How does a snail whisperer assure himself of a happy marriage ? He marries a woman who is into snails as much as he is – let me introduce John Stanisic OAM and his wife Lorelle Stanisic. They are the most snuggly pair of snail lovers I have ever met. He was Curator of Molluscs at the Queensland Museum for 26 years and she is deep into her PHD, on yes, you guessed it, land snails.

We listened to them both with fascination at a WPSQ https://wildlife.org.au/

He has painstakingly recorded and tabled the many land snails he showed us on the slides. He has the job of identifying them and naming them. Lorelle told us about the healing properties of land snails, used by the ancients Greeks for tummy upsets and how their slime is used in face creams and other products.

And did you know that snails have teeth – 20,000 of them

And did you know that most Australian sand snails are dextral – yes from the Greek word δεξη- which means right. Only a few rare ones have left openings.

I never thought I would be so taken by their many forms and colours.

Here are some to entice you to go looking in your garden under a fallen log, an upturned pot, or by a tree.

The one that really amused me though is this one

For any of you who have just discovered a buried interest in these creatures rising to the surface, look no further – for your ultimate guide to the Land snails of Australia.

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