18 Types of Snails to Keep as Pets: Land and Aquarium Species for US Keepers
October 26, 2026
The types of snails to keep as pets fall into two groups: land snails that live in terrariums and freshwater snails that live in aquariums. Some are cheap, hardy, and easy to find. Others are banned in the United States, and owning one can bring federal penalties.
The giant African land snail is one of the most popular pet snails worldwide. In the US, it is illegal to own without a USDA permit. That is why this list covers legal and borderline species alongside the banned ones.
Snails are mollusks, not insects, but they sit comfortably beside bugs in the small-pet hobby. If you are weighing other invertebrates, the guides on insects as pets and different types of insects cover the six-legged options. Below, each snail gets its own look at size, setup, temperament, and what US keepers should know before buying.
Important Note: Snail rules in the US depend on both federal and state agriculture agencies. Several land snails on this list are established pests in parts of the country, so call your state department of agriculture before buying one. Never release a pet snail outdoors.
| Snail | Habitat | Beginner Fit | US Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Giant African Land Snail | Terrarium | Not available | Illegal without USDA permit |
| Garden Snail | Terrarium | High | Legal in most states; check locally |
| Green Garden Snail | Terrarium | Moderate | Check state rules |
| White Garden Snail | Terrarium | Moderate | Check state rules |
| Burgundy Snail | Terrarium | High | Sold by US specialty shops |
| Chocolate-band Snail | Terrarium | Moderate | Check state rules |
| Giant Tiger Land Snail | Terrarium | Not available | Illegal without USDA permit |
| Grove Snail | Terrarium | Moderate | Check local rules |
| Milk Snail | Terrarium | High | Check state rules |
| Assassin Snail | Aquarium | Moderate | Sold in the aquarium trade |
| Bladder Snail | Aquarium | High | Common tank hitchhiker |
| Great Pond Snail | Aquarium | Moderate | Sold in the aquarium trade |
| Malaysian Trumpet Snail | Aquarium | High | Sold in the aquarium trade |
| Mystery Snail | Aquarium | High | Some apple snail species restricted by state |
| Nerite Snail | Aquarium | High | Sold in the aquarium trade |
| New Zealand Mud Snail | Aquarium | Not recommended | Invasive in US waters |
| Rabbit Snail | Aquarium | Moderate | Sold in the aquarium trade |
| Ramshorn Snail | Aquarium | High | Sold in the aquarium trade |
1. Giant African Land Snail
The giant African land snail (Achatina fulica) is the pet snail most people picture when they imagine a big, slow, handleable terrarium animal. It is also the one US keepers cannot legally own. Owning, importing, selling, or breeding these snails in the US requires a USDA permit, and permits go only to research or educational projects.
The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service can issue permits for research, education, or exhibition, but private pet permits are extremely rare. Florida shows why the rules are strict. The state eradicated the pest from a 2011 Miami-Dade detection in 2021, and again in 2026 from a 2022 detection in Lee County.
Health is part of the concern too. These snails can carry Angiostrongylus cantonensis, the parasitic nematode known as rat lungworm. The Florida Department of Agriculture also notes that lighter-fleshed “albino” snails are more desirable in the illegal pet trade, so a bargain listing online is a red flag. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services tracks active quarantine areas.
2. Garden Snail
The common brown garden snail (Cornu aspersum, also sold as Helix aspersa) is the standard recommendation for first-time snail keepers. It is among the most widely kept pet snails where legal, grows to about 1 to 1.5 inches across, and handles temperate indoor conditions well. Lifespans run about 3 to 5 years.
Pet-store and breeder lines are a different animal from the ones eating your hostas. Selectively bred pet lines are larger, healthier, and more interactive than wild snails. They are also social, so keeping two or more together works better than going solo.
Setup is simple: a ventilated tank, moist coconut-fiber or soil substrate, daily misting, vegetables, and a calcium source such as cuttlebone. Insectio reports the species is legal in most US states and widely available. Wild snails can carry parasites and pesticide residue, so buy captive-bred animals rather than collecting from the yard. Curious what lives in your own beds? See the guide to types of snails in the garden.
3. Green Garden Snail
The green garden snail (Cantareus apertus) is also called the Mediterranean green snail. It has a thin, pale yellow-green to tan shell and a body that often looks faintly green. It stays small, with a shell about an inch across, so it fits easily in a modest terrarium.
Care mirrors the common garden snail: high humidity, a deep substrate for burrowing, leafy greens, and plenty of calcium. This species has formed wild colonies in parts of the US, which means regulators take escapes seriously. Check with your state agriculture office, buy captive-bred stock, and keep the lid locked.
