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Field Guide to Texas Snail Shells

New ID-friendly style in development

The new style will feature stats on the shells and biology of each species, all in one place and easily downloadable as a high-resolution .jpeg image.

Land Snails

Family Bradybaenidae

Asian Tramp Snail

Asian Tramp Snail 

Bradybaena similaris (Férussac, 1821)  

  

Size: 15mm diameter, 9- 11mm tall   

Origin: Southeast Asia  

Distribution: Southeast United States   

Description: The shell is round with 5 whorls, and is polymorphic: brown or yellow, usually with a dark band running up the whorls tangent to the shoulder.   

Distinguishing Features: Perforate, reflected. This snail can be either white, tan, or brown, and usually has a dark band.  

Find out more

Family Bulimulidae

Striped Rabdotus

Whitewashed Rabdotus

Whitewashed Rabdotus

Striped Rabdotus

Rabdotus alternatus  (Say, 1830)


Size: 25mm tall 

Origin: Native 

Distribution: Southwest United States Habitat:  prairie, limestone hills, riverbanks 

Description: This shell is usually opaque pale white with faint stripes.


Whitewashed Rabdotus

Whitewashed Rabdotus

Whitewashed Rabdotus

Whitewashed Rabdotus

Rabdotus dealbatus  (Say, 1830) 


Size: 25mm tall 

Origin: Native 

Distribution: Southwest United States 

Habitat: prairie, limestone hills, riverbanks   


Description: Tall, conical shell with 5-6 whorls. Pale color with faint stripes.

Marie's Rabdotus

Whitewashed Rabdotus

Marie's Rabdotus

Marie's Rabdotus 

R. alternatus mariae  (Albers, 1850)   


Size: 25mm tall  

Origin: Native 

Distribution: Southwest United States Habitat:  prairie, mesquite hills

Description: This subspecies is usually pale white.

Family Discidae

Southeastern Tiger Snail

Southeastern Tigersnail

Anguispira strongylodes  (Pfeiffer, 1854)


Size:  25mm diameter

Origin: Native

Distribution: Southeast United States


Habitat: Forest, wooded areas.

Description:  A round, disc-shaped shell with lateral grooves and a rough texture. It is tan or cream-colored with reddish-brown flecks and dashes, hence the name "tiger snail."  

Family Helicidae

Brown Garden Snail

Brown Garden Snail

Brown Garden Snail

Brown Garden Snail

Cornu aspersum* (Müller, 1774) 


Size:  25-38 mm diameter 

Origin: Europe, Mediterranean

Distribution: North America


Habitat: gardens, yards


Description: The globular shell is brown or tawny with dark bands with light flecks.  The surface is finely wrinkled and covered with a film-like periostracum that tends to flake off with age. 

Distinguishing Features: Imperforate, reflected, white lip.



* Formerly known as Helix Aspersa                

Milk Snail

Brown Garden Snail

Brown Garden Snail

Milk Snail

Otala lactea  (Müller, 1774)


Size:  25-30 mm diameter 

Origin: Europe

Distribution: West Texas, Harris County

Habitat: gardens, shrubs, heavy vegetation 

Description: The shell is milky white or cream colored, often with faint bands and fleck marks. Some forms have bold brown lateral bands and stripes.

Distinguishing Features: Imperforate, reflected, uniformly dark mouth.  


This snail was once known as the Spanish Edible Snail

Family Helicinidae

Globular Drop Snail

Globular Drop

Olygyra orbiculata (Say, 1818) 


Size:  8mm diameter, 8mm tall 

Origin:  Native
 

Distribution: Southeast United States
 

Habitat:  Soil, leaf detritus, bushes, areas near water 

Description:  Round, spherical shell, sometimes with a light band encircling the whorls. Colors range from red, orange, yellow and white to brown, grey, and greenish. The eyes are located directly on the body. It has two tentacles and an operculum, but no eyestalks. 

Family Polygyridae

Banded Scrub Snail

Vagrant Scrub Snail

Vagrant Scrub Snail

Banded Scrubsnail

Praticolella berlandieriana (Moricand, 1833)


Size: 10mm diameter, 8mm tall 

Origin: Native

Distribution: Texas


Habitat: Prairie ecosystem

Description: A round, pale shell, usually with a faint band running along the side. The lip is squared at the shoulder and curls tightly to meet the shell.  

Distinguishing Features: Perforate, squared aperture, reflected lip. 


Vagrant Scrub Snail

Vagrant Scrub Snail

Vagrant Scrub Snail

Vagrant Scrubsnail

Praticolella griseola (Pfeiffer, 1841) 


Size: 12mm diameter

Origin: Native

Distribution: Southeast United States

Habitat: Prairie ecosystem


Description: The shell is round and translucent. The color is gray with dark bands and flecked patterning.

Distinguishing Features: Perforate, reflected.

