Stats

Lifespan: 2-3 yrs
Size: Medium
Diet: Herbivore
Activity: Nocturnal
Social: Solitary
Biome: Temperate woodland
Range: Europe
Movement: Slithering
Breeding: Egg-laying
Defense: Armor
Status: Common

About

The white-lipped snail is a small European land snail instantly recognisable by its almost-always white aperture lip and a shell that ranges from yellow to pink or brown, often adorned with up to five dark spiral bands. Its shell-colour polymorphism is one of the most studied examples of natural selection in action — different band patterns offer camouflage advantages across habitats.

Life cycle

1.
juvenile
A juvenile mollusk takes adult form after its larval phase and begins building or growing its shell.
2.
adult
Fully grown at adult shell size or body length.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Stylommatophora
Family: Helicidae
Genus: Cepaea
Species: Cepaea hortensis