4. White Garden Snail
The white garden snail (Theba pisana) has a small, pale shell, often with faint brown spiral bands. In its Mediterranean home range, it famously climbs stalks and fence posts in groups to rest through hot weather. In a terrarium, expect it to climb branches and the glass.
Specialty shops do sell it. SnailySnail lists Theba pisana alongside Helix pomatia, Helix lucorum, and Helix aspersa. Like the green garden snail, it has become an agricultural pest in other warm regions, so confirm legality locally and never let one escape.
Pro Tip: Small, climbing snails slip through tiny gaps. Use a lid with fine mesh or a snug cloth cover, and check the seams before you walk away from a newly cleaned tank.
5. Burgundy Snail
The burgundy snail (Helix pomatia), often called the Roman or escargot snail, is the heavyweight of the legal options. Myhappysnails.com calls it the largest legal snail for US keepers. It can reach roughly 5 to 6 centimeters, or about 2 to 2.4 inches, in shell size.
Its shell is creamy tan with soft brown banding, and its body is thick and sturdy. Because the species is raised for heliciculture, or snail farming, it can be imported and kept legally. It does best in cooler rooms than tropical snails and needs a deeper substrate for digging in.
Beginners can handle it, but the bigger body eats more and produces more waste. Plan on a larger enclosure than a garden snail needs and spot-clean every few days.
6. Chocolate-Band Snail
The chocolate-band snail (Eobania vermiculata) has a rounded, medium-sized shell in tan or cream with chocolate-brown spiral bands. It is a Mediterranean species, and Bantam Earth lists it among its care guides for terrarium snails. The banded pattern makes it a favorite for keepers who want something more decorative than a plain brown shell.
Keep it like a Mediterranean snail: moderate humidity, a dry zone and a damp zone, and calcium available at all times. This species is regulated as a pest in some areas, so check local rules first.
7. Giant Tiger Land Snail
The giant tiger land snail (Achatina achatina) is among the largest land snails on Earth. It has a cone-shaped shell with bold tiger-like stripes in brown and cream. Adults can grow to the size of a fist or larger.
It is another banned species for US keepers. The USDA classifies snails of the genus Achatina as invasive agricultural pests, and this species belongs to that genus. Insectio notes that the Achatina and Archachatina genera vary in size, pattern, temperament, and care difficulty. None of them are legal for private US owners without a permit.
8. Grove Snail
The grove snail (Cepaea nemoralis) is the color star of the hobby. Its shell comes in yellow, pink, orange, or brown, with or without dark spiral bands, and the opening has a dark brown lip. Myhappysnails.com names it the most colorful legal option.
Native to Western Europe, grove snails now live wild in parts of North America, including the East. Keepers in the Mid-Atlantic who want to compare wild finds against pet-trade species can start with the guide to snails in Pennsylvania.
Care is similar to a garden snail’s, with a smaller shell of about an inch. Provide moderate humidity, a shallow water dish, and fresh vegetables a few times a week.
9. Milk Snail
The milk snail (Otala lactea) wins on looks and on forgiveness. Its shell mixes creamy white with warm brown spiral bands. It comes from the Mediterranean and handles drier conditions better than most land snails.
That drought tolerance matters in a US home with air conditioning or winter heating. The snail suits homes with lower humidity, though it still needs a misted enclosure. Daily care takes minutes: expect to feed every 2 to 3 days, mist regularly, and keep the enclosure clean.
Milk snails have become established in several southern and western states. Because of that, state rules can be stricter than for other terrarium species, so verify before ordering.
10. Assassin Snail
The assassin snail (Anentome helena, sold for years as Clea helena) is the only predator on this list. It has a yellow-and-brown striped, cone-shaped shell about three-quarters of an inch long. A tube-like mouthpart lets it hunt other snails, and it burrows in sand between meals.
Aquarists use it to knock back pest snail populations. That makes it a poor tank mate for mystery, nerite, or rabbit snails you want to keep. It prefers warm tropical water, takes meaty foods like frozen bloodworms, and breeds slowly, laying one egg at a time.
- Best for: tanks overrun with pest snails
- Avoid with: any snail you want to keep
- Feeding: live snails, frozen foods, and sinking protein pellets
11. Bladder Snail
The bladder snail (Physella acuta) is a small, translucent tan snail that most aquarists meet by accident. It arrives as a stowaway on plants and multiplies. Many snails are hermaphrodites and can overwhelm an aquarium in just a few weeks.
Used on purpose, it is a tidy cleanup crew. It eats algae, leftover fish food, and decaying plant matter, and it glides upside down along the water surface. Feed the tank lightly and the population stays manageable.
