Helix pomatia

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Helix pomatia
Helix pomatia 89a.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Heterobranchia
Order: Stylommatophora
Family: Helicidae
Subfamily: Helicinae
Tribe: Helicini
Genus: Helix
Species:
H. pomatia
Binomial name
Helix pomatia
Synonyms

see text

Helix pomatia, common names are the Roman snail, Burgundy snail, or escargot , is a species of large, air-breathing stylommatophoran land snail native to Europe. It is characterized by a globular brown shell. It is an edible species. Helix pomatia commonly occurs synanthropically throughout its range.

Contents

Distribution

Distribution map of H. pomatia showing the European countries where the species is present Helix-pomatia Presence in European countries.png
Distribution map of H. pomatia showing the European countries where the species is present
In Odenwald, Germany SnailMeeting.jpg
In Odenwald, Germany
Helix pomatia, light micrograph of an eye; 1 anterior chamber, 2 lens, 3 retina, 4 optic nerve Helix pomatia eye microscopical.jpg
Helix pomatia, light micrograph of an eye; 1 anterior chamber, 2 lens, 3 retina, 4 optic nerve

The present distribution of Helix pomatia is considerably affected by the dispersion of humans and synanthropic occurrences. The northern limits of their natural distribution run presumably through central Germany and southern Poland with the eastern range limits running through western-most Ukraine and Moldova/Romania to Bulgaria. In the south, the species reaches northern Bulgaria, central Serbia, Bosnia and Hezegovina and Croatia. It occurs in northern Italy southwards to the Po and the Ligurian Apennines. Westerly the native range extends to eastern France. [3] [4]

Helix pomatia is now distributed up to western Belarus and the Baltic states, the south of Finland, Sweden and Norway, Denmark, northern Germany, and the Benelux. Scattered introduced populations occur westwards up to northern Spain. In Great Britain, it lives on chalk soils in the south and west of England. In the east, it was introduced up to the Volga. [3] [4] Introduced populations also exist in eastern United States and Canada. [5]

Description

View of a shell of Helix pomatia Helix pomatia MHNT.ZOO.2002.0.33.jpg
View of a shell of Helix pomatia

The shell is creamy white to light brownish, often with indistinct brown colour bands although sometimes the banding is well developed and conspicuous. The shell has five to six whorls. The aperture is large. The apertural margin is white and slightly reflected in adult snails. The umbilicus is narrow and partly covered by the reflected columellar margin. [6]

The width of the shell is 30–50 millimetres (1.2–2.0 inches). [6] The height of the shell is 30–45 mm (1.2–1.8 in). [6]

Ecology

Habitat

In Central Europe, it occurs in open forests and shrubland on calcareous substrate. [6] It prefers high humidity and lower temperatures, and needs loose soil for burrowing to hibernate and lay its eggs. [6] It lives up to 2,100 m (6,900 ft) above sea level in the Alps, but usually below 2,000 m (6,600 ft). [6] In the south of England, it is restricted to undisturbed grassy or bushy wastelands, usually not in gardens; it has a low reproduction rate and low powers of dispersal. [6]

Lifecycle

Average distance of migration reaches 3.5–6.0 m (11.5–19.7 ft). [6]

Helix pomatia (left) laying eggs Vinbergssnacka lagger agg.jpg
Helix pomatia (left) laying eggs
A picture of a H. pomatia juvenile, about 2-3 years old Helix pomatia juvenile - Igor.jpg
A picture of a H. pomatia juvenile, about 2–3 years old

This snail is hermaphroditic. Reproduction in Central Europe begins at the end of May. [6]

Eggs are laid in June and July, in clutches of 40–65 eggs. [6] The size of the egg is 5.5–6.5 mm [6] or 8.6 × 7.2 mm. [7] Juveniles hatch after three to four weeks, and may consume their siblings under unfavourable climate conditions. [6] Maturity is reached after two to five years. [6] The life span is up to 20 years, but they often die sooner due to drying in summer and freezing in winter. [6] Ten-year-old individuals are probably not uncommon in natural populations. [6] The maximum lifespan is 35 years. [6]

During estivation or hibernation, H. pomatia is one of the few species that is capable of creating a calcareous epiphragm to seal the opening of its shell.

