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What the sources say

Garden SnailCornu aspersum

Every figure, record and mechanism on the Garden Snail profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 48 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

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Source
01

Cerullo et al. 2023

Cerullo et al. (2023). Comparative mucomic analysis of three functionally distinct Cornu aspersum Secretions. Nature Communications.

The page saysIt makes three different kinds of mucus
The source sayssecretes three mucus
The page saysThree kinds of slime
The source sayssecretes three mucusNote: heading
The page saysone shielding the animal from environmental threats, one adhesive mucus from the pedal surface of the foot, and a lubricating mucus from the foot too
The source sayssecretes three mucus—one shielding the animal from environmental threats, one adhesive mucus from the pedal surface of the foot, and another pedal mucus that is lubricating
The page saysThe adhesive mucus is used to create the epiphragm, the persistent glue that maintains bonds between the snail's shell and the surface it sits on.
The source saysEpiphragmin was identified in the adhesive mucus, which is used to create the epiphragm—the persistent glue that maintains bonds between the snail’s shell and substrateNote: substrate rendered as 'the surface it sits on'
The page saysThe garden snail, Cornu aspersum, is a slime factory.
The source sayssecretes three mucusNote: framing sentence; the three mucus and the foot's constant secretion carry the claims

Source
02

UC Statewide IPM Program, University of California

Snails and Slugs. UC Statewide IPM Program, University of California.

The page saysA night-feeding garden snail that seals itself shut to wait out hot, dry weather.
The source saysSnails and slugs are most active at night and on cloudy or foggy days.Note: tagline; sealing has its own claim
The page saysLiving plants and decaying plant matter
The source saysSnails and slugs feed on a variety of living plants and on decaying plant matter.Note: stats.diet
The page saysSeals itself off with a parchment-like membrane in hot, dry weather
The source saysDuring hot, dry periods snails estivate (hibernation during hot weather) by sealing themselves off with a parchment-like membrane.Note: stats.superpower
The page saysThe foot is a muscle that glides the snail along.
The source saysThese mollusks move by gliding along on a muscular “foot.”
The page saysIt constantly secretes mucus, which later dries to form the silvery slime trail.
The source saysThis muscle constantly secretes mucus, which facilitates their movement and later dries to form the silvery slime trail
The page saysSnails are most active at night and on cloudy or foggy days.
The source saysSnails and slugs are most active at night and on cloudy or foggy days.
The page saysOn sunny days they seek hiding places out of the heat and bright light.
The source saysOn sunny days, they seek hiding places out of the heat and bright light.
The page saysThey feed on a variety of living plants and on decaying plant matter, scraping with rasp-like tongues.
The source saysSnails and slugs feed on a variety of living plants and on decaying plant matter. They create irregular holes with smooth edges on leaves and flowers by scraping with their rasp-like tongues.
The page saysIt seals itself off with a parchment-like membrane and often clings to a tree trunk, fence or wall.
The source saysby sealing themselves off with a parchment-like membrane. They often attach themselves to tree trunks , fences, or walls.
The page saysestivates, which is hibernation during hot weather
The source sayssnails estivate (hibernation during hot weather)
The page saysIn cold weather it hibernates in the topsoil instead.
The source saysDuring cold weather, snails and slugs hibernate in the topsoil.
The page saysEvery garden snail has both male and female parts, so any adult can lay eggs after mating with another snail.
The source saysAll land slugs and snails are hermaphrodites, so all are able to lay eggs after mating with another individual.
The page saysA snail lays an average of 80 pearly white eggs at a time, and it can do that up to 6 times a year.
The source saysAdult brown garden snails lay an average of 80 spherical, pearly white eggs at a time into a hole in the soil. They can lay eggs up to 6 times a year.
The page saysThey scrape holes in leaves and flowers with rasp-like tongues.
The source saysThey create irregular holes with smooth edges on leaves and flowers by scraping with their rasp-like tongues.
The page saysSeedlings and herbaceous plants are the main targets, and ripening fruits close to the ground, such as strawberries and tomatoes, are also at risk.
The source sayssnails and slugs are primarily pests of seedlings and herbaceous plants. They are also serious pests of turfgrass seedlings and ripening fruits that are close to the ground, such as strawberries and tomatoes.
The page saysCitrus trees are especially at risk, and silvery slime trails are the giveaway.
The source saysCitrus are especially susceptible to damage.
The page sayssilvery slime trails are the giveaway
The source saysLook for the shiny slime trails snails and slugs leave behind.
The page saysAt night, the snail goes to work.
The source saysSnails and slugs are most active at night
The page saysNight shift
The source saysSnails and slugs are most active at nightNote: heading
The page saysIn hot, dry weather a garden snail seals itself off with a parchment-like membrane
The source saysDuring hot, dry periods snails estivate (hibernation during hot weather) by sealing themselves off with a parchment-like membrane.Note: vibe.reason; stats.superpower

Source
03

EDDMapS, University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health

European brown snail (Cornu aspersum). EDDMapS, University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health.

