| Roman snail | |
|---|---|
| Helix pomatia | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| (unranked): | clade Heterobranchia clade Euthyneura |
| Superfamily: | Helicoidea |
| Family: | Helicidae |
| Subfamily: | Helicinae |
| Tribe: | Helicini |
| Genus: | Helix |
| Binomial name | |
| Helix pomatia Linnaeus, 1758[1] |
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Helix pomatia, common names the Burgundy snail, Roman snail, edible snail or escargot, is a species of large, edible, air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Helicidae. It is a European species.
This species is frequently farmed, and is called by the French name escargot when it is used in cooking.
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Distribution of Helix pomatia include:
south-eastern and central Europe:[2]
Western Europe:
Northern Europe:
Eastern Europe:
southern Europe:
The shell is creamy white to light brownish, often with indistinct brown colour bands.[2] The shell has 5-6 whorls.[2] The aperture is large.[2] The apertural margin is white and slightly reflected in adult snails.[2] The umbilicus is narrow and partly covered by the reflected columellar margin.[2]
The width of the shell is 30–50 mm.[2] The height of the shell is 30–45 mm.[2]
In south-eastern Europe Helix pomatia lives in forests and open habitats, gardens, vineyards, especially along rivers, confined to calcareous substrate.[2] In central Europe in open forests and shrubland on calcareous substrate.[2] It prefers high humidity and lower temperatures, needs loose soil to burrow in order to hibernate and lay its eggs.[2] It lives up to 2100 m in the Alps, usually below 2000 m.[2] In south England it is restricted to undisturbed grassy or bushy wastelands, usually not in gardens, with a low reproduction rate and low powers of dispersal.[2]
Average distance of migration reaches 3.5–6 m.[2]
This snail is hermaphroditic. Reproduction in central Europe occurs from end of May onwards.[2]
Eggs are laid in June and July, in clutches of 40-65 eggs.[2] The size of the egg is 5.5-6.5 mm[2] or 8.6 × 7.2 mm.[6] Juveniles hatch after 3–4 weeks, and may consume their siblings under unfavourable climate conditions.[2] Maturity is reached after 2–5 years.[2] The life span is up to 20 years.[2] 10 year-old individuals are probably not uncommon in natural populations.[2] The maximum lifespan is 35 years.[2]
During estivation or hibernation, this species creates a calcareous epiphragm in order to seal the opening of the shell.
This species is listed in IUCN red list as Least Concern. [7] It is found at http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/156519/0.
Helix pomatia is threatened by continuous habitat destructions and drainage, usually less threatened by commercial collections.[2] There were many unsuccessful attempts to establish the species in various parts of England, Scotland and Ireland; it only survived in natural habitats in southern England, and is threatened by intensive farming and habitat destruction.[2] It is of lower concern in Switzerland and Austria, but in many regions there are restrictions on commercial collecting.[2]
In the 2005 film What Is It? several of these snails appear: some die by crushing, others by salting.
This article incorporates public domain text from the reference.[2]
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