Species group · Gastropods

Snails

WAnimals has 11 species of snail, spread across 10 families (Achatinidae, Bullidae, Camaenidae, Conidae, Fasciolariidae, Helicidae, Hydatinidae, Succineidae, Terebridae, Turbinidae).

11 species
10 families
205 countries
90 parks
Weight
25 g – 45 g
Length
2 cm – 60 cm
Lifespan
2 – 16 years

Ranges calculated from the entries that record the figure, not from all 11.

All 11 species of snails on WAnimals

Each one has its own full entry. This group does not replace them: it brings them together.

Conservation status

7 Not Evaluated3 Least Concern1 Near Threatened

No species documented in this group is genuinely at risk according to the IUCN, with the data available today.

See the global conservation status

Where they live

Recorded in 205 countries. The ones with the most species in the group:

Where to see them

Did you know…

  • Paradoxically, some components of its venom have been used to develop painkillers.

    From Geography Cone

  • It takes small and medium-sized fish with a venomous harpoon, lying half-buried in the sediment of shallow reefs.

    From Geography Cone

  • At least 36 documented human deaths over 300 years are attributed to it.

    From Geography Cone

  • Its calcareous operculum — thick, white and domed — is sold as an ornament and known as a cat's eye.

    From Green Snail

  • An adult can weigh two kilos, almost all of it shell.

    From Green Snail

  • It is one of the largest marine snails in the world, with a shell of up to 20 cm and a weight of more than two kilos.

    From Green Snail

  • Sclerochronology studies using stable isotopes show that it lives only some 16 years and that the females do not begin breeding until 6 or 7, so that collecting the largest individuals removes precisely the breeders.

    From Horse Conch

  • It has been the official state shell of Florida since 1969.

    From Horse Conch

Ecosystems

See every species group · Explore the species one by one