I love these snails, see #snailtree Where did you find this one? If I may ask.

A large beech with tree major trunks next to a forest track.

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Since my first encounter with what I named THE SNAIL TREE and what turned out to be door snails, I’ve shared my discoveries and thoughts several times.

You can find more photos, plus videos and insights at #snailtree. 🧵

#photography #nature #snails #mollusks #forest #trees

Two door snails sliding up a tree trunk together, probably as part of their mating rituals.

recap 2025
NATURE (Re)Discoveries

#11
THE SNAIL TREE
To discover a kind of snail I had never seen before & would never have expected to find on a tree boosted my desire to discover more about the natural world around me. 🧵
#photography #nature #snails #mollusks #forest #trees #snailtree #nature2025

AMAZING!
This is one of the favourite wonders I witnessed this year.

And my main proof that the door snails should really be called ACROBAT SNAILS.

I was so amazed, I had to slip them into the story.

#snails #molluscs #doorsnails #acrobatsnails #snailtree #nature #photography #forest

A detail of the original snail tree. Two trunks form an open oval, a twig with red leaves hangs across the opening, and in the background the forest is visible.

PERSPECTIVES

#photography #forest #snailtree

Moss on tree, shaped like the profile of a face.

Door snail from earlier this year.

I love this mossy face. It’s on the old beech where I first discovered the door snails, and subsequently this tree became the first of my snail trees.

It seems the snails have all gone, I guess for the whole winter.

#snailtree #snails #doorsnails #moss #photography #mollusks #forest #OurPlanet

There are some videos #snailtree and while the snail moves the shell like an acrobat, comfortable is not a term that comes to mind.

door snail on wet beech bark

The original snail tree wet from the rain. An old beech.

#24
THE SNAIL TREES

Here the exploration ends, for now.

You can find the whole series at #snailtree.

#photography #naturefriends #ClimateAction #snails #mollusks #naturephotography #nature

#23
THE SNAIL TREES

Why bother with watching animals in person & not just read up on them?

Because it’s exciting, and the less you know the more you discover.

Nature is full of surprises. Surprises are best enjoyed in person.

#snailtree #photography #snails #mollusks

#22
THE SNAIL TREES

Names for animals should be relatable. And while the door snail has a door it can slide across its aperture, the way it deals with its shell is even more impressive. Take a look at this amazing chance clip of what could be

#ACROBAT #SNAILS

👇 #snailtree #photography #nature 👇

DAY 12, SPRING SPECIALS This is what defiance looks like & this is what celebrating spring can be.

#21
THE SNAIL TREES

Of course, it was only a question of time until the door snail would sneak into my story. And what better place than the SPRING SPECIALS? More importantly the story includes a to rename this snail into

ACROBAT SNAIL

Stay tuned for the video proof.

#snailtree #snails #nature

Two small snails on tree bark.

Small common snail on tree bark.

#20
THE SNAIL TREES

Watching the life on these trees makes me appreciate that trees are a habitat. It’s where snails are born, feed & grow among many other organisms.
Trees are not decorations or sequesters or shade givers.

Trees are alive & offer a habitat.
#photography #snailtree #trees #snails

#19
THE SNAIL TREES

Another speculation was that life is always brimming on the trees.

It’s not.

The liveliest it can get is in a rainy period. On dry days they seem to retreat into their shells.

It might be different on the ground.

#snailtree #snails #mollusks #photography

Small snail, the shell looks like a pointy hat with gemstones (beach sand, I think).

#18
THE SNAIL TREES

I guess there are more different families among them as the structures of their shells vary, the colour of their bodies, and their size.

This one is the funniest so far. I’m not even sure that it is a door snail.

#snailtree #snails #mollusks #photography #nature

#17
THE SNAIL TREES

It was only when I saw a young version of the flatter snail that I had a good laugh about myself.

#snailtree #snails #forest #beech #photography #mollusks

Long twisted shell.

Like a broader twisted tower. And remarkably, this snail slides down with the shell on top.

#16
THE SNAIL TREES

We often overlook what we don’t expect.

I never expected that there would be several kinds of door snails and when I saw a small version of the right snail, I assumed that somehow it would stretch and turn into the left one later in life.

#snailtree #snails #photography

#15
THE SNAIL TREES

Welcome back to my observations & speculation about door snails (
Cochlodina laminata, family Clausiliidae.)

You can find the whole series at #snailtree.

It took me a while to realise that I hadn’t found just one kind of door snail but several.

#snails #mollusks #photography

Probably a Cochlodina laminata of the
Clausiliidae family aka door snails, check #snailtree for all related posts.

Postscript

If you want to read and see THE SNAIL TREE in one go, check out #snailtree, go to latest, scroll down to #1 and enjoy the read and see.

#photography #snails

Two door snails communicating.

#14
THE SNAIL TREES

For tonight, I leave you with these two lovers.

More tomorrow, including a remarkable stunt, more speculations busted and more.

GOOD NIGHT 🌙
Sleep well.

#photography #snails #lovers #mollusks #snailtree #nature #doorsnails

#13
THE SNAIL TREES

By now, I’ve found door snails in something of a circle, on various beeches, on tree stumps & loose deadwood - a field & bits of forest between opposite sides of the circle.

There’re supposed to live on the ground, too. But I’ve never found them there.

#photography #snailtree

Two slim beeches

Trunk of one of the beeches with snails

#12
THE SNAIL TREE

By this time, several of my speculations were busted.

NO 1: door snails are found on old, mossy, many armed beeches with cracks, caves & all.

And then, in August, I checked this nearby slim pair of young, smooth beeches & found a snail nursery.

#photography #snailtree #snails

#11
THE SNAIL TREE

And then, there is love making!

#snailtree #snails #makinglove #mollusks #photography

#10
THE SNAIL TREE

This video has two points of interest.

The difficult terrain the snail masters, and the bug which hitches a hike.

#snailtree #photography #snails #doorsnail #mollusks #nature

👇Watch full screen.

#8
THE SNAIL TREE

and the kids were having fun!

#snailtree #photography #snails #mollusks #race #fun #doorsnails

#8
THE SNAIL TREE

The door snails were not the only snails on the tree, and the longer I watched, the more bugs, worms, slugs, spiders, flies and more I observed.

This gave me a new sense of what #biodiversity can look like. There was so much life going on.

#photography #snails #nature #snailtree

Snail with sideways shell

#7
THE SNAIL TREE

One of the things that intrigued me from the start was that these snails carry their shell in all sorts of positions: on top, hanging sideways or with the pointy end to the front.

#snailtree #mollusks #snails #photography #nature #forest #beeches #bark #moss

#6
THE SNAIL TREE

The snails are so small that I was reluctant to touch them, but eventually my curiosity got the better of me.

And this one time, I picked up one.

While it withdrew immediately when I picked it up, it was quickly back outside.

#snailtree #mollusks #snails #nature #photography

Snail shell parked in crack.

Lower part of the tree which shows a great variety of surfaces.

#5
THE SNAIL TREE

What is so special about this beech?

My early speculations:
It’s a big tree & offers a variety of surfaces, some smooth, others mossy, some wet, others hidden.

In particular when they ‘park’ themselves, they seem to prefer hiding places.
#photography #snailtree #snails #molluscs

Old beech with the dog sitting in front of it.

#4
THE SNAIL TREE

I was amazed, and so curious that I searched the forest for more of them.

No luck.

The next day, I returned with Max, the dog, to the tree I now called the snail tree. And tried to figure out what made the tree so special.

#photography #snailtree #snails #mollusks #nature