''Helix pomatia'', common names the Roman snail, Burgundy snail, or

escargot Snails are considered edible in many areas such as the Mediterranean region, Africa, or Southeast Asia, while in other cultures, snails are seen as a taboo food. In American English, edible land snails are also called escargot, taken from the Fre ...

, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of large, edible, air-breathing land snail, a pulmonate gastropod terrestrial mollusc in the family

Helicidae Helicidae is a large, diverse family (biology), family of small to large, air-breathing land snails, sometimes called the "typical snails." A number of species in this family are valued as food items, including ''Cornu aspersum'' (formerly ''Heli ...

.MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Helix pomatia Linnaeus, 1758. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1050286 on 2021-02-19 It is one of

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

's biggest species of land snail.

Distribution

Helix-pomatia Presence in European countries

Distribution of ''H. pomatia'' includes:

Southeastern The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each se ...

and

Central Europe Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the a ...

: *

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

– listed as a specially protected species in annex 1 of the

Bundesartenschutzverordnung The Federal Species Protection Regulations, first adopted on 19 December 1986, is a set of federal regulations in Germany. These regulations protect wild plants and animals. They are the implementing rules promulgated by the government to give force ...

. *

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

– least concern species (LC): Its conservation status in 2004–2006 is favourable (FV) in the report for the

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body ...

in accordance with the Habitats Directive. *

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...

* In southwestern

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...

up to an altitude more than 1600 m. * Northern and central

Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...

North Macedonia North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Yugoslavia. It ...

Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...

: *

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...

: in the west and south of England in southern areas on

chalk Chalk is a soft, white, porous, sedimentary carbonate rock. It is a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite and originally formed deep under the sea by the compression of microscopic plankton that had settled to the sea floor. Ch ...

soils. Its common name in the UK is "Roman snail" because it was introduced to the island by the Romans during the Roman period (AD 43–410). In England only (not the rest of the UK), the Roman snail is a protected species under the

Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom implemented to comply with European Council Directive 79/409/EEC on the conservation of wild birds. In short, the act gives protection to native species (especia ...

, making it illegal to kill, injure, collect or sell these snails. * Central

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

* Switzerland Northern Europe: *

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

– Listed as a protected species. * Southern Sweden *

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

* In central and southern parts of Sweden, Norway and Finland, isolated and relatively small populations occur. It is not native to these countries, but is likely to have been imported by monks from Southern Europe during medieval times. * Latvia * Lithuania *

Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...

Eastern Europe: *

Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by ...

(western regions) *

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

Balashov I. & Gural-Sverlova N. 2012. An annotated checklist of the terrestrial molluscs of Ukraine. ''Journal of Conchology''. 41 (1): 91-109. *

Moldavia Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic alphabet, Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and for ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

: introduced to

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...

Kursk Kursk ( rus, Курск, p=ˈkursk) is a city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur, Tuskar, and Seym rivers. The area around Kursk was the site of a turning point in the Soviet–German stru ...

Southern Europe: *

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

(northern regions) *

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

(eastern and north-eastern regions).

Description

The

shell Shell may refer to: Architecture and design * Shell (structure), a thin structure ** Concrete shell, a thin shell of concrete, usually with no interior columns or exterior buttresses ** Thin-shell structure Science Biology * Seashell, a hard o ...

is creamy white to light brownish, often with indistinct brown colour bands. The shell has five to six

whorls A whorl ( or ) is an individual circle, oval, volution or equivalent in a whorled pattern, which consists of a spiral or multiple concentric objects (including circles, ovals and arcs). Whorls in nature File:Photograph and axial plane floral ...

. The

aperture In optics, an aperture is a hole or an opening through which light travels. More specifically, the aperture and focal length of an optical system determine the cone angle of a bundle of rays that come to a focus in the image plane. An ...

is large. The apertural margin is white and slightly reflected in adult snails. The umbilicus is narrow and partly covered by the reflected columellar margin. The width of the shell is . The height of the shell is .

Ecology

Habitat

In southeastern Europe, ''H. pomatia'' lives in forests, open habitats, gardens, and vineyards, especially along rivers, confined to calcareous substrate. In Central Europe, it occurs in open forests and shrubland on calcareous substrate. It prefers high humidity and lower temperatures, and needs loose soil for burrowing to hibernate and lay its eggs. It lives up to 2100 m above sea level in the Alps, but usually below 2000 m. In the south of England, it is restricted to undisturbed grassy or bushy wastelands, usually not in gardens; it has a low reproduction rate and low powers of dispersal.

