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Sticker of Common southern carnivorous snail
Bug card No. 1140 of 4,939

Common southern carnivorous snail

Austrorhytida capillacea
Eats: Other bugs and small animalsSnails, slugs and wormsForests and woodsNo legsNot an insect, but a bug cousin

The common southern carnivorous snail is a land snail from Australia. Most snails munch on plants, but its name tells us this one is a meat eater. It breathes air, just like we do.

Fun fact: this one is not an insect at all, it has no legs! But kids find it on every bug hunt, so it lives in Bug Wiki too.
Lives in
Australia
Top speed
about 0.03 km/h (0.02 mph)
On foot, estimate
Can it hurt you?
Harmless
Harmless to people. Wash your hands after holding one, like after touching any wild animal.
What does it eat?
Its name tells us it eats other small animals instead of plants.
For real!Photo of Common southern carnivorous snail
Picture by Férussac, 1832. CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.

How fast is it?

cool stuff

Fun facts

1

It is a hunter, which is unusual for a snail.

2

It lives on land and breathes air, not water.

3

Like all snails, it glides along on one big foot and leaves a slimy trail.

you asked

Most asked questions about Common southern carnivorous snail

?What does the common southern carnivorous snail eat?

Its name says it is a carnivore, so it eats other small animals instead of plants.

?Is the common southern carnivorous snail dangerous?

No. It only hunts tiny creatures and is harmless to people.

For bug experts

Scientific name
Austrorhytida capillacea
Group
Snails, slugs and worms
Family
Rhytididae
Classification
Gastropoda > Stylommatophora > Rhytididae
Lives on
Australia and Oceania

Where the facts come from

  1. Austrorhytida capillacea (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
  2. Picture by Férussac, 1832. CC0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.

If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

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More from the same group: Snails, slugs and worms

Also at home here: Forests and woods

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