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Terrestrial Snails

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Terrestrial Snails


Exotic snails are of concern for many reasons.

The invasive snail eats cereal and legume crops, pasture vegetation, and many types of native plants. The snails can climb plants and extrete mucus onto plant parts it touches. This can harm the plant and impact it's products. Snails also carry many plant, animal, and human diseases.

They lack natural predators and can overpopulate areas. Their shells also make harvest difficult because they can clog and damage machinery. 

They can attach themselves to transport vehiles and spread themselves into new areas.

The Vineyard Snail


The vineyard snail (Cernuella virgata) has certain characteristics you can use to help identify it.

  • Their shell is a high convex spire with 5-7 convex whorls, small umbilicus, mouth round with an internal rib which may be white or brown.
  • They are colored white or ginger, usually with dark brown spiral band
  • Their size is 10-20 mm diameter.

The Wrinkled Dune Snail


The wrinkled dune snail has certain characteristics you can use to help identify it.

  • Their shell is depressed globular, spire flattened with 4-5 convex whorls with narrow umbilicus
  • Their coloration is whitish or yellowish white with dark bands and spots
  • Their size is 7-11 mm diameter

Detections


Cernulla virgata has many nicknames. It may go by the vineyard snail but also may be called the mediterranean white snail. This invasive snail eats cereal (grain) and legume crops, pasture vegetation, and likely many types of native plants. 

Vineyard snails were detected at the port of Tacoma in 2005. This is still being addressed through joint efforts by the Washington State Department of Agriculture and the Port of Tacoma. By working together, the snail-infested area has been reduced to one small area on port property. WSDA and the Port of Tacoma continue to work together to eliminate this infestation. 

To learn more about the pest, read the fact sheet from Washington Invasive Species Council here. 

If you suspect you have found an invasive snail, take a picture, note the location and report it. You can report online using the button below.

How can invasive snails get here?

Invasive snails typically reach the United States on shipping containers.

The snails like to attach to shipping containers. As the container moves, the snail transports with the shipping container.

Importers examine shipment that enters to their facility to inspect for any hitchhiking snails. If exotic snails are detected they are reported. Cooperation in reporting exotic pests can result in saving US taxpayers millions of dollars per year and reducing agricultural concerns among US trading partners. 

Stay Informed

Want to stay informed about WSDA's invasive snails and mollusks program? Sign up for email updates.

 

Additional Resources

Click the links below for additional resources on invasive snails.

Wanted Dead or Alive Exotic Snails WSDA booklet