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Saturday, 25 September 2021

25-9-2021 GANDIA, VALENCIA - WHITE ITALIAN SNAIL (Theba pisana)


The White Italian Snail (Theba pisana), also known as the white garden snail or sand hill snail, is a highly adaptive, land-dwelling mollusk native to the Mediterranean Basin.

Physical Characteristics

Shell Size: Adult shells typically measure 12 to 15 mm in diameter and 9 to 12 mm in height.

Coloration: The background shell color is usually ivory white.Patterns: Shells often display variable dark brown spiral bands made of dots, dashes, or solid lines.

Texture: Under magnification, the shell surface has distinctive cross-hatched vertical scratches.

Juvenile Trait: Young snails feature a sharp keel around their shell midline, which rounds out as they mature.

Habitat & Behavior

Preferences: They thrive in dry, sandy coastal areas, open scrublands, and dunes.

Aestivation: During hot summer months, they climb vertical structures like fences and tree trunks to escape ground heat.