Roman Snails!

We have been having quite a bit of rain recently and we have finally spotted roman snails.


This magnificent snail lives in the gardens surrounding the doctor's surgery! We have also spotted a few at the nature reserve. They are magnificent! So big and gorgeous sandy colours, with a distinctive pattern on the shell.

Roman snails were introduced to the British Isles by the Romans during the Roman period (AD 43-410). The Romans brought them here for food, in many parts of Europe (such as France and Italy) it is a gastronomic delicacy. Unfortunately this has lead to over collection and over exploitation of wild populations of this snail. In England, the Roman snail is a protected species, making it illegal to kill, injure, collect or sell them.