Fun Decollate Snail Facts For Kids

Do you like snails? Are you interested in learning more about these creatures? Then, this is the right place for you to find interesting, yet factual information, particularly on snails.

The decollate snail (Rumina decollata) is a snail native to North Africa and the Mediterranean. Later, their distribution was introduced across Egypt, California, Israel, America, and Great Britain.

The conservation status and population size of this snail is unknown. It prefers to live under the plant litter or soil. In America, it is available to purchase only in certain states, including San Diego, California, San Bernardino, Kern, and Orange, for pet or meat.

These snails feed on the brown garden snail and therefore, controls the population of this pest. These snails also feed on plant leaves, seeds, and fruits.

They can be differentiated from the brown garden snail as the former snail has pink brown shells, whereas the latter has a brown shell. These snails are known to release pheromones in their slime trail, during the breeding season to attract their mates. Females can lay up to 200 eggs per year.

To know more about snails, you can also check out these sea slug facts and apple snail facts.

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Decollate Snail Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a decollate snail?

This snail is a type of predatory land snail from the family Achatinidae.

What class of animal does a decollates snail belong to?

It is a gastropod mollusk that belongs to the class Gastropoda in phylum Chordata.

How many decollate snails are there in the world?

The population size of these snails has not been estimated yet.

Where does a decollate snail live?

Rumina decollatas are native to North Africa and the Mediterranean region. These slow moving animals are introduced in Egypt and in Israel in Roman times.

After that, they have been introduced to the north of  America, including California, Phoenix, San Diego, Bermuda, Mexico, Glendale, Fresno, and Arizona as a controlling agent for many other pests, such as brown garden snail. As a hothouse alien species, it is present in Great Britain.

What is a decollate snail's habitat?

The decollate snail habitat distribution can be observed across agricultural lands in Central and Southern California. It is legal to buy this snail only in certain counties in America, with California being one of the counties. It is advisable to not release the snail outside of its native counties.

This snail can tolerate extreme dry and cold environments, during which it hides deep into the soil. Female snail lays its eggs in topsoil or in organic matter. The snail is mainly a nocturnal animal and during rainfall.

Who do decollate snails live with?

Like other snail species, decollate snails can happily live alone or in groups.

How long does a decollate snail live?

The average life span of a decollate snail(Rumina decollata) is two years.

How do they reproduce?

These snails are hermaphrodites, which means they have both male and female parts. Therefore, decollates can fertilize the eggs without the involvement of another partner.

However, they still mate with others before laying eggs. After hatching, decollates become mature at the age of ten months. One female can lay around 200 eggs in a year and up to 500 eggs in her entire life.

Female decollates lay eggs in a batch or in loose clusters in soil which normally hatch between 10 and 45 days. The eggs of these decollates are about 1 in (2.54 cm) long, which gives the advantage of a longer period of incubation if the climate is not suitable for hatching.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of decollate snail (Rumina decollata) is Unknown.

Decollate Snail Fun Facts

What do decollate snails look like?

The overall body size of these snails is around 1.5 in (3.81 cm). During the juvenile stage, it has around 14 whorls, which left to only four in adulthood.

It grinds from the end due to moving the body harshly against hard and strong surfaces. The shell description is roughly cone-shaped and has small holes. It also has a lustrous texture which is sculptured with fixed axial growth lines and delicate coiled striae.

This snail has straight columella. It has an involuntary lip margin but the outer lip is simple.

The color description of an adult shell is pinkish brown which is not easily confused with other species of snails. Various other parts including the head, foot, and antennae are black to deep olive gray. The snail comes through from the shell's broader end or front end.

When it is disturbed, it withdraws itself inside the shell. The decollate snail eggs are round and white.

How cute are they?

Some people like snails and even keep them in their barnyards, while some people see snails as ugly animals.

How do they communicate?

During the breeding season, they release pheromones in their slime trail. Then, these pheromones attract the other snails. All species of snails trade their pheromones when they get close enough to each other.

How big is a decollate snail?

The size of a Rumina decollata is 1.5 in (3.81 cm), and it is three times bigger than a leaf footed bug.

How fast can a decollate snail move?

The exact speed of this snail is unknown. However, like all other snails, it is a slow moving animal.

Unlike other snail species, such as brown garden snails that can climb trees and other things, Rumina decollata survives only in and on organic matter, leaf litter, and soil. The latter climb only to get away heavy rainfall or agricultural land water.

How much does a decollate snail weigh?

The weight of a Rumina decollata snail is unavailable.

What are the male and female names of the species?

Unfortunately, there is no specific male and female name of Rumina decollata.

What would you call a baby decollate snail?

The baby is generally known as a young snail.

What do they eat?

The decollate snail's food mainly consists of common brown garden snails and slugs. They also feed on the eggs released by them sometimes.

Other decollate snail food includes plant matter but the harm done to plants is not major as compared to the damage caused by brown garden snails and other pest species of snails. Sadly, the decollates also eat the useful species of terrestrial gastropods and annelids.

In addition to these, decollate snails prefer seeds and fallen bruised fruits of various plants. The citrus plant is one of their favorites. When decollate snails feed on the body of a brown garden snail, the prey release an enormous amount of foamy mucus in defense.

Slugs probably also release mucus. Decollates hunt of snails and slugs during the night.

Are they poisonous?

No, the decollate snails are non poisonous animals.

Would they make a good pet?

The decollate snail pet species are available in the markets. They are good pest eaters as they reduce the population of the brown garden snail, a pest species which causes damage to numerous plant species.

Did you know...

Decollates can be consumed as food by humans.

Due to the potential impact of this snail on certain endangered mollusk animals, they can be released only in selected 12 California counties, including Santa Barbara, San Bernadino, San Diego, Fresno, Kern, Los Angeles, Imperial, Ventura, Madera, Orange, Riverside, and Tulare.

Are Decollate snails invasive?

It is an invasive species in Texas.

Keeping decollate snails

You can buy these snails only in certain regions and California is one of the places you can find them. The decollate snail controls the population of brown garden snails. It should be noted that one should not release the decollate snails around any poison bait because the bait will kill both species of snails.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these blue sea slug facts and glass snail facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable snail coloring pages.