Land snail shells from Dumbarnie Links (Click on Photo to see larger image)
Dumbarnie Links Reserve is a small area of calcareous dune grassland in the centre of Largo Bay and according to the information board there are 25 species of land snail living amongst the dune grassland. This includes two rare species, the colourfully patterned heath snail and the tiny cylindrical whorl snail.
The photo shows the shells of just a few that I came across on the sandy path through the reserve. Most numerous was the brown-lipped banded snail (top left). The number and spacing of bands is very varied and they are sometimes absent. Top middle is the common or garden snail. I'm not sure about the identification of the others. Some may be variants of the banded snail. The small snail bottom left is the only one to have a hollow - the umbilicus - on its underside.
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