Martin Gabriel / Mediterranean land snails {Solatopupa similis} Provence, France

Gerry Ellis / Land Snail along rainforest stream, Los Cedros River Valley, Ecuador

Konrad Wothe / Edible Snail (Helix pomatia) in motion, Germany

Konrad Wothe / Edible Snail (Helix pomatia) crossing moss on floor of deciduous forest, Germany

Mark Carwardine / Giant African land snail (Achatina sp) close up of eye stalks, captive, from tropical forests East africa

Andy Trowbridge / Giant land snail (Powelliphanta spp.) on wet moss, Oparara River, Kahurangi National Park, Buller District, South Island, New Zealand. January, 2006.

Tui De Roy / Galapagos gecko (Phyllodactylus bauri) with land snail (Bulimulus sp)

Pete Oxford / Land Snail (Caracolus sp) in rainforest, Yasuni National Park, Amazon Rainforest, Ecuador

Claudio Contreras / Land Hermit Crab (Coenobita compressus) in nerita snail (Nerita sp.) shell, Maria Cleofas Island, Islas Marias Biosphere Reserve, Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California), Mexico, August.

Sandesh Kadur / Land snail (Indrella ampulla) one of nearly 270 species of land snails found in the Western Ghats, Southern India

Konrad Wothe / Snail (Zonitidae) on dew covered grass, Bavaria, Germany

Steve Gettle / Land Snail (Drymaeus sp), Ecuador

Nick Upton / Giant African Land Snail (Achatina fulica) on a branch. Guandu, Taiwan, September.

Konrad Wothe / White-lipped Grove Snail (Cepaea hortensis) hortensis) on Knapweed (Centaurea sp) flower, Bavaria, Germany

Christian Ziegler / Land Snail (Camaenidae) at night, Lambir Hills National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia

Kevin Schafer / Banana Slug (Ariolimax columbianus) on trunk of Island Oak (Quercus tomentella), Channel Islands National Park, California

Claudio Contreras / Bulimulid snail (Drymaeus sallei), Pic Macaya National Park, Massif de la Hotte, Haiti, October

Claudio Contreras / Bulimulid snail (Drymaeus sallei), Pic Macaya National Park, Massif de la Hotte, Haiti, October

Chien Lee / Land Snail (Amphidromus sp), endemic to limestone karst formations, Bukit Sarang Conservation Area, Bintulu, Borneo, Malaysia

Chien Lee / Land Snail (Amphidromus sp), endemic to limestone karst formations, Bukit Sarang Conservation Area, Bintulu, Borneo, Malaysia

Chien Lee / Land Snail (Rhinocochlis nasuta), Bau, Malaysia

Edwin Giesbers / Giant African land snail (Achatina fulica) camouflaged on palm frond, Sarawak, Borneo, Malaysia

Pete Oxford / Land Snail (Caracolus sp), Napo River, Yasuni National Park, Amazon, Ecuador

Ingo Arndt / White Gardensnail (Theba pisana) clustered on vegetation during dry season to avoid warm temperatures at ground level, Camargue, France

Konrad Wothe / Chocolate Arion (Arion rufus) eggs in the ground, Bavaria, Germany

Albert Lleal / Cuba Garden Zachrysia (Zachrysia provisoria) snail, native to Cuba

Ingo Arndt / White Gardensnail (Theba pisana) clustered on vegetation during dry season to avoid warm temperatures at ground level, Camargue, France

Ingo Arndt / White Gardensnail (Theba pisana) clustered on vegetation during dry season to avoid warm temperatures at ground level, Camargue, France

Ingo Arndt / White Gardensnail (Theba pisana) clustered on vegetation during dry season to avoid warm temperatures at ground level, Camargue, France

Ingo Arndt / Edible Snail (Helix pomatia) laying eggs, Germany

Vincent Grafhorst / Giant African Land Snail (Achatina fulica), Kirindy Forest, Madagascar

Vincent Grafhorst / Giant African Land Snail (Achatina fulica), Kirindy Forest, Madagascar

Piotr Naskrecki / Giant African Land Snail (Achatina sp) group on platter, Atewa Range, Ghana

Piotr Naskrecki / Land Snail (Euglandina sp) catching droplets of honeydew expelled by Fulgorid Planthopper (Phrictus quinquepartitus), La Selva Biological Research Station, Costa Rica

Piotr Naskrecki / Land Snail (Euglandina sp) catching droplets of honeydew expelled by Fulgorid Planthopper (Phrictus quinquepartitus), La Selva Biological Research Station, Costa Rica

Scott Leslie / Florida Tree Snail (Liguus fasciatus) on tree trunk, Everglades National Park, Florida

Konrad Wothe / Land Snail (Helicella sp) group gathers in estivation to delay desiccation, Peloponnese, Greece

