Garden Snail
Scientific name: Cornu aspersum
Alternative name/s:
Cornu aspersum
Cornu aspersum
Click to enlarge image
Garden Snail, Cantareus aspersus
Image: Andrew Donnelly
© Australian Museum
© Australian Museum
Fast Facts
-
Classification
- Genus
- Cornu
- Species
- aspersum
- Subfamily
- Helicinae
- Family
- Helicidae
- Super Family
- Helicoidea
- Suborder
- Helicina
- Infraorder
- Helicoidei
- Order
- Stylommatophora
- Superorder
- Eupulmonata
- Subclass
- Heterobranchia
- Class
- Gastropoda
- Phylum
- Mollusca
- Kingdom
- Animalia
-
- Size Range
- 3.5 cm
Generally, snails found in your garden will be introduced species, which have two pairs of tentacles, rather than one pair as in native snails and slugs.
Habitat
Garden snails are found in urban areas.
Distribution
Widespread in cities throughout the world.
Distribution data sourced from the Atlas of Living Australia
Other behaviours and adaptations
The Garden Snail was introduced to Australia from Europe. It is always associated with human populations and rarely encountered away from cities. This edible snail is commercially raised in Australia and exported to countries such as France where it is eaten as 'escargot'. Cornu aspersum is slightly smaller than the French species (Helix pomatia), which does not occur in Australia but apparently has a similar taste.
