Friends of El Moro Elfin Forest

Information about the Elfin Forest for visitors, nature enthusiasts, scholars, and volunteers.

Snails (and clam shells) Mollusca


Mollusks are a diverse group of animals.  Most familiar are those with soft bodies and shells.  Their empty shells are most often observed in the Elfin Forest, and only three species of land snails are likely to ever be seen alive here–two natives  and one non-native.   Archaeological studies indicate that the native Americans camped here in springtime to harvest oysters, clams, and marine snails from the bay.  Shell middens, visible at several sites along the boardwalk, evidence that activity.  Gulls sometimes drop marine snails and clams here.

Moro Shoulderband Snail

Helminthoglypta walkeriana

  • Rarely seen alive
  • Usually hides under leaf litter or near the base of plants. Rarely seen in the open, moving between plants when sand is damp
  • Dark band on dark brown shell, open umbilicus (“belly button”). Bleached white shells of dead individuals often seen alongside boardwalk. Rarely over 1/2 inch (1.5 cm) in diameter
  • Only occurs close to the coast between Morro Bay and Hazard Canyon in Montana de Oro State Park
  • Federal protection as Threatened Species due to extremely small habitat and habitat loss  
  • Eats dead plant material and associated fungus. Leaves live plants unharmed
  • Similar Big Sur Shoulderband Snail (Helminthoglypta umbilicata) usually found farther inland, has wider opening of umbilicus, flatter coil of shell
  • For more information, click HERE
Garden Snail

Helix aspersa

  • The garden snail. Immigrant of European origin, but it’s not Helix pomatia, the large French Escargot snail
  • Smooth shell, usually light brown,  checkered pattern may show bands, no umbilicus opening, dead shells bleach white
  • A voracious eater of flowers, leaves, and fruit
  • Garden snails sometimes find their way from well watered nearby gardens to the less moist and less tasty vegetation of the Elfin Forest
  • For more information, click HERE
Shell Midden
(Indigenous people’s cooking/dining area)
  • Marine bivalve and snail shells, whole and in fragments
  • Patchy areas in clearings, many visible from boardwalk, often in wind-protected areas
  • Common species observed are Ostrea lurida (native oyster), Macoma nasuta (Bent-nosed Clam), Protothaca staminea (Littleneck Clam), Clinocardium nuttallii (Heart Cockle), Tresus nuttallii (Gaper clam), Polinices lewisii (Moon Snail)
  • For more information, click HERE