather than assuming a small group will stay small.