The page saysnative to Britain, western Europe and the lands around the Mediterranean and Black Seas
The source saysCornu aspersum is native to Britain, western Europe and regions that surround the Mediterranean and Black Seas.Note: stats.habitat; Guiller 2012 says 'most probably native to north Africa', so the site follows EDDMapS and attributes nothing finer
The page saysEDDMapS says that under favorable conditions it may mature within a year, and that adults can normally live about a year.
The source saysUnder favorable conditions Cornu aspersum may mature within a year and adults can normally live about a year.Note: lifespan; attributed to EDDMapS and kept to its own qualifier, beside EDIS regional maturity figures so the two do not read as a contradiction
The page saysbut it has been distributed widely worldwide, on purpose and by accident.
The source saysCornu aspersum has been distributed widely worldwide, intentionally (as an escargot species) and accidentally.
The page saysIt was originally introduced for escargot dishes, meaning snails cooked to eat, and it has escaped confinement and become established as a pest.
The source saysCornu aspersum is an edible species and was originally introduced for escargot dishes. It has escaped confinement and become established as a pest.
The page saysThe USDA and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency both considered it a plant pest in 2009
The source saysThe United States Department of Agriculture (USDA, 2009) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA, 2009) consider Cornu aspersum to be a plant pest.Note: dated to the 2009 documents EDDMapS cites, since the page gives no later date
The page saysquarantines were set up to stop the snail being imported in plant and soil material
The source saysQuarantines have been established to prevent importing the snail in plant and soil material.Note: the undated state list was cut: a current legal state needs a dated source
The page saysDuring dry periods the snails can become dormant and sealed within the shell, and they can remain in that state for many months.
The source saysDuring dry periods the snails can become dormant and sealed within the shell. They can remain in this dormant state for many months.
The page saysA year in the life
The source saysadults can normally live about a yearNote: heading
The page saysit can stay dormant for many months
The source saysDuring dry periods the snails can become dormant and sealed within the shell. They can remain in this dormant state for many months.Note: vibe.reason

Source
04

Gaitán-Espitia et al. 2013

Gaitán-Espitia et al. (2013). Variation in Thermal Sensitivity and Thermal Tolerances in an Invasive Species across a Climatic Gradient: Lessons from the Land Snail Cornu aspersum. PLoS ONE.

The page saysGardens and parks
The source sayswere collected by hand from gardens and parks in each one of the three localitiesNote: stats.habitat
The page saysIn a Chilean study, adults picked for roughly the same body mass averaged 4.21 grams and were thought to be under a year old.
The source saysSix hundred adult snails of approximately same body mass (mean ± SD; 4.21±0.63 g, with an approximate age of less than one year) [48] were collected by hand from gardens and parks in each one of the three localitiesNote: weight; the three localities are in Chile (La Serena, Constitución, Valdivia); the adults were selected for similar mass, so this is a study mean, not a species average
The page saysweightKg: 0.004
The source saysapproximately same body mass (mean ± SD; 4.21±0.63 gNote: adults collected from the field

Source
05

Guiller et al. 2012

Guiller et al. (2012). Tracing the Invasion of the Mediterranean Land Snail Cornu aspersum aspersum Becoming an Agricultural and Garden Pest in Areas Recently Introduced. PLoS ONE.

The page saysintroduced across the world
The source saysthe Mediterranean mollusc Cornu aspersum is one of the most widely spread land snails in the worldNote: stats.habitat
The page saysOne study calls it one of the most widely spread land snails in the world.
The source saysthe Mediterranean mollusc Cornu aspersum is one of the most widely spread land snails in the world
The page saysIt was brought to South Africa as food in 1855
The source saysThe species has been introduced in South Africa as a food animal in 1855
The page saysthough one expert thinks it probably arrived there by accident long before
The source saysHowever, Herbert suggests that C . a. aspersum was probably introduced accidentally long before this, perhaps since 1650–1700.Note: the source's own hedge on the 1855 record
The page saysthe Pacific's oldest recorded introduction was in New Caledonia in 1879
The source saysIn the Pacific, the oldest introduction recorded was in New Caledonia in 1879
The page saysSpread across the world
The source saysone of the most widely spread land snails in the worldNote: heading

Source
06

Walther 2026

Walther (2026). Cornu aspersum. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2026: e.T156890A220141565.

The page saysNot Evaluated
The source saysCornu aspersum (Europe assessment)Note: stats.conservationStatus. The 2024 assessment (read in Chrome 2026-10-12) is Europe scope, so the global field stays Not Evaluated. Precedent: honeybee.
The page saysThe IUCN Red List's 2024 Europe assessment rates it Least Concern
The source saysassessed for The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2024. Cornu aspersum is listed as Least Concern.Note: scope Europe per the citation line
The page sayswith a stable population trend
The source saysSCOPE OF ASSESSMENT Europe POPULATION TREND Stable

Source
07

Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Cornu aspersum (European brown garden snail): Fact sheet. Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

The page saysThe adult shell is 32 to 38 mm across and 29 to 33 mm tall.
The source says32 to 38 mm in diameter, 29 to 33 mm in height.Note: size; under 'Adult shell:' on the CFIA fact sheet (modified 2014-01-14). EDIS IN396 gives 28 to 32 mm diameter from Burch 1960; the newer CFIA page wins

Source
08

Dekle and Fasulo

Dekle and Fasulo. Brown Garden Snail, Cornu aspersum. University of Florida IFAS Extension, EDIS IN396.

The page saysMaturity takes about two years in southern California but about 10 months in South Africa.
The source saysMaturity requires about two years in southern California. In South Africa the snails take about 10 months to become matureNote: maturity, scoped to each region as the source does

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.