Snail Trail

Jenny writes: A crunch underfoot on the dog walk this morning alerts me to snails on the path! Carefully now, I have to pick my way through them.

What kind of snails are they? A brief search found this handy slug and snail ID sheet . A closer look was required.

Snail close-up

A Brown-lipped Snail (Cepaea nemoralis) I think !

Coming down to snail level, the short grass appears jungle like. This got me wondering about the their point of view … Thom Gunn’s poem Considering the Snail is thoughtful…I’d love to know what is going through their minds?

Possibly ‘Where’s my lunch?’ Snails can munch their way through young plants and be a nuisance in the garden – so protect seedlings with fleece and cloches, encourage snail eating birds, frogs, toads, hedgehogs and beetles. Collect snails by torchlight on a mild, damp night – rehome them somewhere where they are free to roam and eat what they please! Happy gardening, Jenny

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