The Wood Snail Profile

Cepaea nemoralis, also known as the Wood snail or European snail, is a terrestrial snail that is admired for its attractive shell coloration. Moreover, this is one of the few snails that people have intentionally introduced into their gardens.

This species is pretty adaptable to different climates and displays remarkable polymorphism. Due to the fact that its shell varies so widely in color and color patterns, makes Cepaea nemoralis one of the most visually diverse species of land snails in the world.

So, if you are interested in keeping Cepaea nemoralis or simply want to learn more about these land snails, this guide has everything you need to know.

Quick Notes about Wood Snail

Etymology

The genus name “Cepaea” is derived from the Greek words “Kepaia” meaning “from a garden”.

The species name “Nemoralis” has Latin roots and means “of the woods” or “woodland”.

So, Cepaea nemoralis can be translated as the “Woodland garden snail”.

Taxonomy

• Domain: Eukaryota (Cells with a nucleus)
• Kingdom: Animalia (Multicellular animals)
• Phylum: Mollusca (Soft-bodied invertebrates)
• Class: Gastropoda (Snails and slugs)
• Order: Stylommatophora (Land snails)
• Family: Helicidae (Common land snails)
• Genus: Cepaea (A specific group of snails)
• Species: C. nemoralis

Distribution of Wood Snail

Cepaea nemoralis is relatively widespread.

In Europe, it can be found in Great Britain (except in the northern districts), Germany (mainly western), Austria, Denmark, North Italy, Switzerland, southern Sweden, Norway, France, Belgium, Holland, Croatia, Poland, North Spain, and in the European part of Russia (Kaliningrad).

In North America, it was introduced late. For example, several populations are now established in Kentucky, including a newly discovered population in Kenton County.

Habitat of Wood Snail

These snails live in a very wide range of habitats, including deciduous woodland, bushes, and grassland. In cities, they are often found in gardens, parks, and orchards.

Cepaea nemoralis is usually found in colonies that can range from a few to several hundred individuals. In nature, their colonies are generally separated either by canals or by pools, or areas with sparse vegetation.

Description of Wood Snail

Cepaea nemoralis is a terrestrial gastropod mollusk.

• Size. This is a relatively small snail. Although they can grow up to 1.4 inches (about 3.5 cm) long. However, in most cases, the average size of the shell is around 0.8 – 1 inch (2 – 2.5 cm) in length.
• Shell. The number of whorls ranges from 4.5 to 5.5.
• Lip. The lip of this mollusk is thickened and slightly protruding. It is usually dark brown in color, and less commonly whitish.
• Aperture. One of the distinguishing features of this species is the dark brown coloring of the aperture edges.
• Color. The shell can be yellow, pink, brown, or white. Some are unicolored, and unbanded, while others are striped with up to 5 dark brown longitudinal bands. These bands may be placed according to a variety of patterns. According to the study, this constitutes one of the main factors of the phenotypical variability of the species.

Notes:

• The yellow color of the shell appears to be recessive to the pink with brown dominant to pink.
• Some researchers believe that color and shell patterns can be explained by visual selection. Others presume that humidity might affect their color. However, the random variation in banding patterns suggests no clear link to environmental factors.

Lifespan of Wood Snail

The lifespan of Cepaea nemoralis varies across different environments and conditions, for example:

• In the laboratory at 66°F (19°C), faster-growing snails were observed to have longer adult lifespans.
• In natural populations, adult snails were found to live up to 8 years.
• Some laboratory experiments recorded lifespans of up to 7 years.
• In this study, adults survived for a maximum of 1.8 years.

Typical Behavior of Wood Snail

These snails are absolutely non-aggressive and docile by nature. They live in a colonial culture and can be considered social.

Like most snail species, Cepaea nemoralis is nocturnal. Generally, these snails emerge from their hiding places to rehydrate and forage after dark and are capable of substantial active movements.

This nocturnal behavior is very common for grazing invertebrates and is mainly associated with attempting to avoid visual predators whilst feeding.

These land snails can be classified as secondary burrowers. It means that they do not rely on burrows and do not spend all of their time there. They predominantly move in an upwind direction.

In the wild, during the colder months, Cepaea nemoralis enters hibernation, burying themselves in the forest litter. However, short periods of dormancy (for 3 – 15 days) can also occur during the warmer months, typically in response to drought, which they endure by retreating into the damp forest litter.

Features:

• Social: Yes
• Active: Yes
• Peaceful: Yes
• Burrowers: Yes
• Climbers: Yes

Diet of Wood Snail

Studies have shown that it is primarily a detrital feeder, eating dead and senescent leaves of higher plants. Dead plant materials are preferred to fresh, and herbs to grasse.

In captivity, it is essential to provide them with a balanced and varied diet. Here are some suggestions:

1. Fresh Vegetables and Greens:

• Salad leaves, spinach, and cabbage
• Cucumbers, zucchini, and carrots
• Dandelion leaves, plantain, and nettle leaves

2. Lichens and Mosses
3. Food Plants:

• Microalgae, moss, and small pieces of bark for scraping

4. Calcium Supplements (to strengthen the snail shell):

• Crushed eggshells,
• cuttlebone (squid bone),
• ground chalk

5. Detritus:

• Organic matter like fallen leaves,
• bark,
• compost will help mimic the snail’s natural habitat

Foods to Avoid

• acidic,
• salty,
• spicy,
• fried,
• smoked,
• sweets (like candy),
• flour (including bread).

