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Helicid Snails I: Ariantinae Helicid Snails II: Helicinae |
Abbreviations used: W: Width (of shell); H: Height; N: Number of whorls.
Explanation of
shell characters as means of identification.
In some parts of the Mediterranean the Helicidae snail family occurs with an exceptionally large richness in species. Special centres of distribution are Asia Minor (the Asian part of Turkey) and the Balkan peninsula.
Chocolate Banded Snail (Eobania vermiculata).
 Chocolate banded snail (Eobania vermiculata), Rab Island (Croatia). Picture: Andreas Gruber. |
When the Danish malacologist Otto Friedrich Müller first described this species in 1774 after having returned from a journey to Italy (which gave him the right to name the species), he called it "Nudel-Snekken" (noodle snail), because the shell pattern of dissolved stripes reminded him of Italian Vermicelli noodles. Obviously he had not exclusively been occupied with snails during his voyage. Until today the snail is called Eobania vermiculata (O.F. Müller 1774) - only Müller's name is set into brackets; he had described it as Helix vermiculata in 1774.
Description: Compared to other Helicid snails, Eobania vermiculata has got a rather flattened than globular shell, the whorls ascending only little with flat sutures in between. The last whorl descends rapidly towards the aperture (see picture on the left). The apertural lip is evolved noticeably, it completely covers the shell navel (umbilicus). As an adaptation to the snail's usually warm and dry environment, the shell has got a thick wall and a white ground colour. On this there are up to 5 dark brown bands (hence the name chocolate banded snail). The shell bands are often dissolved into separate narrow stripes, overlaid by a whitish net pattern (which led to Müller's choice of name).
 Chocolate banded snail (Eobania vermiculata), Rab Island (Croatia). Picture: Andreas Gruber. |
Size: W: 14 - 27 mm; H: 22 - 30 mm; W: 5 - 6.
Habitat and Distribution: Eobania vermiculata lives on dry vegetation on fields and in hedges, often also inhabits agricultural areas, such as gardens and vineyards.
The species is distributed in all of the Mediterranean. In Southern France Eobania vermiculata also extends its area of distribution into the inner country, such as the upper Rhône valley and the upper valley of the Garonne river. In other places in Europe, such as in Bad Schwartau in Northern Germany and in Györ in Hungary, the species has been introduced. With food transports, it also reached America and Australia. In the United States, Eobania vermiculata has been introduced in Louisiana and Texas, but does not pose a severe threat to agriculture. In Japan, the first naturalized population has been described from Urayasu in the Chiba prefecture. In the meantime another population has been reported from that region.
Economic Importance: In a large part of its distribution area, the
chocolate banded snail is picked as food. This doubtlessly has led to a large
extent to the species current distribution throughout the Mediterranean and
beyond. On Crete, Eobania vermiculata and other terrestrial snails are
commonly sold alive on markets. In France as well, the snail is commonly
referred to as "Morguette" and picked to be prepared as food. In Spain,
Eobania vermiculata is called "Caracol de huerta" (vegetable garden snail),
for obvious reasons.
Further Information:
Reference:
To be continued.