Welcome to my page of Land Snails & Slugs in Canada! All species listed here I currently/actively work with to try and captive breed or have already captive bred. Goal is to help educate people on a whole world of animals that gets commonly overlooked and overshadowed, also act as a resource for people where most other resources are way too generalized for care/needs. This page will be actively updated and changed as new information becomes available, species become captive bred or I work with new species, etc. If you're looking to purchase any species, read information at the bottom of the page for Shipping & Ordering info! Otherwise, enjoy the page!
Native Land Snails
Flamed Tigersnails
(Anguispira alternata)
$20, est. 1 yr old CBB individuals
$30, est. 2+ yr old CBB individuals
My personal favorite Native snail species and one of the most unique! They're the only member of their genus in mainland Ontario and are one of the most important detritivores in North America! They're generalist decomposers who will eat anything from dead leaf litter & rotting wood to mushrooms and dead animals. They're also one of the longest living snail species in Canada! Records living up to 10 years in the wild, my current oldest Tigersnail is an est. 6 years old now, and still growing! This species reaches sexual maturity around 2 years old on average in captivity, and after reaching that point, will grow continuously! They tend to average about 1.5cm when sexually mature but with their "Indeterminate" growth rate, they will keep growing their entire life regardless, 6yr old snail is currently 2.4cm in diameter. Care for this species is easy enough for beginners but is a commitment species, they are highly communal and non-competitive snails so they can be kept with practically any other invertebrates. Due to sheer communal, semi-fossorial and less active nature, these Snails aren't picky about tank size, but an average 2-3 Snails per 1-2 gallons is good for tank size.
Eastern Whitelip Snails
(Neohelix albolabris)
CB Juveniles $35
One of Ontario's largest Native Land Snails! Wild specimens in Ontario average around 3cm in diameter, however, in captivity it's possible for the species to grow up to 4cm in diameter with proper care, as localities in more year-round warmer climates will grow up to 4cm in the wild! This species is slower growing than the more common Whitelip Globe Snail (Mesodon thyroidus) & can take up to 1 to 2 years to mature with a lifespan estimated to be 4-5+ years in captivity. These snails are generally more solitary than most snails in Ontario as they are very competitive with smaller snails, this causes some Eastern Whitelips to be smaller than their potential max size, recommended to only keep with similarly sized snails. I'd recommend about 1-2 gallon per full grown adult to allow for space for them to explore without any competition, if you keep these snails with smaller species, don't expect the best growth results from your smaller snails as they may get bullied out of resources.
Whitelip Globe Snails
(Mesodon thyroidus)
CB Sub-adults & adults $25
One of the most common native species, found all across Ontario! May get mistaken for Eastern Whitelips (Neohelix albolabris) and vice versa. These are one of the fastest growing Native Snails reaching max size, but not sexual maturity, at around 4-5 months, Snails reach sexual maturity approximately around a year old despite being fully grown. Due to high population density of the species and being moderately competitive with younger snails, wild adults of the species average 2cm. In captivity the species can grow almost as large as wild Eastern Whitelips average size at 2.5-3cm in diameter! est. lifespan is thought to be around 2-3+ years which is relatively short for a native species of their size but explains their fast growth rate in captivity. Species does well in dense populations of similar sized or larger snails/slugs but about 1-2 gallons per mature snail is recommended for beginners.
Pacific Sidebands
(Monadenia fidelis)
Captive Breeding documented, CB Juveniles hatched, Juvenile care TBD
Native to BC, Sidebands are one of Canada's largest Snails growing up to 3.5cm in diameter on average. Although I have successfully captive bred this species, the care for the adults is relatively easy enough, it's more so the juveniles being the oddballs here. Outside of preferring around room temp and below, cooler temperatures are overall preferred so no direct heat, sunlight etc. Pacific Sidebands are extremely slow growing snails, when it comes to Captive Bred juveniles, keeping them happy and sustained is the trick, I'm not 100% sure if the juveniles diet is as hardy as their older phases. Supposedly, Stinging Nettle is a big part of their diet in the wild, which is a plant naturally high in Calcium and other nutrients, so I wonder if most of their growth at younger stages comes from Stinging Nettle consumption where most other species would ingest calcium in more raw forms (Limestone, empty snail shells, animal eggs, etc.), which may explain their naturally slow growth rate. I will try Nettle with some adults and experiment with Nettle for future juveniles, as adults visibly take to a varied diet of carrots, lichen, mushrooms, protein sources and pollen.
