DECOLLATE SNAIL
The predatory decollate snail, Rumina decollata. It is a small land snail of southern European, North African and western Asian origin, all the areas around the Mediterranean Sea. The snail kills slugs, common brown snails and garden snails. It is known as the decollate snail because it decollates (breaks off) the top 3 segments or so of the shell to increase mobility and reduces shell weight. This snail was both accidentally and intentionally brought into the United States . It has been on the Atlantic coast for over 165 years and in the Gulf States for over 85 years. Now established in the southern areas of the country, southern California, Arizona, Texas, Gulf Coast to Florida and up to North Carolina. The decollate snail is a mollusk in the family Subulinidae. With a black body, a olive-gray foot, and a brown, spiral shell with 4 to 6 whorls, tapering to a blunt end and some have a purple cast at the mouth of the shell. The decollate snail has both self-fertilization and cross-fertilization which at age of approximate 1 year begin to lay eggs and go on to live about 2 years. When the snail gets ready to lay eggs it finds a slight hole in the soil and deposits individually but in a cluster. Over a period of a week up to 50 eggs are laid that hatch in 10 to 40 days. Decollate snails can go dormant for several months during unfavorable conditions like drought. They usually will burrow into the ground during winters only in places where the ground does not freeze for long periods of time. Decollate snails are active at night when they hunt for food or after rainfall. Their main food snails are of the small variety not large ones which are capable of withdrawing into their shells for safety. If their preferred food is not available they will small plants. Commercially bought snails may be inactive but can be revived with cold water on them for several minutes. It usually takes about 2 years to get rid of slug populations with the snails. And since they do not wonder far from where they were placed keep them to small space of your garden. A supplemental feeding of pelletized alfalfa or compost will keep them around also.
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