Invertebrate · GBIF taxon 5190768
Cellar Snail
Oxychilus cellariusAlso known as Cellar Glass-Snail, Cellar Glass Snail
Cellar snails glide across moist subterranean crevices and damp leaf litter, recognizable by their pale blue-grey bodies and glossy, translucent amber shells. Unlike strictly vegetarian snails, these opportunistic carnivores actively hunt slug eggs, small invertebrates, and other snails, making them efficient scavengers of the forest floor. When winter approaches, they retreat deep into stone walls, caves, and building foundations to conserve moisture and wait out freezing temperatures.
NocturnalMolluskInvertebrate
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Small snails
- Slug eggs
- Earthworms
Predators
- Ground beetles
- Song thrushes
- Common toads
ThreatsHabitat desiccation, molluscicide application, and urban pesticide runoff
HabitatsDamp woodland leaf litter, caves, cellars, gardens, and stone rubble
Life span1–2 years
Classification
- OrderStylommatophora
- FamilyOxychilidae
- GenusOxychilus
- SpeciesOxychilus cellarius
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Finding: Check beneath wet patio pavers, rotting logs, and damp basement foundations after rain.
- Handling: Avoid squeezing the shell, which is exceptionally thin, brittle, and translucent.
Frequent Companion "Garden Snail" by SidPix is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/. · cc-by
Predator (c) Udo Schmidt, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) Joss Carr, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Jacqui Geux, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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