Posted on behalf of Katrina Charles, BA Media Fellow

A little snail found by the National Trust at Cliveden house, a stately home once occupied by British royalty, is making a big splash in the UK. So why the fuss? They think the Mediterranean snails have gone unnoticed for over a century, over which time, says the BBC, the Cliveden estate has seen political scandals, visits from luminaries and at least one footballer’s wedding (see also the press release).

The small colony of Papillifera papillaris are thought to have arrived in the UK hiding in an Italian marble balustrade brought controversially from the famous Villa Borghese in Rome in 1896, according to the Telegraph

“Despite opposition from the Italian government the balustrade was brought to Cliveden and incorporated in the beautiful terrace which surrounds the house overlooking the Thames.”

This is not the first time that this snail has gone adventuring. According to the blog Snails Tales “The species has been inadvertently introduced to many other locations by humans possibly on marble and marble objects”. They do live on marble and limestone, which is why they are so well travelled. Although Mathew Oates of the National Trust says on the BBC “What they’re doing, what they’re eating, we don’t rightly know, although it’s likely they’re feeding on lichen or algae growing on the marble”.

The snail has no English name so the National Trust [press] has called it “Cliveden snail”, and now they are working to protect it. “Although the ‘Cliveden snail’ hitched a ride to the UK accidentally, it doesn’t appear to be a threat to our native wildlife as it has taken 100 years to get from the balustrade to the house (27 m), so we’re now working to ensure that it has a secure future at Cliveden” says Oates in the press release.

Image: National Trust / Mark Telfer