Conservation

This species is listed in IUCN Red List, and in European Red List of Non-marine Molluscs as of least concern. [8] [9] H. pomatia is threatened by continuous habitat destructions and drainage, usually less threatened by commercial collections. [6] Many unsuccessful attempts have been made 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. [6] It is of lower concern in Switzerland and Austria, but many regions restrict commercial collecting. [6]

Within its native range, Helix pomatia is mostly a common species. It is also considered Least Concern by the IUCN red list. However, it is listed in the Annex V of the EU's Habitats Directive and protected by law in several countries to regulate harvesting from free living populations.

Cultivation

In Japan, the Mie Escargot Farm succeeded in the complete cultivation of the Burgundy species (Pomatia). [15]

Uses

The intestinal juice of H. pomatia contains large amounts of aryl, steroid, and glucosinolate sulfatase activities. These sulfatases have a broad specificity, so they are commonly used as a hydrolyzing agent in analytical procedures such as chromatography where they are used to prepare samples for analysis. [16]

Culinary use and history

Cooked snails are called escargots. Cooked snails.JPG
Cooked snails are called escargots .

Roman snails were eaten by both Ancient Greeks and Romans. [17]

Nowadays, these snails are especially popular in French cuisine. In the English language, it is called by the French name escargot when used in cooking (escargot simply means snail).

Although this species is highly prized as a food, it is difficult to cultivate and is rarely farmed commercially. [18]

Synonyms

Related Research Articles

<i>Helix</i> (gastropod) Genus of gastropods

Helix is a genus of large, air-breathing land snails native to the western Palaearctic and characterized by a globular shell.

<i>Cornu aspersum</i> Species of edible land snail

Cornu aspersum, known by the common name garden snail, is a species of land snail in the family Helicidae, which includes some of the most familiar land snails. Of all terrestrial molluscs, this species may well be the most widely known. It was classified under the name Helix aspersa for over two centuries, but the prevailing classification now places it in the genus Cornu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epiphragm</span> Temporary barrier produced by snails

An epiphragm is a temporary structure which can be created by many species of shelled, air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks. It can also be created by freshwater snails when temporary pools dry up.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helicidae</span> Family of gastropods

Helicidae is a large, diverse family of western Palaearctic, medium to large-sized, air-breathing land snails, sometimes called the "typical snails." It includes some of the largest European land snails, several species are common in anthropogenic habitats, and some became invasive on other continents. A number of species in this family are valued as food items, including Cornu aspersum the brown or garden snail, and Helix pomatia. The biologies of these two species in particular have been thoroughly studied and documented.

<i>Helix lucorum</i> Species of gastropod

Helix lucorum is a species of large, edible, air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Helicidae, the typical snails.

<i>Helix ceratina</i> Species of gastropod

Helix ceratina, the Corsican snail, is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Helicidae, the typical snails.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Land snail</span> Common name for many species of snail

A land snail is any of the numerous species of snail that live on land, as opposed to the sea snails and freshwater snails. Land snail is the common name for terrestrial gastropod mollusks that have shells. However, it is not always easy to say which species are terrestrial, because some are more or less amphibious between land and fresh water, and others are relatively amphibious between land and salt water.

<i>Cochlicella</i> Genus of gastropods

Cochlicella is a genus of small, narrow-shelled, air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Geomitridae, previously placed in the Helicidae, Cochlicellidae or Hygromiidae.

Helix nucula is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Helicidae, the typical snails. It has a rounded shell with white aperture margins; it differs from the similar Helix figulina by fine spiral grooves on the upper shell surface. Previously, the name H. nucula was used also for Helix pronuba, an unrelated species occurring in North Africa and on Crete, creating some confusion in the literature.

<i>Helix cincta</i> Species of mollusc

Helix cincta is a species of gastropods belonging to the family Helicidae.

<i>Helix borealis</i> Land snail species

Helix borealis is a species of large, air-breathing land snail native to Greece and the south-west of Anatolia. It is characterized by brown to dark brown margins of the shell aperture. For decades, the species has been considered synonymous with Helix cincta.

<i>Helix vladika</i> Species of land snail

Helix vladika is a species of large, air-breathing land snail native to Montenegro and Serbia. It has a brown, conical shell. It is the largest land snail species in Europe. Typical habitat are beech forests. The species is closely related to Helix straminea.

<i>Helix buchii</i> Species of land snail

Helix buchii is a species of large, air-breathing land snail native to northeastern Turkey, Georgia, and northern Armenia.

