snail identification

I identify snails in people's posts. Send an ask to be assigned a snail!

[snailspotter]

PINNED / FAQ / INTRO

This is a blog dedicated to identifying snails in people's posts. I specialize in intertidal snails but will take a crack at any snail I can see, be it terrestrial, freshwater, or marine. If no snail is spotted, one will be assigned.

I am an enthusiast, not a professional, so keep in mind that I may make mistakes!

If I can't confidently ID it down to species, I'll take it to the lowest taxonomic group I can. Common reasons for vague IDs include:

Identifying characteristics aren't visible.

No location is provided.

Dissection or genetic sequencing is necessary for a positive ID.

My asks are open if you have a photo of a snail you would like to have identified! For specific IDs, please provide a location (a broad area, like a country or state, is good enough, though more specific is always better). You can PM the info to me if you don't want it publicly posted. Please only submit your own photos, or images which you have explicit permission to post.

You can also send an ask if you'd like to be assigned a snail, or to share a post which contains a snail.

My tagging system is as follows:

Snail IDs: #snail ID

Snail assignments: #assigned snail

Daily snails: #the daily snail

Miscellaneous snails: #snailposting

Non-snail-posts (discussion, etc.): #not snails

My pet snails: #my snails

In addition to tagging the assigned species, I'll tag all relevant taxonomic groups as listed by iNaturalist, starting at Gastropoda. So for the Pacific Sideband (Monadenia fidelis), the tags might look like:

#gastropoda #heterobranchia #euthyneura #tectipleura #eupulmonata #stylommatophora #helicinia #helicoidei #helicoidea #xanthonychidae #monadeniinae #monadenia #monadenia fidelis

Lengthy, I know, but that way you can quickly search the blog for taxonomic groups of interest!

All representative images I post come from iNaturalist, and the original observation will be linked.

My main is @silosene.

[snailspotter]

Just found this blog and I thought I'd show my snail box I got as a gift! It's from a Portuguese ceramist called Telmo Pereira

Ohh, super cute! Thanks for sharing :)

[snailspotter]

hello snail friend!! i picked up this trio of new friends from my local exotic pet store today since i don't see terrestrial snails for sale very often. according to the store owner, one of her kids got one of these snails from a reptile expo a while ago and they're selling them in the store now because that one snail turned into... basically infinite snails. i was told they are "california land snails" but googling that phrase is bringing up a lot of snails that look nothing like these three snails, so i'm thinking her ID might be mistaken *or* they were sold as something they are not, which i see fairly regularly for invertebrates at reptile expos.

i got two big snails that look very similar and one medium sized snail, it looks like the smallest might be a different species? i'm very new to terrestrial snail ownership so maybe it's just a juvenile. but they were being kept in a planted tank, so it's not outside of the realm of possibility that the tank had more than one species. the first three pictures are one of the larger snails, the fourth picture is the smaller snail, and the fifth picture is a size comparison!

thank you so much for any help you are able to provide!!

Snail(s) spotted!

Diagnosis: Helicoidea sp. Common name: N/A Notes: If these are from California, then there are a lot of potential possibilities. I think it’s safe to rule out shoulderbands, given the lack of characteristic patterns, but I’m not so confident I can distinguish the other possible species at a glance. Cornu aspersum is abundant and as good a guess as any, or maybe something like Cantareus apertus. I agree that the little one is likely a juvenile.

[snailspotter]

BTW if anyone wants to request a particular pride snail, feel free! I’ll get around to them when I can. I haven’t posted any more mostly because I have no idea which ones to do next, haha.

[snailspotter]

ALSO also - if you sent me an ask and I haven’t answered it yet, don’t worry! I haven’t forgotten about it. See my tags re: keeping up with posts / avoiding burnout. Apologies for the wait, but I promise I will get to it eventually!

[snailspotter]

BTW if anyone wants to request a particular pride snail, feel free! I’ll get around to them when I can. I haven’t posted any more mostly because I have no idea which ones to do next, haha.

[snailspotter]

Today’s snail: Pseudozonaria arabicula | Little Arabian Cowrie

[goodlouse]

I finally started testosterone this year! here’s some little celebratory illustrations :) [likes<rbs&follows]

[silosene]

help cover emergency vet bills for my friend's cat

Donate to Save Jewel: A Lifeline for Our Daughter, organized by Lisa Hudson

Hello. We are the family of 18-year-old Jewel, a 5-pound cat in the body of a li… Lisa Hudson needs your support for Save Jewel: A Lifelin

So I don't usually reblog/post fundraisers, but this one is too close to home not to share. My best friend's cat required emergency surgery earlier this week and they're struggling to cover the cost - the down payment for the procedure came out of their family's mortgage, and any future payments are going to eat into funds for buying food, medicine, and other basic necessities for the household.

I, and my friend, are deeply appreciative of any help people choose to provide.

The furry gremlin in question:

[snailspotter]

I don't usually post non-snail stuff here, but this blog has a much wider audience than my main. Please don't feel guilty if you can't donate or don't want to reblog. That said, I'm deeply grateful for signal boosts.

[snailworldonline]

Vintage Conch Shell Shape Creamer and Sugar Dishes & Salt and Pepper Shaker Made in Japan - Set of 4 via Studio Conçu

[snailspotter]

Today’s snail: Struthiolaria papulosa | Ostrich Foot Snail

[snailworldonline]

[snailspotter]

Today’s snail: Nerita costata | Costate Nerite

[jonesbrianshining]

In the rain

[strange-aeons]

Effervescent

[snailspotter]

Snail spotted!

Diagnosis: Cepaea hortensis Common name: White-lipped Snail

[snailworldonline]

credit to @the_snail_hospital on tiktok!

[snailspotter]

Today’s snail: Boreoscala greenlandica

[snailspotter]

paul the snail

You get a...

Diagnosis: Favartia edwardpauli Common name: Edward Paul's Murex

[gooberscollage]

🐛Vintage Animal Illustrations 🐛

Sources:

ABC Petits contes (1919) - Gems from Mother Goose (1899) - Mother West Wind "why" stories (1922) - Bully Bull Frog and his home in Rainbow Valley (1921)