Snail Program

Snails in the desert? Yes, indeed! Arizona is home to nearly 200 species of native snails and slugs. Many of these mollusks are land snails of the genus Sonorella (talussnails) or Eremarionta (desertsnails) found in our rocky desert mountain preserves around Phoenix and neighboring towns and cities. These snails are very secretive and only emerge from under rocks following soaking rains. They are long-lived for invertebrates-several years to perhaps a decade. You may find their dime-sizes shells at the base of cliffs, along rocky hillsides and talus slopes. In your backyards and neighborhoods, you may also find other snails, such as the common brown garden snail or the elongated decollate snail - "hitchhikers" on garden and nursery plants.