# Brown-lipped Snail (*Cepaea nemoralis*) The Brown-lipped Snail is a small, friendly snail with a beautiful shell that has a brown lip. These snails love to munch on leaves and can be found in gardens and forests. - **Category:** [Invertebrate](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/invertebrate) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 27 - **Habitat:** Forests ![Brown-lipped Snail](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Cepaea_nemoralis_2.jpg&width=800) Photo: A. Abrahami, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cepaea_nemoralis_2.jpg) ## Appearance The Brown-lipped Snail has a rounded shell, often yellow, pink, or brown, with up to five dark spiral bands. A key feature is the dark brown 'lip' on the inside edge of its shell opening, making it distinct from many other garden snails. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Mollusca - **Class:** Gastropoda - **Order:** Stylommatophora - **Family:** Helicidae - **Genus:** Cepaea ## Interesting facts - Snails are hermaphrodites, meaning each snail has both boy and girl parts! - Some snails can live longer than your pet dog, up to 10 years! - Their eyes are on the tip of their longer tentacles, helping them see movement! - They have thousands of tiny 'teeth' on a special tongue called a radula! ## Special abilities - **Master of Disguise:** Brown-lipped Snails can change their shell color and banding patterns because this helps them blend into different environments. - **Slime Superhighway:** The Brown-lipped Snail creates a slimy mucus trail that helps them glide over rough surfaces and reduces friction. - **Self-Repair Shell:** Brown-lipped Snails can repair small cracks in their shell because it helps protect their soft body from harm. - **Long Napper:** Brown-lipped Snails can seal themselves inside their shell for months to survive harsh weather conditions by forming a special lid. ## Measurements & details - **Size:** 18-25 mm - **Lifespan:** 730-2920 days ## Diet & Feeding Snails are nature's recyclers, munching on decaying plants and algae to keep things tidy. - **Primary Foods:** Decaying leaves, Fungi, Algae, Nettles, Dandelions - **Foraging Method:** Grazing ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** Blackbird (*Turdus merula*) — A common bird predator. - **Eaten by:** [European Hedgehog](https://www.snappit.app/explore/european-hedgehog) (*Erinaceus europaeus*) — Enjoys eating snails at night. - **Hunts:** [Ground Beetle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/ground-beetle) (*Carabus nemoralis*) — Some beetles hunt these snails. ## Traits - [Spotted](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spotted): Marked with spots or patches of a different color. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. ## Collections - [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always wash your hands after touching snails, as they can carry germs. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Brown-lipped Snail? Compare body symmetry, shells, segments, legs, tentacles and how the animal moves. Invertebrates span many unrelated groups, so start with body structure. Invertebrate Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How big is Brown-lipped Snail? 18-25 mm ### How long does Brown-lipped Snail live? 730-2920 days ### What does Brown-lipped Snail eat? Snails are nature's recyclers, munching on decaying plants and algae to keep things tidy. ### Where is Brown-lipped Snail usually found? Forests ### How does Brown-lipped Snail hunt? Grazing ## Where to spot - [Bellevue Avenue Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bellevue-avenue-historic-district) — Rhode Island, US · Historic District - [Bloedel Reserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bloedel-reserve) — Washington, US · Botanical Garden - [Camp Evans](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/camp-evans) — New Jersey, US · Historic Site - [Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cougar-mountain-regional-wildland-park) — Washington, US · Park - [Dundee Canal](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/dundee-canal) — New Jersey, US · Historic Site - [Fairhaven](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fairhaven) — Washington, US · Neighborhood [View all places to see Brown-lipped Snail](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/brown-lipped-snail) ## More Invertebrate - [Coral](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coral) - [Crab Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/crab-spider) (*Mecaphesa asperata*) - [Garden Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-spider) (*Araneus diadematus*) - [Brown Recluse Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-recluse-spider) (*Loxosceles reclusa*) --- Source: [Brown-lipped Snail: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-lipped-snail)