Quick Gloss Snails
(Zonitoides arboreus)
CBB, Mixed Size 5 Snails for $15
These itty-bitty Snails are a more well-known member of the Glass Snail family! Commonly occuring alongside other Snail or Slug species, and even seen in Vivarium builds at times on accident. Quick Gloss Snails are one of very few members of the Glass Snail Family known to have a heavily Detritivorous diet! They'll feed on the fecal matter of larger animals, as well as mushy, rotting matter in an enclosure! Though not terribly fast breeding, and slow growing, they help diversify your setups and work as a clean-up crew species for humid bioactive tanks!
Native Land Slugs
Toga Mantleslugs
(Philomycus togatus)
No breeding/egg laying recorded yet
Still in the works with this species, Toga Mantleslugs are a seemingly Semi-arboreal native slug that eats a lot of Fungi & Lichens but take to a variety of food in captivity including Carrots, Pollen & various Proteins. One of the largest and most common Slugs native to Ontario, despite this, they have yet to breed but supposedly have very unique mating methods. Unlike most Slugs, Toga Mantleslugs actually use a "Love Dart", the same method used by most Land Snail species for breeding. Will update post if any results are made!
(Megapallifera mutabilis)
No breeding/egg laying recorded yet
Yellow-bordered Taildroppers
(Prophysaon foliolatum)
No breeding/egg laying recorded yet
Only just started working with this species as of this fall (2024) so information given at this time may be quite vague on my end but I'll give what I've observed plus what I know about the species so far. Yellow-bordered Taildroppers are native to BC and are one of the longest species of native Slug growing up to 10cm long! Available information on most Taildropper species online is rather minimal or nonexistent entirely, but from what I've observed, they have been actively eating a varied diet of oats, pollen, fish flakes, carrots, beets and my personal homemade blend of food. As for any breeding behavior or egg laying, I haven't observed any yet personally, and they haven't been too temperature sensitive as well as surprisingly active so I'm pretty hopeful in regards to how well they're doing thus far!
European Land Snails
Brown-Lipped Grove Snails
(Cepaea nemoralis)
Juveniles: $20 (NFS at this time)
The Tried & True of Land Snail hobbyists in Canada! The Brown-Lipped Grove Snail, commonly just referred to as the "Grove Snail" is undoubtedly the most well known species here. Produce an extremely variable morphology of Yellow, Brown, and Pink Shells with anywhere from no banding to multiple bands on their shell. Care for this species is relatively easy, can be picky eaters at times but also surprisingly slow growing, taking up to 2 years to mature in captivity. This species I've used as the sort of basis to compare Land Snail sizes in Canada as their average size varies just above or below 2cm in diameter and being the most commonly comparable to other species. Though not known to be competitive, they have been observed in cases of cannibalism, attacking/irritating other Snails & Slugs, probably due to lack of resources, so its recommended to probably give them more akin to 1-2 gallons per mature snail for inexperienced keepers, as well as being semi-arboreal they need space to climb and prefer a more vertical enclosure.
Milk Snails
(Otala lactea)
Juveniles: $40 (NFS at this time)
One of the largest Land Snail species in the Canadian Hobby and one of only 2 species of legal "Exotic" Snails. This species does not naturally occur in Canada and is only available through existing breeders or imported via permit. Species itself is one of the most heat tolerant in the hobby being native to Spain and invasive to Texas, species loves it warm and may sleep for weeks at a time if it's either too dry or excessively hot. Species may average 3 to 5+ years in captivity so somewhat of a commitment compared to some smaller species! Also pretty heavily solitary but seemingly not competitive so they can be kept alongside other snails and slugs without issues. Growing upwards of 4cm when fully grown and being semi-arboreal, I'd recommend at least 2 gallons per mature snail as to not either stress out the snails or cause potential competition, the larger the enclosure the more these Snails will stay away from each other.
Copse Snails
(Arianta arbustorum)
Breeding documented, no eggs laid (2024)
Species visibly looks like a smaller relative of Grove Snails (Cepaea nemoralis), this Medium-small snail isn't quite the same in care as Groves. Copse Snails seemingly need higher humidity and cooler temperatures, which explains their range of sightings in Canada of the eastern provinces and riverside trails around the GTA of Ontario. Species mysteriously and for seemingly no reason passes away close to maturity with only one pair successfully breeding but didn't lay eggs before passing away. Signs lean towards possible exposure to a pesticide or illness introduced to the species but cannot confirm or deny.
