Garden Snail (Cornu aspersum) — A banded garden snail in Israel.

Creator: [Zachi Evenor](https://www.flickr.com/people/zachievenor), [Wikimedia Commons source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Snail-wiki-120-Zachi-Evenor.jpg), CC BY 2.0. Licence: [CC BY 2.0 deed](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en).

Licence: CC BY 2.0

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Species record

Garden Snail

Cornu aspersum

Explore the Garden Snail (Cornu aspersum) species record in The Ark Is Earth, including classification, habitat, distribution, conservation information, and sources.

Summary

The brown garden snail, Cornu aspersum, is a land snail native to northern Africa and the Mediterranean that has been introduced to many other regions. It feeds on plant material and favors moist cover with nearby food. During dry weather it can seal its shell opening and remain inactive until humidity returns; where introduced, it can damage crops and ornamental plants.

Classification in this archive

Kingdom: Animals
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Stylommatophora
Family: Helicidae
Genus: Cornu

Habitat and distribution

Selected documented locations — not a complete species range.

Habitat: moist terrestrial cover, vegetated gardens, crop plantings, shrubland, grassland
Selected regions: Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America

Conservation status

Conservation status not recorded.

IUCN Red List — Cornu aspersum (Europe assessment, 2026)Accessed 2026-10-01

Did you know?

Garden snails have both male and female reproductive organs, but usually cross-fertilize with another snail.
During dry weather, a garden snail can seal its shell opening and become active again when conditions are humid.

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Sources and attribution

Conservation
IUCN Red List — Cornu aspersum (Europe assessment, 2026)
Accessed 2026-10-01
General
UF/IFAS Featured Creatures — Brown Garden Snail (Cornu aspersum)
Accessed 2026-10-01