Figure 1. Shells of Cepaea nemoralis (L.), the wood snail, showing solid pink (left), solid vellow (top), and striped 

 morphs. Note the brown lip characteristic of this species. These European snails have been introduced throughout the 

 northeastern U.S. and occur in at least three counties of Kentucky. 



snails often mate multiple times prior to egg 

 laying and can store sperm for up to 15 

 months (Murray 1964). It is not unusual for 

 one clutch of eggs to include offspring from 

 two different fathers (Murray 1964). Eggs are 

 buried in moist soil, hatching after about 3 

 weeks (Abbott 1989). The snails reach matu- 

 rity in 4 years and may live as long as 5-9 years 

 (Abbott 1989; Jones et al. 1977). 



Like those of most land snails, wood snail 

 shells are dextral (spiraling to the right), 

 though rare sinistral individuals are sometimes 

 seen (Rimmer 1907; Turton 1857). Mature in- 

 dividuals of C. nemoralis reach 2-2.5 cm in 

 diameter and have five whorls to the shell 

 (Pilsbry 1939). When the snail reaches full size 

 and ceases to grow, a reflexed lip forms around 



the aperture of the shell. The dark brown col- 

 oration of this lip differentiates C. nemoralis 

 from the similar C. hoHensis. Shell color 

 varies from yellow, to pinkish, brown, or oc- 

 casionally even white (Step 1901; Turton 

 1857). Shells are also generally augmented 

 with 1-5 dark brown bands, though unstriped 

 shells are seen as well (Figure 2). Multiple col- 

 or variants are commonly found within the 

 same population. 



Wood snails, feeding primarily at night, eat 

 a variety of plants, though they often prefer 

 dead plant material to living, and may even 

 forage on dead organisms such as worms or 

 other snails (Thompson 1996; Turton 1857). 

 Among living plant materials, they prefer 

 broad-leaved plants over the tougher grasses 



