helix pomatia

[natrat84]

Hiya
I think I found a helix pomatia earlier, but I didn't bring it in Brad picked it up on the way to school, On first look I thought oo err whats that, it was shaped the same as aspersa but more orangey and less patterning on the shell, and the skin was umm paler but with an almost green tint to it. Then I figured I was being stupid and I only ever find aspersa so thats what it must be. Does it sound like pomatia? Can you get them in sussex?
Nat

[sezzy5889]

Wow that does sound like a Pomatia :-)

You stupid woman you should have picked it up, only joking lol it's nice to see them in the wild ;D

[copigeon]

its illegal to collect them from the wild anyway?
theyre an endangered species in the UK?

[Deleted]

yes that description does sound correct (except that the shell was orangey)

i think you can get them around south and south east england so probably.

awww u shudda kept it and taken a picture

[Kevin]

copigeon said:

its illegal to collect them from the wild anyway?
theyre an endangered species in the UK?

They are protected I think, I dont know if they are an endangered species or not?

[Deleted]

theyre not endangered species because theres loads in europe.

theyre protected here but only because people were collecting them as food. if you collect them with the intention of breeding them and releasing the babies back into the wild it would be fine thats what i hope to do with mine.

[copigeon]

I dont think who ever regulates it would see it like that?

Theres moral issues behind it too, removing what few wild ones are left from british landscapes mean theyre not naturally repoducing, if everyone collected a few "to breed and put back" there would be very few left to do thier own thing and repopulate.

Just generally believe its a bad idea? and not a practice a society should be promoting, especially to people who may have very little success with that practice of home repoduction?

Same thing with slow worms.

They can be imported, or purchased through entomological suppliers. Best to leave the wild ones alone?

[Deleted]

yeh i guess taking them from the wild is questionable, but if you breed many and put them back, then surely it helps them?

well there sure isnt anything wrong with getting them from somewhere where theyre common (e.g. in europe) and then breeding them and releasing the babies into britain. i wish there were more helix pomatia, theyre my favourite british species.

[Paul]

pandatazz said:

copigeon said:

its illegal to collect them from the wild anyway?
theyre an endangered species in the UK?

They are protected I think, I dont know if they are an endangered species or not?

They have neither endangered or protected status: (see www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/wildlifeact-review58/consultation.pdf).

I spoke to various organisations about this. It was under review with an aim to protect them. With no hope of the remaining populations ever re-meeting up I asked them about a re-introduction scheme, they didn't think it was necessary because in parts of the country they are plentiful.

However, you may as well get them from elsewhere, you've probably got a better chance and you don't have to dally with questionable ethics. I got mine from Germany from Birte, Sweden has loads of them also.