Samples of the Banded Snail (Cepaea nemoralis). Photo from Open University

Dear Readers, if you are a long-term follower of Bug Woman you’ll know that I love nothing better than a bit of sciencing, and so, a whole month before my next Open University module (S317 – Biological Science from Genes to Species since you ask) I am starting to prepare for my next ‘proper’ science experiment.

Banded snails, like the ones in the photograph, come in a variety of different colour forms, or ‘morphs’. They can be yellow, pink or brown, and they can have many bands, one band or no bands. Although they’ve been studied for decades, no one is quite sure why the variation occurs. One theory is that it’s linked to bird predation – snails in wooded areas tend to be brown and unbanded, so that the birds find it harder to see them, and in grassland areas they’re often yellow and banded for the same reason.

Another theory is that the further north you go, the more likely you are to see dark-coloured snails – the shell absorbs more heat, and, as frost is the main danger to our molluscan friends, dark-shelled snails are more likely to survive.

So, at some point I need to hobble out into the field and see if I can find 20 adult banded snails. Unfortunately, I have only ever seen one banded snail in my garden in nearly fifteen years of living here, so I am putting out the call far and wide to my neighbours and friends in case they have gardens full of the little devils. One suggestion from my lovely friend A is the cemetery, which has both woodland and grassland and so should provide a healthy selection of snails. I’m not sure if we’re meant to be doing field studies there though, so we’ll have to look as unobtrusive as possible.

Once we’ve found our snails, I need to categorise them and then release them to live the rest of their lives without further interference. What stories they’ll have to tell to their children, though.

Then, it’s a case of comparing my records not only to my fellow classmates, but also to historic records. It appears that someone was looking at banded snails in Colindale, which is close enough for my purposes. Now, if only I could get the website to open properly so I can actually look at the records!

Anyhow, I am very excited about getting back ‘into the field’, even though it will be a slow and careful experiment for sure, as the last thing I need is to topple into a mass of snails or trip over a gravestone. I shall keep you all posted, and in the meantime, if you live close to East Finchley and have a plethora of banded snails in your garden/allotment/local park, do give me a shout. I need all the help I can get!