Relatives of the Roman Snail

The Roman snail (Helix pomatia)

Roman snails (Helix pomatia) are part of the Helicid family (Helicidae). Those largest land snails of Central Europe have spread almost over all of Europe and a distinct part of the rest of the world. A larger number of species, especially in the Mediterranean parts of Europe, are known as escargots - edible snails, various of them even esteemed as a delicacy.

Eobania vermiculata. Picture: © Vollrath Wiese.

The expression "escargot" or "edible snail", though, does not have any systematic significance. Snails are only counted there because of their edibility. Many of the Helicids, however, are in fact edible, even so small species, like the sand hill snail Theba pisana and the Vermicelli snail, Eobania vermiculata. Both, for example in Spain, are collected in Nature and prepared as food in different ways.

Brown Garden Snail (Cornu aspersum)

Brown garden snail or common snail (Cornu aspersum). [RN]

This species is a bit smaller than the Roman snail and in its wild type form is called "escargot petit gris" (little grey snail). Originally distributed throughout the Mediterranean, today it has an almost world wide area of distribution. In Britain the snail is so common, it is called just that - the common snail.

A large part of its distribution is probable the result of the species' introduction by man during transports of fruit and vegetables. Basing on excavations, this snail is probably consumed by man since prehistoric times. Especially in Roman times it was distributed throughout the empire, which means the complete Mediterranean, including the Greek islands and Western Central Europe, in Germany up to the Limes' walls. As Cornu aspersum was introduced to the British Isles most probably already in Celtic times, its Helix pomatia that is called Roman Snail in English, not Cornu aspersum.

With food transports, the brown garden snail was also introduced to Northern America, where it may cause damage to agricultural areas, so that it was even though to get rid of the snails by introducing Mediterranean predator snails, such as Rumina decollata.

Besides the wild type form, there are several cultivated forms of Cornu aspersum, which may have a less colourful shell, but which may also become noticeably larger in size, such as the Blond des Flandres (Helix aspersa maxima) from France and Belgium.

The often used systematic name Helix aspersa, is incorrect, as the species certainly is not of the genus Helix. The opinions only differ as to which genus the species is to be put - Cornu according to Falkner (1997), or Cantareus, according to Giusti (1995).

Helix lucorum. Picture: [RN]

Turkish Snail (Helix lucorum)

Since Roman snails (Escargots de Bourgogne) are protected by law almost throughout Europe and may not be collected from nature, much of the economic demand is met by collecting Helix lucorum from Turkey. This eastern neighbour of the Roman Snail distributed through Central Europe occurs from the Eastern Black Sea region over Asia Minor, the Central Balkan peninsula and Hungary until the Western Apennine mountain range in Italy. Almost 600 tonnes of this snail are processed each year world wide, three quarters of this amount from Turkey. In deli shops, Helix lucorum might be encountered more often as "Escargot Turc" (Turkish snail) and in a greater number than the Central European escargot species.

Besides the colourful shells are often used on their own, another snail species served within.

Cantareus apertus. Picture: © Vollrath Wiese.

Grunting snail (Cantareus apertus)

The scientific species name of this snail - apertus - refers to the extended last whorl of its shell, it means "open". The colloquial name - grunting snail - means the same like the scientific genus name. When disturbed, this snail species presses air from its respiratory hole with a loud grunting noise and withdraws into its shell.

The snail is distributed in Southern France ( in scrubland (Macchia), field groves and vine yards), in Liguria, Tuscany and Southern Italy, as well as in Central Greece, on Cyprus and on the African Mediterranean coast.

In those dry areas of Europe, the snail produces a calcareous lid, not to hibernate, like Helix pomatia, but to overcome dry weather times by aestivation.

In Southern France, the species by now is that rare, that by government regulations it may not be collected other than for personal use. It is said, though, to be a delicacy.

Corsican Snail (Helix ceratina)

Helix ceratina, the Corsican snail.
Source: Musée de l'Histoire Naturelle de France.

The Corsican snail (Helix ceratina), as its name hints, is at home on Corsica, only that today it is only to be found in an area about 6 ha in size near Campo d'Oro on the western coast.

Archaeological findings have proved that in Neolithic times the species was spread over a much larger part of Corsica. Only by 1843 the species was discovered and since the beginning of the 19th century has been thought extinct. 1994, though, living specimens have been found.

Only found in the designated area, the snail today must be counted among the strongly threatened species. Reasons for its almost happened extinction is the destruction of about 90% of the available habitats by expanding the Ajaccio airport, as well as competition to other snail species, such as Eobania vermiculata, see above.