Dan McWilliams, who lives near Mount Pleasant, reports the presence of thousands of Cepaea nemoralis or Banded Wood Snail around his house. This is an exotic species that is becoming increasingly widespread in southern Ontario. They were first seen here about 10 years ago. They are mostly nocturnal and eat many types of plant material, both dead and alive. They are also hermaphrodites, meaning a single snail is both male and female at the same time. They can mate many times in a season, especially when conditions are moist – like this past summer. They can be a fairly serious pest in gardens and also impact negatively on native snail and slug species.
Location: Mount Pleasant
Observer: Dan McWilliams
