Roman snail

Helix pomatia

Roman snails are the largest snail in Great Britain, measuring up to four inches (100mm) in length and two inches (50mm) in height. They are whitish grey to light yellowish brown in colour and this, combined with their size, makes them easy to recognise. Roman snails are hermaphrodite, which means they have both male and female sexual organs and can therefore mate with any other snail and lay eggs.

What habitats does it normally live in?

As with other snails they use the calcium carbonate in the soil to build their shells. They are active from May to August, living in rough limestone grassland close to the edges of woods, scrub and hedges. During the winter they hibernate, sealing off their shells with a lid and burrowing into the earth. It is thought that in their lifetime, which may be as long as ten years, they do not move outside of an area 30m square.

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