Habitats of Molluscs: Gardens

Common species frequently associated with gardens in Britain.

Garden habitat

The common species most frequently found in this habitat include:–
Slugs: Arion ater (agg.), Arion hortensis (agg.), Boettgerilla pallens,  Deroceras reticulatum, Lehmannia valentiana, Limacus flavus, Tandonia budapestensis, Tandonia sowerbyi, Testacella sp.

Snails: Cepaea hortensis, C. nemoralis, Discus rotundatus, Cornu aspersum, Monacha cantiana, Oxychilus cellarius, O. draparnaudi, O. alliarius, Trochulus striolata.

The Testacella species are subterranean by nature, emerging at night to feed on earthworms and on other slugs, and so are rarely seen. In Britain, Testacella scutulum and T. haliotidea occur mainly towards the east of the country, and T. maugei occurs in the south west.

The nomenclature used in the list follows "An annoted list of the non-marine mollusca of Britain and Ireland."  by Dr. Roy Anderson,  2005 in Journal of Conchology Vol. 38: Part 6 pages 607– 637, which may also be accessed from the menu to the left under 'British Non-marine List'

Many of these species are included in the illustrated key which may be accessed from the top menu under 'Identification Aids' or via this link.