Lowland Pill Snail

Vagrant Scrub Snail

Lowland Pill Snail

Lowland Pillsnail

Euchemotrema leai aliciae 

(A. Binney, 1841)


Size:  13mm diameter 

Origin: Native

Distribution: Southeast United States



Habitat: Forest, wooded areas, near water.


Description: Round shell, usually brown and covered in stubble-like protrusions. The aperture has a single long parietal tooth.

Distinguishing Features: Fuzzy periostracum, perforate, irregular lip, elongate parietal tooth.


Southern Flatcoil

Grassland Liptooth

Lowland Pill Snail

Southern Flatcoil

Polygyra cereolus (Mühlfeld, 1816)


Size:  8mm diameter, 3mm tall

Origin: Native

Distribution: Southeast United States


Habitat: dead wood, gardens, shrubs, sides & bases of structures, dirt, soil, bushes, wet sidewalks.


Description:  Round, flat shell, usually brown with dark flecks and fine grooves, much like a rope. The aperture is round with a single tooth, and the umbilicus is obvious. 

Distinguishing Features: Perforate, reflected. 


Grassland Liptooth

Grassland Liptooth

Grassland Liptooth

Grassland Liptooth

Millerelix mooreana (Binney, 1858)


Size: 10mm diameter 

Origin: Native

Distribution: Texas



Habitat: dead wood, detritus, dirt & soil, under wood.


Description: Circular, short shell, usually tan, brown, or yellow-colored.  

Distinguishing Features: Perforate, reflected.
 


This species is practically indistinguishable from the Texas Liptooth, Linisa texasiana (Moricand, 1833).


Texas Threetooth

Grassland Liptooth

Grassland Liptooth

Texas Threetooth

Triodopsis vultuosa (Gould, 1848)


Size: 12mm diameter 

Origin: Native

Distribution: Texas



Habitat: dead wood, leaf detritus, dirt & soil; under wood.


Description: Circular, ribbed shell, dark brown periostracum. The parietal tooth is wedge-shaped. 

Distinguishing Features: Perforate, reflected, 2 lip teeth, one parietal tooth.


White Lip Globe

White Lip Globe

White Lip Globe

White-lip Globe

Mesodon thyroidus  (Say, 1817)


Size:  28mm diameter 

Origin: Native

Distribution: Southeast United States


Habitat: Prairie conditions, wooded areas, creek beds.


Description:  Round, sub-globose shell. The surface is usually yellowish-tan and finely ribbed.

Distinguishing Features: Perforate, reflected, single parietal tooth. 



NOTE: The opaque periostracum pictured here is unusual. Shells of this snail are usually somewhat lighter and translucent. 

Texas Oval

White Lip Globe

White Lip Globe

Texas Oval

Patera roemeri  (Pfeiffer, 1848). 


Size:  25mm diameter 

Origin: Native

Distribution: Central & West Texas


Habitat: Forest, prairie, near water.


Description: Round, flat, sub-globose shell. The surface is tan and fairly smooth. The parietal tooth is usually present but often missing.

Distinguishing Features: Imperforate, reflected, single parietal tooth.

Yellow Globelet

White Lip Globe

Yellow Globelet

Yellow Globelet

Mesodon clausus  (Say, 1821)


Size:  25mm diameter 

Origin: Native

Distribution: Central & West Texas

Habitat: Forest, wooded areas, near water.


Description:  Round, sub-globose shell. The surface is translucent and is finely ribbed.

Distinguishing Features: Perforate, reflected, NO parietal tooth. 

Family Spiraxidae

Rosy Wolf Snail

Striate Wolf Snail

Striate Wolf Snail

Rosy Wolf Snail 

Euglandina rosea  (Férussac, 1821)   


Size: 40-60mm   

Origin: Southeastern United States, probably Florida  

Distribution: Southeastern United States; Introduced to Hawaii in the 1950s

Habitat:  Underbrush and wooded areas

Description: Conical shell, pinkish-brown or orange in color with lateral grooves.     

Distinguishing Features: Conical, imperforate, NOT reflected. This snail is a predator that actively hunts smaller snails.

Find out more

Striate Wolf Snail

Striate Wolf Snail

Striate Wolf Snail

Striate Wolf Snail  

Euglandina singleyana  (Binney, 1892)     


Size: 25-40mm    

Origin: Native

Distribution: Central Texas 

Habitat:  Underbrush in wooded areas 

Description: Conical shell, pinkish-brown or orange in color with lateral grooves.      

Distinguishing Features: Conical, imperforate, NOT reflected. 

Find out more

Family Subulinidae

Decollate Snail

Graceful Awl Snail

Graceful Awl Snail

Decollate Snail 

Rumina decollata  (Linnaeus, 1758)  


Size:  25-40mm tall (shell) 

Origin:  Mediterranean region 

Distribution: Central Texas & California

Habitat: prairie ecosystems, wooded areas, riverbanks 

Description: This snail loses its apex, resulting in a broken look. This also affects the overall height of the shell. The shell is usually brown or tan, and the body is gray. 