Eastern Heath Snails
(Xerolenta obvia)
No breeding/egg laying, captive care TBD (2024)
These Snails are a bit of an enigma to me, they don't like constant/stagnant high humidity and can't be kept too dry either. Their diet is primarily various grasses and greens, most notably alfalfa, I have gotten them to eat Fish Food, Bee Pollen, & some eating Carrot slices but very inconsistently eating. Heath's will go into estivation for weeks at a time, seemingly only waking up during/after heavy rainfall to feed. Will keep information updated as more is learned about their specific needs.
European Land Slugs
Leopard Slugs
(Limax maximus)
CB Juveniles/Sub-adults: $45
The poster child of the Slug side of the hobby! The Leopard Slug is the largest species currently in the hobby with an average size of 15cm long but can range anywhere from 10cm to 20cm pending care, health and resources made available. Despite their seemingly simple needs, their biggest requirement is space, because they are highly competitive and more active than most smaller slug species. I recommend about 5 Gallons per sub-adult/adult slug as this gives them much room to thrive, explore and fully stretched out their body. Species will average 2-3 years with proper care in captivity. Due to being highly competitive and predatory, it's not recommended to keep this species with any other Snails/Slugs without doing proper research and giving the species the necessary food and requirements.
Yellow Cellar Slugs
(Limacus flavus)
CBB Juveniles/Sub-Adults: $25
The slightly smaller more docile relative of the Leopard Slug, but don't fret! They'll grow up to 10+cm long and will have a bit larger body mass than a full grown Leopard, as the temperament of this species is highly communal, they will hide under heavy debris in large masses. This is also the largest truly "Bioactive Friendly" Slug in the hobby as they're generalist detritivores who will almost exclusively scavenge for food ranging from vegetables, fruits, fecal matter, dead insects and other food sources. Species tends to average 2 years in captivity. Due to natural behavior of being highly communal, mildly semi-fossorial and population dense, you can house multiple of this species together without issue, but with their sheer size and body mass, it's recommended 2+ Gallons per mature adult, 5 gallon minimum for a communal setup.
Threeband Slugs
(Ambigolimax valentianus)
CB Juveniles/Sub-adults: $25
This species is a perfect middle ground between Leopard Slugs & Yellow Cellar Slugs. They're similarly communal to Yellow Cellar Slugs (Limacus flavus) but will be competitive towards other species like Leopard Slugs (Limax maximus) are. However, they're relatively smaller than both aforementioned species, they can grow up to 10cm long like Yellow Cellar Slugs but have a much more slender build. Their diet is overall simple, but regular protein is a necessity for this species, Fish Flakes make a good regular and cheap protein source for them, they'll also take to Carrots, Pollen, Mushrooms etc. as they are Omnivorous like Leopard Slugs are. I'd recommend 2-3 Slugs per 2 gallons for tank size, this is another beginner friendly species of the Limacidae family for people who are strapped for either space for a larger enclosure or are uncomfortable keeping one of the larger species with a bit more intricate care and needs.
Tree Slugs
(Lehmannia marginata)
No signs of breeding/egg laying
Gorgeous arboreal Slug species, found almost exclusively in East coast Canada, some records on the West coast. Species unfortunately didn't take to their enclosure but will be trying again in 2025 if possible, Tree Slugs are in the same family as Leopard Slugs and other above species in Limacidae. Very few relatives of the Limacidae family occur in Canada, so I'm hoping I can get this species thriving in captivity someday! Seemingly prefers cooler climates, dietary wise it's tough to say as they seemed to be pretty picky across the board with food.
Milky Field Slugs
(Deroceras reticulatum)
CB Juveniles: $5 (NFS at this time)
If you've owned a vegetable garden, own a grassy property or gone hiking in a damp area near a city, you've probably encountered this species on occasion once or twice. Though they can be pretty heavily herbivorous, in captivity they can actively be fed a variety of basic food sources to maintain them. Species likes high humidity conditions, minimal air flow needed and have a high population density, but can happily be kept in very small groups. The absolute beginner slug species, they're tolerant of a range of temperatures and are almost exclusively nocturnal. Display a wide range of colors from pure white, greys and coffee-like browns with a variety of patterns! Species only grows up to 3cm long but has a long lifespan for their size of about 1 to 1 ½ years, no specific tank size requirements.
Western Dusky Slugs
(Arion subfuscus)
CB juveniles: $5 (N/A)
One of the most recognizable Slug species in Canada! If you've been hiking anywhere in Ontario you've more than likely witnessed this species at one point in time! One of the larger members of the "Smaller" family of Arion Slugs growing up to 7cm long. Western Duskies sport bright orange colored slime which creates the deception of being unfit to eat, the orange slime itself can lightly stain your skin orange but it's overall harmless. This species prefer cooler temps so you may notice signs of stress when it's too warm for them.
