Land Snails and Slugs of Richmond

compiled by

Rose Klinkenberg

Giant Gardensnail (Limax maximus) (right), and Three-band Gardensnail (Lehmannia valentiana) (left) in Richmond, photo by Brian Klinkenberg

(ID by Robert Forsyth).

The land snails and slugs of Richmond have not been formally studied.  However, the incidental observations below show that this faunal group is represented by both native and alien species, with alien species predominating. In gardens, the most common snail encountered is the introduced Grovesnail, while slug species are variable.  The native Pacific Bananslug is seen as often as the introduced Giant Gardensail. Further work in the remaining natural areas of Richmond, especially the smaller islands, is needed in order to assess the land snail fauna, and particularly the native snail fauna.

Family Species Common Name Comment
Arionidae Arion rufus (Linnaeus, 1758) Chocolate Arion introduced
  Arion hortensis  (Férussac 1819) species group Garden Arion (slug) introduced
  Ariolimax columbianus (Gould in A. Binney, 1851) Pacific Bananaslug native
Haplotrematidae Haplotrema vancouverense (I. Lea, 1839) Robust Lancetooth (snail) native
Helicidae Cepaea nemoralis (Linnaeus, 1758) Grovesnail introduced
Limacidae Derocerus reticulatum (Müller, 1774) Grey Fieldslug     introduced
  Lehmannia valentiana Ferussac in Ferussac 7 DesHaye, 1822 Three-band Gardenslug introduced
  Limax maximus Linnaeus 1758: Giant Gardenslug  
Polygyridae Vespericola columbianus (I. Lea, 1839) Northwest Oregonian (snail) native
Punctidae Punctum randolphii (Dall, 1895) Conical Spot (snail) native
Pristilomatidae Vitrea contracta (Westerlund, 1871) Contracted Glass-snail introduced

All identifications by Robert Forsyth.

Sources:

Klinkenberg, Rose, and Neil Davis. 2008.  Biophysical Inventory and Evaluation of the Lulu Island Bog, Richmond, BC.  Richmond Nature Park Society, Richmond.

Klinkenberg, Rose and Brian Klinkenberg, personal observation, photo documentation.

Important References:

Forsyth, R.G. 2004b. Land Snails of British Columbia. Royal British Columbia Museum Handbook. Royal BC Museum, Victoria.