# Cuban Brown Snail (*zachrysia provisoria*) The Cuban Brown Snail has a beautiful, spiraled shell that can be brown or tan. These snails love to munch on leaves and live in warm, humid places! - **Category:** [Invertebrate](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/invertebrate) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger - **Snaps:** 2 - **Habitat:** They live in gardens, forests, and areas with lots of humidity. - **Also known as:** Cuban Snail, Tropical Snail ![Cuban Brown Snail](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Zachrysia_provisoria_shell.png&width=800) Photo: Jeffrey W. Lotz, Division of Plant Industry (DPI), Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) or Division of Plant Indu, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Zachrysia_provisoria_shell.png) ## Appearance The Cuban Brown Snail has a smooth, shiny shell, typically light brown to reddish-brown, often adorned with darker spiral bands. Its soft body is grayish-brown, and it features two pairs of retractable tentacles on its head, with eyes on the longer pair. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Mollusca - **Class:** Gastropoda - **Order:** Stylommatophora - **Family:** Zachrysiidae - **Genus:** Zachrysia ## Interesting facts - A special "rasping tongue" called a radula helps them scrape up tiny bits of food. - Their shells can have amazing striped patterns, making each snail look unique! - These snails are hermaphrodites, meaning each snail has both male and female parts! - They can seal their shell opening with a lid called an operculum to stay moist during dry spells. ## Special abilities - **Gliding Goo:** Cuban Brown Snail can glide on a layer of slime because it helps them move smoothly and avoid sharp surfaces. - **Portable Home:** Cuban Brown Snail has a strong, spiral shell that helps them carry their home everywhere for protection and moisture. - **Eye-Stalk Sense:** Cuban Brown Snail has retractable eyestalks that help them explore their surroundings safely and pull back from danger. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 30 mm - **Lifespan:** 2 years - **Shell Diameter Mm:** 25 mm ## Diet & Feeding Mainly eats decaying leaves, fungi, and soft plant parts, helping to recycle nutrients. - **Primary Foods:** Decaying leaves, Fungi, Algae, Soft plant material, Moss - **Foraging Method:** Grazing ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Black Rat](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-rat) (*Rattus rattus*) — These rodents often prey on land snails. - **Eaten by:** [American Robin](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-robin) (*Turdus migratorius*) — Many bird species enjoy snails as a meal. - **Depends on:** [Southern Live Oak](https://www.snappit.app/explore/southern-live-oak) (*Quercus virginiana*) — Feeds on the decaying leaves from these trees. - **Eats:** Common Mushroom (*Agaricus bisporus*) — Consumes various fungi as part of its diet. ## Traits - [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. ## Collections - [Invertebrates](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/invertebrates) ## Safety **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Cuban Brown 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 long is Cuban Brown Snail? 30 mm ### How long does Cuban Brown Snail live? 2 years ### What does Cuban Brown Snail eat? Mainly eats decaying leaves, fungi, and soft plant parts, helping to recycle nutrients. ### Where is Cuban Brown Snail usually found? They live in gardens, forests, and areas with lots of humidity. ### How does Cuban Brown Snail hunt? Grazing ### What is the shell Diameter Mm of Cuban Brown Snail? 25 mm ## Where to spot - [Miami Beach Botanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/miami-beach-botanical-garden) — US · Botanical Garden - [Collins Waterfront Architectural District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/collins-waterfront-architectural-district) — Florida, US · Historic District - [John C. Gifford Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/john-c-gifford-arboretum) — Florida, US · Botanical Garden - [MacFarlane Homestead Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/macfarlane-homestead-historic-district) — Florida, US · Historic District - [Miami Beach Architectural District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/miami-beach-architectural-district) — Florida, US · Historic District - [The Kampong](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/the-kampong) — US · Botanical Garden [View all places to see Cuban Brown Snail](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/cuban-brown-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: [Cuban Brown Snail: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cuban-brown-snail)