Related articles:

• Feeding Guide for African Giant Land Snails
• How to Supplement Shrimp and Snails with Calcium

Keeping and Housing Wood Snail

Enclosure type:

It can be either an aquarium or a plastic container.

In most cases, plastic containers can be a great choice. They are cheap and what is more important, you can easily drill a few small holes on two opposite sides of the walls to create proper ventilation.

Enclosure Size:

For example, a 5-gallon (20 liters) tank will be good enough for 6 – 7 snails. For each additional snail, an extra 0.5 gallon (2 liters) of volume will be required.

So, you can easily start with the plastic boxes as small as 8x8x4 inches (20x20x10 cm). The boxes should be translucent (not transparent) to avoid too much light.

Temperature:

The optimal temperature range for Cepaea nemoralis is between 68 – 82°F (20 – 28°C).

Lower temperatures will decrease the activity of the snails. If the temperature drops below 50°F (or 10°C), they stop growing and fall into hibernation.

Humidity:

The humidity level should be 70 – 90%.

These snails need moist, and humid air to breathe properly. If the humidity is too low or too high, it can also negatively impact their growth.

However, during their periods of dormancy, the humidity level should be between 50 to 70%.

Lighting:

No special requirements. You may not even need one. However, do not keep them in the light-blocked containers.

It was also noticed that in paludariums with at least transparent walls, the offspring grow faster compared to the light-blocked containers.

Water:

Wood snails need water. So, spraying them with water twice daily will keep the humidity level and provide enough water to keep them healthy.

Water is especially important if you give snails dry food.

Substrate:

The substrate should not have too much sand or too much clay. These snails are not strong enough to dig hard and dry clay whereas sand cannot maintain enough moisture for a long time.

Therefore, the bottom should be lined with a layer of substrate where moisture-loving plants can thrive. It will be great if your soil contains 20-40% organic. Basically, the soil should be similar to garden soil.

Decorations:

The main purpose of adding decor is to recreate natural habitats and create an optimal environment for the snails.

Therefore, cork, bark, wood, PVC pipes, leaves, rocks, live plants, fake plants, and other decorations offer ample surface area for biofilm to thrive. Thus, any decors will be a good choice.

Breeding Wood Snail

Cepaea nemoralis is hermaphrodites. They reach sexual maturity upon achieving maximum shell size.

Unfortunately, they are pretty slow growers. Under optimal conditions, it may take them 1 year. However, on average, it generally takes 2 – 3 years to reach sexual maturity and their full size.

Some facts about these snails:

1. Mating occurs in the spring through mutual stimulation of partners with a love dart. 
2. They mate more than once.
3. As a result, each snail, in a single brood, can produce offspring from several matings.
4. Snails can store sperm from their partners for a long period of time.
5. They lay eggs in the substrate.
6. Each clutch contains 20 to 40 eggs. Eggs are white, elliptical, and measure about 2.3-3.1 mm.
7. A single snail can produce up to 80 offspring per year.
8. Depending on the temperature, incubation lasts 2-3 weeks.
9. After hatching, baby snails remain in the substrate, consuming remnants of the eggshell.
10. Young snails feed on soft greens, such as tender lettuce leaves and grated carrots.

In Conclusion

Thanks to its beauty, Wood snails can be an interesting addition not only to your garden but also as a pet in a paludarium.

The snail is quite hardy and adaptable. However, the main challenge in keeping it in captivity is ensuring proper nutrition. Therefore, if you are not prepared to provide a varied diet, it’s best to consider other options, such as large African snails or even common garden snails, instead.

Main foto credit: hedera.baltica

Related articles:

1. Archachatina Marginata – Detailed Guide: Care, Diet and Breeding
2. Giant African Land Snails – Detailed Guide: Care, Diet and Breeding
3. Garden Snail Profile and Care Guide

References:

1. Lamotte, Maxime. “Polymorphism of natural populations of Cepaea nemoralis.” In Cold spring harbor symposia on quantitative biology, vol. 24, pp. 65-86. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 1959.
2. Cain, A. J., J. M. B. King, and P. M. Sheppard. “New data on the genetics of polymorphism in the snail Cepaea nemoralis L.” Genetics45, no. 4 (1960): 393.
3. Cook, L. M. “Variation with habitat in Cepaea nemoralis: the Cain & Sheppard diagram.” Journal of Molluscan Studies74, no. 3 (2008): 239-243.
4. Williamson, P., and R. A. D. Cameron. “Natural diet of the landsnail Cepaea nemoralis.” Oikos(1976): 493-500.
5. Oosterhoff, Lucette Martha. “Variation in growth rate as an ecological factor in the landsnail Cepaea nemoralis (L.).” (1977).
6. Whitson, Maggie. “Cepaea nemoralis (Gastropoda, Helicidae): the invited invader.” Journal of the Kentucky Academy of Science66, no. 2 (2005): 82-88.
7. Ozgo, M., and Aleksandra Kubea. “Humidity and the effect of shell colour on activity of Cepaea nemoralis (Linnaeus, 1758).” Folia Malacologica13, no. 3 (2005).
8. Murray, James. “Multiple mating and effective population size in Cepaea nemoralis.” Evolution(1964): 283-291.