Common White Snail
Cernuella virgata
The adult common white snail is a small land snail of dry grassland, dunes, roadsides, gardens, and crop edges, especially in warm open habitats. It grazes by scraping grasses, herbs, algae, fungi, and detritus with its radula, moving mainly in damp weather or at night. During heat or drought it climbs vegetation or retreats into its shell, sealing the opening with dried mucus to reduce water loss. Its pale, often banded shell helps reflect sunlight and is one reason dense clusters may be seen resting on stems in exposed places.
- Type
- Shell
- Conservation status
- LC