Little Whirlpool Ramshorn Snail Anisus vorticulus

The Little Whirlpool Ramshorn Snail (Anisus vorticulus) is a legally protected aquatic snail of clean, well-vegetated, slow-moving or static water in traditionally managed grazing marsh and fen systems. It is protected under the Habitats Directive and the Wildlife and Countryside Act, reflecting its severe decline across Europe. In Suffolk, it is associated with the county’s coastal grazing-marsh ditch systems, particularly in the Waveney Valley and coastal levels, where clean, shallow water with abundant aquatic vegetation persists. Maintaining appropriate water quality, ditch management regimes, and stable water levels is essential for sustaining remaining populations. Image: © Alex Hyde, Back from the Brink.

Find out more: iNaturalist, JNCC – Species description, Suffolk LNRS information page