Great Ramshorn Snail - Planorbarius corneus

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Description

Diameter 30 mm. The shell coils in a flat spiral with a flared mouth. Albinos are common and these have a red, rather than black, body due to the blood showing through the skin.

Identification difficulty
Habitat

Inhabits small, still, weedy ponds and drains.

When to see it

All year round.

Life History

These snails graze on algae by scraping rocks with a special tongue with embedded teeth called a radula. They lay their eggs in a protective mass of jelly on plants or any other underwater structure.

UK Status

Common in much of England, but fewer records from Wales and Scotland.

VC55 Status

Common in Leicestershire and Rutland.

  • Paul Ruddoch
    Melton Mowbray Country Park
    05 July 2014
  • egaten
    Thurlaston garden
    09 April 2014
  • Graham Calow
    Sapcote garden1
    27 March 2010
  • egaten
    Thurlaston garden
    06 April 2015
  • Steve Mathers
    Grantham Canal (Stathern Bridge)
    26 August 2016

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015

UK Map

Species data profile ?

Species profile

Common names
Great Ramshorn, Great Ramshorn Snail
Species group:
Slugs & Snails
Kingdom:
Animalia
Order:
Hygrophila
Family:
Planorbidae
Records on NatureSpot:
98
First record:
15/08/1981 (Nicholls, David)
Last record:
30/08/2024 (Nicholls, David)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

The latest images and records displayed below include those awaiting verification checks so we cannot guarantee that every identification is correct. Once accepted, the record displays a green tick.

In the Latest Records section, click on the header to sort A-Z, and again to sort Z-A. Use the header boxes to filter the list.

Latest images

Latest records

  • David Nicholls
    Ratby Village Pond
    05 May 2011
  • egaten
    Thurlaston garden
    01 April 2014
  • egaten
    Thurlaston garden
    09 April 2014
  • egaten
    Thurlaston garden
    09 April 2014
  • Steve Mathers
    Grantham Canal (Stathern Bridge)
    26 August 2016
  • egaten
    Thurlaston garden
    03 June 2015
  • Steve Mathers
    Grantham Canal (Stathern Bridge)
    26 August 2016
  • Graham Calow
    Sapcote garden1
    27 March 2010
    shown against centimetre rule
  • Graham Calow
    Sapcote garden1
    27 March 2010
  • David Nicholls
    Ratby garden
    18 February 2021
  • Steve Mathers
    Grantham Canal (Stathern Bridge MP 19 - 20)
    01 May 2018
    squares 2mm