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BIODIVERSITY
Graden Snail
Cornu aspersum
The garden snail is the most ubiquitous gastropod on campus, distinguished by its large size and mottled brown shell. Empty shells are easy to find, but live snails are a little more secretive, coming out when it rains and spending drier days under rocks or at the bases of large shrubs. This species is one of several that are prepared as escargot where they are native in Europe, and the populations in California were actually introduced during the Gold Rush by an entrepreneur hoping to market sophisticated cuisine to those who struck it rich. His idea didn't take off, but the snails' offspring sure did!
Photo Credit: Thomas Everest
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