Slugs and snails

We've already got threads for flowers, birds, and insects and spiders but nothing for the humble snail and other Gastropods. So here is one for these slimy, whorled wonders.

I'm no expert but I'm pretty confident with these three I saw while walking along the Thames today. First up is a Brown-lipped Sail (Cepaea nemoralis)

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this one is a White-lipped Snail (Cepaea hotensis)

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and the third is an Amber Snail (Succinea putris)

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Snails are cool as long as they’re not on my allotment. Slugs can get in the bin…

Yum,

Ha! Never tried them - should I?

I did for the first time last year and they were pretty good (drowned in garlic butter)

That's the thing though, most savory food is improved if you use enough garlic and butter?

^ this. They are just a vehicle to get more garlic butter into you.

There’s a decent amount of writing on the guardian about Uk brown garden snails, which are apparently the same species as French garden snails aka escargots. If you have a snail problem and don’t object to eating them, buy a bucket with a lid, put your old veg in it, and keep some snails in there for a week to cleanse their systems. Then they’re ready to go.

So another new snail for me this morning, not surprising given I've never really looked at them before. This one is a Girdled Snail (Hygromia cinctella) - they have a slightly flattened shell with a white or pale line along the apex of the flattened whorl. Originally native to the Med, but now found across parts of Northern Europe (including the Thames Valley).

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We have more of an issue with slugs - anyone got any good recipes for them?

I highly recommend this film for tips on how to deal with slugs, man eating or otherwise.

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Found this perky little fella this morning: it's a Plaited Door-Snail (Cochlodina laminata). A shiny shell and a sinistral twist are the clues to the ID apparently.

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Spotted this big lad in Gatton Park today, a Roman snail?

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