Distinguishing Features: Perforate, NOT reflected, missing apex.
This species is carnivorous and eats other snails. 

Graceful Awl Snail

Graceful Awl Snail

Graceful Awl Snail

Graceful Awlsnail

Allopeas gracile (Hutton, 1834)

  

Size: 12mm tall (shell) 

Origin:  Unknown 

Distribution: Worldwide 

Confirmed Location(s):  Harris County, Industry, San Marcos River Habitat:  unknown 

Description:  Tall, conical shell with 7-9 whorls whorls. Pale color with faint stripes. Live specimens are bright yellow and violet. 

Distinguishing Features: conical, perforate, NOT reflected.


Family Succineidae

Amber Snail (various species)

Succinea & Oxyloma  sp. 


Size:  5-15mm tall 

Origin:  Native   

Distribution: North America  

Habitat: areas next to fresh water   

Description: Extremely thin & fragile shell with a large aperture. Shells are pale white or translucent 

Family Zonitidae

Perforate Dome

Perforate Dome

Ventridens demissus  (Binney, 1847) 


Size: 10- 12mm diameter, 5- 7mm tall 

Origin:  Native
 

Distribution: Southeast United States
 

Habitat: Soil, leaf detritus, bushes, areas near water 

Description: Circular shell, glassy surface.  Slick to the touch. There is often a pale slash on the ventral side near the aperture.  

Distinguishing Features: Perforate, NOT reflected  

Freshwater Snails

Family Ampullariidae

Island Apple Snail

Island Apple Snail (FRESHWATER)

Pomacea insularum (d'Orbigny 1837).  


Size: 70-80mm diameter, 80mm tall   

Origin: Uruguay, Argentina 

Distribution: Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida    

Habitat: Freshwater inlets, retention ponds, lakes, bayous, reservoirs   

Description:  The shell is rounded with a small apex. Large specimens are about the size of a baseball. The shell is usually green with dark stripes, and is often found with a thick coating of algae. It has an operculum. The body has two tentacles, a long pair of antennae, and a siphon. It lays pink eggs.  

Distinguishing Features: Perforate, not reflected, operculate.

Family Physidae

Physella

Physella (FRESHWATER)

Physella sp.  


Size: 5-10mm 

Origin: Native

Distribution: Unknown

Habitat: Retention ponds, drainage ditches, creeks, reservoirs

Description:  The shell is uniformly sinistral, with the aperture on the left side. It is usually a dark brown color, and the surface is quite smooth.

Distinguishing Features: Sinistral, imperforate, not reflected. 


This snail can adjust its buoyancy and float on the surface of the water. 

Family Thiaridae

Red Rim Melania

Red Rim Melania (FRESHWATER)

Melanoides tuberculatus (Müller, 1774)   


Size: 20-30mm tall (shell).   

Origin: Malaysia   

Distribution: Worldwide   

Habitat: Creeks, ditches, retention ponds

Description:  The shell is tall and auger-shaped with about 9 whorls. The color is grayish-brown, with flecks of red or chestnut color. The apex is generally bleached white. The body is a ruddy color and has an operculum.   

Distinguishing Features: Perforate, not reflected, operculate.    


This snail travels from place to place on aquatic plants that are exported through the aquarium trade.

Slugs

Family Limacidae

Garden Slug

Evening Field Slug

Evening Field Slug

Garden Slug

Limacus flavus  (Linnaeus, 1758) 


Size: 50-100mm

Origin: Europe

Distribution: Worldwide 

Habitat: Wherever people are. Flower beds, yards, gardens. They prefer leaf detritus and rotting wood. 

Description: This slug has slick, scaly-looking skin that is usually mottled with gray and green coloration. 

Evening Field Slug

Evening Field Slug

Evening Field Slug

Evening Field Slug

Deroceras laeve  (Müller, 1774) 




Size: 25-40mm 


Origin: Unknown

Distribution: Unknown 



Habitat: Leaf detritus, rotting wood, soil, under flat surfaces.
 Often seen on wet sidewalks on warm nights.

Description:  This slug is usually gray or brown in color. The head can stretch out far from the hood.

Family Veronicellidae

Black Velvet Leatherleaf

Black Velvet Leatherleaf

Belocaulus angustipes  (Heynemann, 1885)


Size: 50+ mm long. 

Origin: Unknown (probably exotic)  

Distribution: Unknown (probably limited to urban areas)

Habitat: Leaf detritus, under rocks and wood. 

Description: Flat, matte black body with a short hood over the eyestalks. The skin looks like dry velvet, but slimes to the touch. The dorsal side is black, the ventral is tan or yellow.

 

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