Lifecycle

Average distance of migration reaches 3.5–6.0 m. Vinbergssnäcka lägger ägg

This snail is

hermaphroditic In reproductive biology, a hermaphrodite () is an organism that has both kinds of reproductive organs and can produce both gametes associated with male and female sexes. Many taxonomic groups of animals (mostly invertebrates) do not have s ...

. Reproduction in Central Europe begins at the end of May. File:Helix pomatia reproductive system.jpg,

Reproductive system The reproductive system of an organism, also known as the genital system, is the biological system made up of all the anatomical organs involved in sexual reproduction. Many non-living substances such as fluids, hormones, and pheromones are als ...

of ''H. pomatia'' File:Weinbergschnecke Paarung.jpg, A pair of ''H. pomatia'' in courtship, shortly before mating File:Helix pomatia head mating.jpg, Drawing of head of mating ''H. pomatia'' with everted penis and dart sac shooting a

love dart A love dart (also known as a gypsobelum, shooting darts, or just as darts) is a sharp, calcareous or chitinous dart which some hermaphroditic land snails and slugs create. Love darts are both formed and stored internally in a dart sac. These ...

File:Helix pomatia laying eggs 2.png, Drawing of ''H. pomatia'' laying eggs Eggs are laid in June and July, in clutches of 40–65 eggs. The size of the egg is 5.5–6.5 mm or 8.6 × 7.2 mm.Heller J.: ''Life History Strategies''. in Barker G. M. (ed.):
The biology of terrestrial molluscs
'. CABI Publishing, Oxon, UK, 2001, . 1–146, cited page: 428. Juveniles hatch after three to four weeks, and may consume their siblings under unfavourable climate conditions. Maturity is reached after two to five years. The life span is up to 20 years, but snails die faster often because of drying in summer and freezing in winter. Ten-year-old individuals are probably not uncommon in natural populations. The maximum lifespan is 35 years. During

estivation Aestivation ( la, aestas (summer); also spelled estivation in American English) is a state of animal dormancy, similar to hibernation, although taking place in the summer rather than the winter. Aestivation is characterized by inactivity and a ...

or hibernation, ''H. pomatia'' is one of the few species that is capable of creating a

calcareous Calcareous () is an adjective meaning "mostly or partly composed of calcium carbonate", in other words, containing lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of scientific disciplines. In zoology ''Calcareous'' is used as an ad ...

epiphragm An epiphragm (from the Ancient Greek ἐπί, '' epi '' " upon, on, over " and φράγμα, '' -phrágma '' "fence") is a temporary structure which can be created by many species of shelled, air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gast ...

to seal the opening of its shell. File:Helix pomatia hibernation.png, Drawing of ''H. pomatia'' during hibernation File:Helix pomatia operculum hg.jpg, Photo of the shell with an epiphragm File:Helix pomatia - epiphragma.jpg,

Epiphragm An epiphragm (from the Ancient Greek ἐπί, '' epi '' " upon, on, over " and φράγμα, '' -phrágma '' "fence") is a temporary structure which can be created by many species of shelled, air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gast ...

of ''H. pomatia''

Conservation

This species is listed in

IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biol ...

, and in European Red List of Non-marine Molluscs as of least concern. ''H. pomatia'' is threatened by continuous

habitat destruction Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

s and drainage, usually less threatened by commercial collections. Many unsuccessful attempts have been made to establish the species in various parts of England, Scotland, and Ireland; it only survived in natural habitats in southern England, and is threatened by intensive farming and habitat destruction. It is of lower concern in Switzerland and Austria, but many regions restrict commercial collecting.

Cultivation

In Japan, the Mie Escargot Farm succeeded in the complete cultivation of Burgundy species (Pomatia).

Uses

The intestinal juice of ''H. pomatia'' contains large amounts of aryl, steroid, and glucosinolate sulfatase activities. These sulfatases have a broad specificity, so are commonly used as a hydrolyzing agent in analytical procedures such as chromatography to prepare the sample for analysis.

Culinary use and history

Roman snails were eaten by both Ancient Greeks and Romans. Nowadays, these snails are especially popular in French cuisine. In the English language, it is called by the French name ''

'' when used in cooking (''escargot'' simply means snail). Although this species is highly prized as a food, it is difficult to cultivate and rarely farmed commercially.

