Morro Shoulderband Snail

The illusive Morro shoulderband snail. They hide onder the leaf litter and only come out to play (well forage, etc.), when the ground is wet. Usually this is after rain events, but can sometimes ba after a heavy fog. During the dry season, these little invertebrates aestivate under ground, or deep within any clump of vegetation. They seal themselves off from the outside world and wait until the ground is wet again. Oh, and they are federally listed so montoring and moving them if necessary is only done by persons permitted by US Fish and Wildlife Service. They can be distiguished from other shoulderbands in the area by the narrow (almost closed) aperature, incised grooves along the shell and papillations within the grooves. The best advice I can give you is that if you see one of these snails, just leave it alone. It is not a pest like the European garden snail and will do no harm to your garden. It lives off of detritus and is a beneficial member of the ecosystem.