12. Great Pond Snail
The great pond snail (Lymnaea stagnalis) is a big, brown-shelled freshwater snail that can grow to roughly two inches. It is a staple of European ponds and a long-running lab animal in neuroscience research. It tolerates cooler water than tropical species, so it suits an unheated tank or an outdoor tub.
Be aware that it eats live plants. Soft-leaved aquarium plants can disappear quickly, so tough species like anubias work better. It also needs calcium-rich water for a strong shell and a tight lid to keep it from wandering.
13. Malaysian Trumpet Snail
The Malaysian trumpet snail (Melanoides tuberculata) is a long, turret-shaped snail that spends the day under the gravel. It grows between 0.5 and 1 inch and comes in black, brown, yellow, and gold. It feeds on decaying food, algae, and dead plant matter and will not harm live plants.
Its burrowing is useful. The snails dig into the substrate during the day, which helps aerate it. The trade-off is a live-bearing population that grows with every extra bite of fish food. Cut back feeding if you see dozens crawling on the glass at night.
For a wider look at what else lives in home aquariums and backyards, see this overview of different types of snails.
14. Mystery Snail
The mystery snail (Pomacea bridgesii) is a round-shelled apple snail that comes in gold, ivory, blue, and black. It grows to a couple of inches and spends its day cruising the glass and substrate. Snailpedia calls mystery and nerite snails the easiest freshwater options: hardy, peaceful, and adaptable to a range of water conditions.
It also keeps its numbers in check. Mystery snails lay visible clutches above the waterline, so you can remove eggs you do not want. Leave a few inches of air space under the lid for the egg clutch and for the snail’s breathing siphon.
Common Mistake: Buying any large “apple snail” sold under a vague label. Some apple snail species are invasive and restricted in several states, so confirm the species name and your state’s rules with the seller.
15. Nerite Snail
Nerite snails (Neritina natalensis, the zebra nerite, is the one most often sold) wear striped, glossy shells and are strong algae grazers. They clear green spot algae from glass and rocks better than most other snails.
They also will not take over your tank. Nerites have separate sexes, and their offspring need minerals from saltwater to build shells, so they do not reproduce in freshwater. Petco says this makes them ideal pets because they cannot overpopulate a freshwater aquarium. Read the Petco freshwater snail care sheet for more on tank setup.
Nerites are escape artists. Keep the water level about half an inch below the rim and use a tight-fitting lid. Females may glue small white egg specks to décor, which look odd but are harmless.
16. New Zealand Mud Snail
The New Zealand mud snail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) is tiny, with a dark, narrow shell around a fifth of an inch long. Bantam Earth includes it in its pet snail care guides. Even so, it is the one species here that most US keepers should skip.
Individual snails can clone themselves, and the species has spread through rivers and streams in the western US as an aquatic invader. A single escaped snail can start a colony. If you already have a tank with these snails, never dump the water, plants, or gravel into a drain, creek, or storm sewer. Freeze or bleach anything that has touched them.
17. Rabbit Snail
Rabbit snails (Tylomelania spp.) come from the lakes and streams of Sulawesi, Indonesia. They have long, pointed, spiral shells in yellow, orange, or dark tones and soft bodies with two long tentacles. Adults can reach several inches, so they need a larger tank than most aquarium snails.
They are slow breeders, which suits keepers worried about population growth. Snailpedia lists rabbit snails with nerites and mystery snails as options that do not overpopulate. Aquatic snails like these help keep a tank clean by eating algae and debris.
Rabbit snails prefer warm, stable water and clean, mineral-rich conditions. They dislike sudden swings in temperature or water chemistry, so add them to a mature tank rather than a brand-new one. For a deeper look at the broader category, the Snailpedia species guide compares dozens of aquarium and land species.
18. Ramshorn Snail
The ramshorn snail (Planorbarius corneus, the great ramshorn) has a flat, coiled shell like a ram’s horn and often shows a red or pink body from its blood pigment. It crawls over plant leaves and glass, eating algae, leftover food, and decaying plant matter. Red ramshorns are the color most often sold.
Like bladder snails, ramshorns are hermaphrodites and reproduce fast when food is plentiful. Feed lightly, and blanch vegetables before dropping them in so uneaten pieces do not rot. Their jelly-like egg clutches are clear, flat, and easy to scrape off the glass.
For US keepers, the shortlist is simple. Start with a garden, milk, or burgundy snail on land, or a nerite or mystery snail in water, and leave the giant African and giant tiger snails to licensed researchers. If snails get you interested in other unusual pets, the guides to salamanders, chameleons, and scorpions are good next stops. Before you buy any species, check the legal pet snails in the USA list and your state’s agriculture rules.