In October 2025 snails hit the headlines following comments made by the Government of the United Kingdom’s Chancellor of the Exchequer at the JP Morgan Tech Stars conference. In reference to the blocking of a Sussex housing development project the Chancellor is quoted as saying the blockage was due to "some snails on the site that are a protected species of something" and "They are microscopic snails that you cannot even see". The comments drew some criticism from wildlife trusts and charities for misleadingly pitting nature against economic growth.

The snails in question, likely, protected species Anisus vorticulus, the Little Whirlpool Ram’s-horn Snail, is the latest snail species in a long line to come into conflict with infrastructure development and economic growth projects. The applied study of economic effects of land molluscs is a discipline called Economic Malacology, a term coined in 1961 by Albert Mead in his landmark volume on the problems caused by human-facilitated spreading of "the most spectacular menace" the Giant African Land Snail, Lissachatina fulica.

A selection of images from the case

Garden Snail

The common garden snail, Cornu aspersum, one of the most familiar snail species in the UK, has been introduced to non-native range countries for heliculture (as an edible species) as well as accidentally. It is considered a major plant pest outside of its range and is illegal to import and subject to quarantine in Australia, the United States of America and Canada. <

Giant African Land Snail

Native to East Africa, Lissachatina fulica, has been spread by people around the globe into at least 65 different countries from Madagascar to the United States of America. Their biology make them almost the perfect invasive species, they feed on a wide range of plant species, can aestivate and hibernate surviving without food for up to a year, and are host to a number of plant and animal parasites.

Rosy Wolfsnail

Native to Florida, Euglandina rosea, was used as a biological control species to attempt to stop the spread and impact of Giant African Land Snails. The impact on the target species has not been effective but it has been devastating for native snail species everywhere it has been introduced. Approximately 10% of all recorded global extinctions are land snails wiped out by the introduction of the Rosy Wolfsnail.

Links and Further Reading

A museum display by design can only present a limited snapshot of information which can be challenging to comprehensively cover complex topics, such as economic malacology. For example although it was reported in 2006 that all of the Desmoulin snails that were relocated for the A34 bypass construction it remains ambiguous if they were totally wiped out but this nuance is difficult to squeeze into a 60 word label. Here is a selection of primary sources and further information related to the display ‘Problem’ snails. Please note links are externally hosted and may be paywalled.