<i>Helix dormitoris</i> Species of land snail

Helix dormitoris is a species of large, air-breathing land snail native to mountainous regions of Montenegro, eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina and western Serbia.

Maltzanella is a genus of terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Helicidae, the typical snails. It has two known species distributed in Turkey. The shell is similar to Helix, which is the sister lineage to Maltzanella.

<i>Helix thessalica</i> Species of snail

Helix thessalica is a species of large, air-breathing land snail native to Europe. It is externally similar to Helix pomatia, but has a dark grey penis and vagina. The species has been long considered synonymous with H. pomatia.

<i>Helix straminea</i> Species of snail

Helix straminea is a species of large, air-breathing land snail native to North Macedonia, Albania and Italy.

References

This article incorporates public domain text from the reference. [6]

  1. ↑ IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
  2. ↑ Linnaeus C. (1758). Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. pp. [1–4], 1–824. Holmiae. (Salvius).
  3. 1 2 Korábek, Ondřej; Petrusek, Adam; Juřičková, Lucie (2018-01-01). "Glacial refugia and postglacial spread of an iconic large European land snail, Helix pomatia (Pulmonata: Helicidae)". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 123 (1): 218–234. doi:10.1093/biolinnean/blx135. ISSN   0024-4066.
  4. 1 2 Korábek, Ondřej; Juřičková, Lucie; Petrusek, Adam (2021-12-31). "Diversity of Land Snail Tribe Helicini (Gastropoda: Stylommatophora: Helicidae): Where Do We Stand after 20 Years of Sequencing Mitochondrial Markers?". Diversity. 14 (1): 24. doi: 10.3390/d14010024 . ISSN   1424-2818.
  5. ↑ Forsyth, Robert G.; Kamstra, James (2019-11-17). "Roman Snail, Helix pomatia (Mollusca: Helicidae), in Canada". The Canadian Field-Naturalist. 133 (2): 156. doi: 10.22621/cfn.v133i2.2150 . ISSN   0008-3550. S2CID   214283688.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 "Species summary for Helix pomatia". AnimalBase, last modified 5 March 2009, accessed 6 September 2010.
  7. ↑ Heller J.: Life History Strategies. in Barker G. M. (ed.): The biology of terrestrial molluscs . CABI Publishing, Oxon, UK, 2001, ISBN   0-85199-318-4. 1–146, cited page: 428.
  8. ↑ Neubert, E. "Helix pomatia". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (ver. 2011.2). IUCNRedList.org. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  9. ↑ Cuttelod, A.; Seddon, M.; Neubert, E. (30 April 2024). "European Red List of Non-marine Molluscs" (PDF). European Commission.
  10. ↑ "RIS - Oö. Natur- und Landschaftsschutzgesetz 2001 - Landesrecht konsolidiert Oberösterreich, Fassung vom 22.07.2023". www.ris.bka.gv.at. Retrieved 2023-07-22.
  11. ↑ "Besonders geschützte Pflanzen- und Tierarten des Burgenlandes gem. §§ 15a und 16 des Burgenländischen Naturschutz- und Landschaftspflegegesetzes, LGBl. Nr. 27/1991 in der Fassung LGBl. Nr. 20/2016" (PDF). 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  12. ↑ "Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981". 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  13. ↑ "Arrêté du 24 avril 1979 fixant la liste des escargots dont le ramassage et la cession à titre gratuit ou onéreux peuvent être interdits ou autorisés - Légifrance". www.legifrance.gouv.fr. Retrieved 2023-07-22.
  14. ↑ Miljøministeriet (2021-03-25), Bekendtgørelse om fredning af visse dyre- og plantearter og pleje af tilskadekommet vildt , retrieved 2023-07-22
  15. ↑ "Japanese Farmer Breeding Rare Escargot de Burgogne Snails". 25 May 2016.
  16. ↑ Roy, Alexander B (1987). Methods in Enzymology, Volume 143, Sulfatases from Helix pomatia. Academic Press. pp. 361–366. ISBN   9780121820435.
  17. ↑ Buono, Giuseppe Del (2015-02-24). "The roman snail". Wall Street International. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
  18. ↑ "Snail Cultivation (Heliciculture)". The Living World of Molluscs. Retrieved 14 June 2014.

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