Helix aspersa

Description:

known by the common name garden snail, is a species of land snail, a pulmonate gastropod that is one of the best-known of all terrestrial molluscs. The species has been placed in the genus Helix, in all sources between 1774 and 1988 and in most sources until recently. But in a number of sources since 1990[3] it has been placed in three other genera, depending on the classification in relation to Helix aperta and on the accepted interpretation of the ICZN Code's Article 1.3.2 for the Cornu problem.[4][5] For those who regard Cornu as available the name can be Cornu aspersum (if they do not like to classify it in Helix).[6][7][8] Those who do not regard Cornu as available, and do not like to classify the species in Helix, can select between Cantareus aspersus (this is the option for those who classify Helix aperta in the same genus as Helix aspersa, as done by Italian research teams and others[9][10][11][12]) and Cryptomphalus aspersus (for those who like to classify the two species in different genera, as done by Ukrainian and Russian research teams[13][14][15][16]). Although this species is edible, it is often regarded as a pest in gardens and to agriculture, especially where it has been accidentally introduced. It is native to the Mediterranean area but has been spread by mankind both deliberately and accidentally to numerous areas all over the world.