Australia has about 3000 species of native land snails occurring in a wide range of environments from saltbush plains to tropical rainforests. Some of our introduced and native species are featured here.

Introduced species (vegetarian)

• Asian Tramp Snail
• European Garden Snail
• Giant African Snail
• Mediterranean Green Snail
• Orchid Snail

Our Native Snails (none of our native snails will eat your garden!)

• Bush and Panda Snails (Caryodidae)–
• Carnivorous Snails (Rhytididae)
• Glass snails and semi-slugs (Helicarionidae)
• Woodland Snails (Camaenidae)
• Native Slugs (Athoracophoridae)
• Pinwheel Snails (Charopidae)

We have 3 types of snail forms:

SNAILS: Terrestrial or land snails with a well developed external shell into which the animal can fully retreat have evolved from marine snails about 350 millions years ago

SEMI-SLUGS are snails with a partly reduced shell which is too small for the snail to retreat into fully

SLUGS which are land snails that have evolved to live without their shell. They often have a rudimentary shell internally

Snails and slugs represent 6% of the world’s terrestrial fauna. They have 2 subclasses or groups.

• OPERCULATES: These snails have an open pallial cavity which absorbs oxygen and 1 pair of tentacles. Australia has about 130 species.

Flared-lip Chrysalis-snail (Necopupina patcouperi)

Murray River Shrubland Snail (Cupedora Cassandra)

• PULMONATES which have  a lung and 2 pairs of tentacles. These are much more prolific and Australia has about 3000 species

Murray River Shrubland Snail (Cupedora Cassandra)