This common snail's shell is a short, blunt spire shape, with no umbilicus. The basic colour of the shell is a pale brown or occasionally yellow with broad darker bands and a generally mottled surface. Shells can be up to 40mm wide although they are usually only 30mm. Very common and usually easy to find in gardens, occasionally they climb high up on walls.

Roman snail (Helix pomatia).

The Roman snail’s shell is generally spherical with an obvious spire, this snail has very little evidence of an umbilicus. The shell is cream coloured or very light brown with faint wide bands, they are usually more than 35mm wide.  Roman snails (or sometimes called edible snails) are noticeably larger than any other snails found in the countryside. You are only likely to find them on chalky areas in southern England.  Please do not pick these snails up as this rare species has recently been given legal protection in UK to prevent its over-collection for food. This brings us into line with other countries in Europe where it is also now protected.  It is still possible to buy escargot in France or the famous snails from the Lleida area of Spain but they should be the farmed version of the snails and not collected from the wild.

Brown lipped snail (Cepaea nemoralis).

The Brown lipped snail’s shell has a conical spire and is often somewhat glossy or slightly translucent with thin walls. Shells are pale yellow or slightly pink with a wide variety of different banding patterns. It’s important to note the brown margin to the mouth of the shell, or “brown lip”. Shells are usually 20-24mm wide and they have no umbilicus. This snail is common in many habitats.

White lipped snail (Cepaea hortensis).

Rather similar to the  brown lipped snail, the shell is generally smaller - being only 16-20mm and has a white instead of brown margin or “lip” to the mouth of the shell. It is found in many habitats although it’s probably less common than the brown lipped snail especially in the south of England.

Sinistral (left-handed) long thin shells (Clausiliidae family). 

Shells in this group of species are clearly much longer than wide, 10-20mm long but only about 3-4mm wide. The key characteristic to look out for is the opening of the shell which is on the left-hand side. They are found in various habitats including woodland, sand dunes and limestone rocks. After rain large numbers of these snails can come out to graze on the algae on tree bark but they are fairly well camouflaged so you need to look closely.

Dextral long thin shells (various families). 

The shells of this group are clearly much longer than wide, at least twice as long as wide. There are a considerable variety of sizes and shapes but all with the opening on the right-hand side. They are found in various habitats and some types are well hidden. One of the commoner species in this group, the Lesser Bulin (Ena obscura) appears to cover itself with mud or other debris so can be tricky to spot. Some of the other species in this group are rare and restricted to certain types of habitat, for example the Bulin (Ena montana) is more or less only found in ancient woodland. 

Garlic snail (Oxychilus alliarius). 

This snail has a small (6mm) pale brown or greenish, glossy, flattened shell with an umbilicus. The snail's body is a dark bluish grey. However its most distinctive feature is a strong smell of garlic when the snail is disturbed. It is common in gardens and woodland. There are a number of similar small brownish glossy snails but this species is the main one with a strong garlic smell so you'll just have to pick it up and have a sniff.
Picture: Ben Rowson

Alien girdled snail (Hygromia cinctella). 

The Girdled snail has a brown to yellow shell with a white band most noticeable on the widest part of the shell.  The shell is pyramid shaped or almost triangular about 14mm wide and has little evidence of the umbilicus.  Found in hedges and gardens.
Picture: Derek Rands

Heath snail (Helicella itala).

The heath snail has a chalky white shell with dark spiral bands, and measures about 15mm across.  It somewhat resembles the white or brown lipped snails but is more flattened and has a large umbilicus which the other two species lack.  It tends to climb up grasses or bushes so can be visible even in dry weather.  Found in a variety of habitats but particularly dry chalk grassland and dunes. This may be one of the 'winners' with global warming as it can cope better with higher temperatures and dry conditions than other species, it actually climbs up stems to avoid the hot baked ground.

No Stripe