Description
The Clausilia bidentata is a small land snail belonging to the family Clausiliidae, also known as door snails. It is widely distributed across Europe and is easily recognised by its slender, elongated, left-coiling shell (about 8–12 mm long) with fine striations. The species name bidentata (“two-toothed”) refers to the characteristic two tooth-like folds inside the shell’s aperture, part of a unique closing mechanism called the clausilium—a sliding plate that protects the snail when retracted inside.
It typically inhabits moist woodlands, hedgerows, and shaded rocky areas, where it lives among leaf litter, moss, and stones. C. bidentata feeds mainly on decaying plant matter and fungi. While not threatened, it serves as an indicator of healthy, humid microhabitats in European ecosystems.
