Scandinavian escargot

 

Credit: Waugsberg 

“Nationalnyckeln” is a Swedish multi-volume encyclopedia the original purpose of which was to describe all (as in every single one) species of multi-cellular organism in Sweden. That would take at least 100 volumes, and since the Swedish government (both governments) stopped paying, the project will probably never be completed. But not for want of trying, since the editorial board is still publishing new volumes at a semi-regular basis.

The latest one, hot off the printers as we speak, has the mysterious designation DN 168-202 and the long title “Blötdjur. Snyltsnäckor – skivsnäckor. Mollusca: Pyramidellidae – Planorbidae”. It covers 193 species of “pulmonated” snails and slugs (you heard me). They are classified into three superorders known respectively as Pylopulmonata, Eupulmonata and Hygrophila.

As usual when it comes to invertebrates, both the species diversity and the yuck factor are considerable. The “pyramid shells” or “pyrams” are impossibly small marine snails that suck body fluids out of somewhat larger invertebrates. The book calls them “the mosquitoes of the sea”! In sharp contrast to this, we have the escargot, introduced to Sweden already during the Middle Ages by Catholic monks who ate them as Friday “fasting” food, today an established “naturalized” species in the wild, although still found around manors, palaces and old ruins to a great extent. And, of course, in gardens. Not sure if we eat them anymore, though. Indeed, quite a few of the species covered have been inadvertently introduced by man. Snails being slow as a snail, they often stay around the green houses, gardens or parks to which they were first “introduced” by the gardening trade. Some specific species even live in the grassy sections of roundabouts!

As for the yuck factor…well, these snails and slugs are hermaphrodites, making their mating habits kind of weird, since they “mate” by exchanging sperm capsules with each other?! Don´t tell the local trans-activists about this stuff, please.

The volume contains both species presentations, illustrations, color photos, and keys to species identification. The shells are depicted from different angles. Although the book is huge, it´s clear that the editors want it to be used as an actual field guide – or at least identification guide, since I assume you have to collect the specimens you want to identify. The volume only covers Sweden, but is remarkably complete, even describing species only found once or twice on our territory. There are also more general chapters on the morphology and ecology of these mollusks, and how to collect them (if that´s your thing in life). No escargot recipes, though.

All in Swedish, and probably not recommended unless you are a pulmonated aficionado. We still don´t know what the next volume of this never-ending encyclopedia will bring us, but knowing these guys, probably another invertebrate extravaganza!