(Arion hortensis)
Juveniles $5 each
Budapest Slugs
With dark brown to black range of colors, Garden Arions are one of the visibly more unique species with a bright orange sole on their foot! Needs of this species are similar to other smaller Arion species commonly found in Canada, preferring cooler temperatures with a generalist detritivorous diet of Carrots, Mushrooms, dead invertebrates etc. Only recently had luck getting eggs from this species in Captivity so page will be updated in due time!
Black Slugs
(Arion ater ssp.)
Breeding documented, no eggs laid (2024)
The 3rd largest species in Canada, known to grow upwards of 12cm+ long and similar body mass to Yellow Cellar Slugs (Limacus flavus)when fully grown. Species is found in both BC & parts of Ontario, prefers high humidity and cooler environments, a common theme being coniferous woodlands heavy in fungi. I have record of this species breeding multiple times in captivity, however the excessive heat we got after that breeding season unfortunately killed off the breeding adults. This species supposedly takes upwards of 4 weeks to lay their eggs after breeding which increases a lot of potential risks of not even making it to egg laying when their breeding season is between August & September seemingly. Avoiding excessive heat in their enclosures seems to be the best way to keep them happy, will be trying again in 2025 for CB Eggs.
(Tandonia budapestensis)
Breeding recorded, no egg laying yet
These are one of the most unique species I work with at the moment! These guys are Semi-fossorial, leaning more into fossorial than terrestrial, as they are active burrowers and are known to make hides & burrows almost half a foot underground during periods of drought or to lay eggs. Due to this behavior, tracking exact populations of the species can be quite difficult, the handful I currently work with spend most of their time in shallow burrows, or underneath plant debris, only coming out to eat. Supposedly, their known to be crop pests to root vegetables, namely potatoes, but otherwise haven't seen anything in regards to them being an environmental risk. In terms of diet, they are seemingly Detritivorous Omnivores, likely leaning more herbivorous, as they actively have eaten Carrots, Beets & the occasional Potato slice, as well as various oats, fish flakes, and my homemade blend of food. Out of the 2 Tandonia species found in Canada, I started work with the Budapest's first and then the Balkans so I'll keep the page updated if anything else arises regarding the species.
These are one of the most unique species I work with at the moment! These guys are Semi-fossorial, leaning more into fossorial than terrestrial, as they are active burrowers and are known to make hides & burrows almost half a foot underground during periods of drought or to lay eggs. Due to this behavior, tracking exact populations of the species can be quite difficult, the handful I currently work with spend most of their time in shallow burrows, or underneath plant debris, only coming out to eat. Supposedly, their known to be crop pests to root vegetables, namely potatoes, but otherwise haven't seen anything in regards to them being an environmental risk. In terms of diet, they are seemingly Detritivorous Omnivores, likely leaning more herbivorous, as they actively have eaten Carrots, Beets & the occasional Potato slice, as well as various oats, fish flakes, and my homemade blend of food. Out of the 2 Tandonia species found in Canada, I started work with the Budapest's first and then the Balkans so I'll keep the page updated if anything else arises regarding the species.
(Tandonia kusceri)
No breeding/egg laying recorded yet
One of my favorite Slug species I've worked with so far, the largest semi-fossorial slug to my knowledge in Canada. Growing up to 10cm+ in length, they may not have the body mass of Yellow Cellar Slugs (Limacus flavus), but they actively burrow much deeper in compact soil comparable to the Budapest Slugs (Tandonia budapestensis) which makes them the deepest/largest burrowing slug in Canada. Diet is nearly identical to Budapests but due to not being terribly active slugs like other species, they may go days without actively eating, cases of carrot slices totally ignored one week and then devoured in another, I at least sprinkle in some pollen and fish flakes to satiate them in that time when they don't eat any root vegetables and are less active. Really hopeful that this species will breed but as slugs in the genus Tandonia have 0 known care/needs in captivity, it'll be groundbreaking to see results of any breeding and eggs!
Shipping Information & Placing Orders
Only species that are available for sale have prices below the photos, if listed with N/A they're currently out of stock. Shipping is available from Spring to Fall, end of November generally, spring is determined by weather. Shipping is a flat $30 express rate Canada Wide through Canada Post, or local delivery is available for $15 for me to deliver within the first 50km. Local meetup is also an option as well as pickup at events I vend at. For placing orders, contact me directly on Instagram or E-mail me at planetinvertscanada@gmail.com. Orders are shipped every Monday/Tuesday pending Holidays.
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