Description: A shining barrel-shaped, golden-brown to brown shell. Extremely glossy and smooth and slippery in the hand. Relatively broad with convex whorls and deep sutures. Ubquitous in moss and litter up to moderate altitudes. 5.5-7 mm.

World Distribution: Found throughout Europe and across Siberia to the Pacific and south to China. Also in northern North America. Distribution type: Circumpolar Wide Temperate (66).

Irish Distribution: Fairly ubiquitous except for high ground or areas of deep peat.

Ecology:

• Its English name, the moss snail, describes its usual niche
• Common in hedgerows, woods, rough pasture and waste places
• In peatlands, mainly around the margins but readily colonises sites of former habitation which have lime mortar constructed walls

Key Identification Features:

• A small shining, golden-brown shell
• Slippery and smooth
• Overall shape broad, with convex whorls and moderately deep sutures

Red list status:

• Least concern (lc).

Distribution Map from NBN: Cochlicopa lubrica at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Cochlicopa lubrica at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

GBIF data for Cochlicopa lubrica | Classification: Gastropoda, Stylommatophora, Cochlicopidae, Cochlicopa

Thumbnails for genus Cochlicopa