Synonyms

* ''Helicogena inflata'' Hartmann, 1844 (junior synonym) * ''Helicogena pomatia'' (Linnaeus, 1758) (chresonym) * ''Helicogena pomatia brenaensis'' W. Blume, 1920 (junior synonym) * ''Helicogena pomatia burmeisteri'' W. Blume, 1920 (junior synonym) * ''Helicogena pomatia var. gesneri'' Hartmann, 1844 (junior synonym) * ''Helicogena pomatia var. rustica'' Hartmann, 1844 (junior synonym) * ''Helicogena pomatia var. sphaeralis'' Hartmann, 1844 (junior synonym) * ''Helix (Helix) pomatia'' Linnaeus, 1758· accepted, alternate representation * ''Helix eusarcosoma'' Servain, 1884 (junior synonym) * ''Helix pomaria'' O. F. Müller, 1774 (junior synonym) * ''Helix pomatia albida'' Moquin-Tandon, 1855 (junior synonym) * ''Helix pomatia brunnea'' Moquin-Tandon, 1855 (junior synonym) * ''Helix pomatia expansilabris'' Kobelt, 1906 (junior synonym) * ''Helix pomatia parva'' Moquin-Tandon, 1855 (junior synonym) * ''Helix pomatia quinquefasciata'' Moquin-Tandon, 1855 (junior synonym) * ''Helix pomatia var. banatica'' Kimakowicz, 1890 (invalid; not Rossmässler, 1838) * ''Helix pomatia var. christinae'' Kobelt, 1906 (junior synonym) * ''Helix pomatia var. claudiensis'' Kobelt, 1906 (junior synonym) * ''Helix pomatia var. compacta'' Hazay, 1880 (junior synonym) * ''Helix pomatia var. costellata'' Kobelt, 1906 (junior synonym) * ''Helix pomatia var. dobrudschae'' Kobelt, 1906 (junior synonym) * ''Helix pomatia var. elsae'' Kobelt, 1906 (junior synonym) * ''Helix pomatia var. gratiosa'' Gredler, 1892 (junior synonym) * ''Helix pomatia var. hajnaldiana'' Hazay, 1880 (junior synonym) * ''Helix pomatia var. kapellae'' Kobelt, 1906 (junior synonym) * ''Helix pomatia var. lagarinae'' Adami, 1885 (junior synonym) * ''Helix pomatia var. lednicensis'' Brancsik, 1888 (junior synonym) * ''Helix pomatia var. luteola'' Kobelt, 1906 (junior synonym) * ''Helix pomatia var. pannonica'' Kobelt, 1906 (junior synonym) * ''Helix pomatia var. pedemontana'' Kobelt, 1907 (junior synonym) * ''Helix pomatia var. piceata'' Gredler, 1890 (junior synonym) * ''Helix pomatia var. pulskyana'' Hazay, 1880 (junior synonym) * ''Helix pomatia var. radiata'' Ulicny, 1885 (junior synonym) * ''Helix pomatia var. rhodopensis'' Kobelt, 1906 (junior synonym) * ''Helix pomatia var. sabulosa'' Hazay, 1880 (junior synonym) * ''Helix pomatia var. serbica'' Kobelt, 1906 (junior synonym) * ''Helix pomatia var. solitaria'' Hazay, 1880 (junior synonym) * ''Helix pomatia var. thessalica'' O. Boettger, 1886 (junior synonym) * ''Helix pomatia var. transsylvanica'' Kobelt, 1906 (junior synonym) * ''Helix promaeca'' Bourguignat, 1882 (junior synonym) * ''Helix pyrgia'' Bourguignat, 1882 (junior synonym) * ''Helix scalaris'' O. F. Müller, 1774 (junior synonym) * ''Helix segalaunica'' Sayn, 1888 (junior synonym)

References

This article incorporates public domain text from the reference."Species summary for ''Helix pomatia''"

AnimalBase AnimalBase is a project brought to life in 2004 and is maintained by the University of Göttingen, Germany. The goal of the AnimalBase project is to digitize early zoological literature, provide copyright-free open access to zoological works, and pr ...

, last modified 5 March 2009, accessed 6 September 2010.

External links

Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Editio decima, reformata [10th revised edition], vol. 1: 824 pp. Laurentius Salvius: Holmiae

Korábek, O., Juřičková, L. & Petrusek, A. (2015). Splitting the Roman snail Helix pomatia Linnaeus, 1758 (Stylommatophora: Helicidae) into two: redescription of the forgotten Helix thessalica Boettger, 1886. Journal of Molluscan Studies 82: 11–22

{{Authority control pomatia Gastropods described in 1758 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Edible molluscs