Draparnaud's Glass Snail (Oxychilus draparnaudi) lives in mediterranean woodland across Southern Europe. It feeds on moss and lichens. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the Draparnaud's Glass Snail
- Only a 14 mm shell hides a glass snail that looks like a polished jewel. Its translucent yellow-brown shell, glossy as a fresh coat of paint, measures just over half an inch across, and its soft body is a strong dark blue mixed with grey.
- Draparnaud's glass snail is large for a glass snail, with a shell that can reach about 14 mm across. It is also referred to as the dark-bodied glass snail, a name that highlights its distinctive appearance.
- The shell of Oxychilus draparnaudi is glossy and displays a translucent yellow-brown and gold hue, becoming somewhat whiter on the underside. Measuring up to about 14 mm in its greatest dimension, its soft parts are a striking strong dark blue mixed with grey.
- The species has been recorded under a variety of scientific names over time. Its synonymy includes Oxychilus drapanaldi, Oxychilus lucidum, Helix lucida, Helix nitida, Helicella draparnaldi and Polita draparnaldi, reflecting changes in how malacologists have classified it. These alternative names appear in older taxonomic works and museum catalogues, so researchers may encounter any of them in literature.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeSouthern Europe
HabitatMediterranean woodland
DietMoss and lichens
About the Draparnaud's Glass Snail
In the damp, emerald recesses of European forests, the Draparnaud's Glass Snail makes its way with silent deliberation, its translucent shell a fragile, ethereal cloak that belies a remarkable resilience. As it glides effortlessly across moss-softened tree trunks and leaf-littered floors, the snail's antennae twitch with an almost imperceptible sensitivity, guiding it through a world of subtle textures and scents. With each incremental, slime-traced passage, this tiny, unassuming creature weaves an intricate narrative of survival and adaptation, its very existence a testament to the hidden, unhurried beauty of the natural world.
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