Slakken en groot onderhoud

An attempt was made to rescue a population of Grove snails Cepaea nemoralis living on a balcony from the consequences of major maintenance. Transfer of the snails to a terrarium yielded behaviour different from that observed at an earlier occasion; it seemed as if the snails entered aestivation. After returning them to the balcony they resumed their normal outside behaviour, but were then discovered by Blackbirds Turdus merula and consumed. It is hoped that three survivors observed will re-establish the population.