Konrad Wothe / Land Snail (Helicella sp) group gathers in estivation to delay desiccation, Peloponnese, Greece

Konrad Wothe / Land Snail (Helicella sp) group gathers in estivation to delay desiccation, Peloponnese, Greece

Konrad Wothe / Edible Snail (Helix pomatia), Bavaria, Germany

Ingo Arndt / Edible Snail (Helix pomatia) in shallow water, Germany

Gerry Ellis / Banana Slug (Ariolimax columbianus) spotted morph, Mount Hood National Forest, Oregon

Gerry Ellis / Banana Slug (Ariolimax columbianus) yellow morph, Mount Hood National Forest, Oregon

John Cancalosi / Boy observing Giant african land snail {Achatina marginata} captive, England

Thomas Marent / Edible Snail (Helix pomatia), Aurigeno, Switzerland

Thomas Marent / Land Snail (Helicella sp) group on Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum), Camargue, France

Thomas Marent / Snail (Strophochelidae) crawling up tree trunk, Tambopata-Candamo Nature Reserve, Peru

Ingo Arndt / Edible Snail (Helix pomatia) close up of mating pair, Germany

Ingo Arndt / Brown Garden Snail (Helix aspersa) climbing plant stem, Germany

Piotr Naskrecki / Land Snail (Caracolus sp) shell carried by Whitespotted Hermit (Dardanus megistos), Caribbean

Willem Kolvoort / Shells of the Land snail {Polymita picta} showing colour variation, endemic to the far East of Cuba near Baracoa, very useful for coffee growth because it eats the fungi on the coffee plant. 1993.

Willem Kolvoort / Shells of the Land snail {Polymita picta} showing colour variation, endemic to the far East of Cuba near Baracoa, very useful for coffee growth because it eats the fungi on the coffee plant. 1993.

Willem Kolvoort / Land snail (unknown species) Cuba 1993.

Willem Kolvoort / Land snail {Polymita picta} endemic to the far East of Cuba near Baracoa, very useful for coffee growth because it eats the fungi on the coffee plant. 1993.

Willem Kolvoort / Woman viewing shells of the Land snail {Polymita picta} showing colour variation, endemic to the far East of Cuba near Baracoa, Museum of Holguin, Cuba 1993.

Willem Kolvoort / Shells of the Land snail {Polymita picta} showing colour variation, endemic to the far East of Cuba near Baracoa, Museum of Holguin, Cuba 1993.

Willem Kolvoort / Land snail {Polymita picta} endemic to the far East of Cuba near Baracoa, very useful for coffee growth because it eats the fungi on the coffee plant. 1993.

Willem Kolvoort / Land snail {Polymita picta} endemic to the far East of Cuba near Baracoa, very useful for coffee growth because it eats the fungi on the coffee plant. 1993.

Konrad Wothe / Chocolate Arion (Arion rufus) eating leaf, Bavaria, Germany

Konrad Wothe / Chocolate Arion (Arion rufus) eating leaf, Bavaria, Germany

Rod Williams / Polynesian tree snail {Partula tohiveana} captive, extinct in wild, from Moorea Island, Tahiti, French Polynesia

Michael Hutchinson / Land Snail on wood, California, USA

Rolf Nussbaumer / Land snail {Helicacea} El Yunque, Caribbean National Forest, Puerto Rico, USA.

Flip de Nooyer / Edible Snail (Helix pomatia) on log, Europe

Gerry Ellis / Land Snail (Urocyclus sp) on grass, Ndumo Game Reserve, South Africa

Gerry Ellis / Land Snail (Urocyclus flavescens) crawling on blade of grass, Ndumo Game Reserve, South Africa

Ingo Arndt / Snail (Helicidae) on glass, showing underside

Ingo Arndt / Snail (Helicidae) on glass, showing underside

Duncan Usher / Edible Snail (Helix pomatia) is source of escargot, Europe

Gerry Ellis / Snail on leaf, Los Cedros River Valley, Ecuador

Norbert Wu / Brown Garden Snail (Helix aspersa) on rose petals covered with dew, California

Flip de Nooyer / Edible snail {Helix pomatia} Netherlands

Paul Hobson / Common snail {Helix aspersa} feeding on Hosta leaf Yorkshire, UK

PREMAPHOTOS / Edible snails mating. (Helix pomatia) UK. NB chalky love dart

Pete Oxford / Land Snail (Caracolus sp) in rainforest, Yasuni National Park, Amazon Rainforest, Ecuador

Julian Hume / Illustration of view of Makauwahi Sinkhole from the southwest side as it might have appeared 3000 years ago,prior to human arrival. On left side,a flock of turtle-jawed moa-nalo (Chelychelynechen quas...

Rod Williams / Polynesian tree snail {Partula tohiveana} captive, extinct in wild, from Moorea Island, Tahiti, French Polynesia