The rosy wolfsnail or the cannibal snail, Euglandina rosea, is a species of large predatory air-breathing land snail, a carnivorous terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Oleacinidae.

Euglandina rosea from NW Florida

Distribution

This species is native to tropical North America. It has become an invasive species in many other places, including Hawaii.

These predatory snails were introduced to Hawaii in an attempt to eliminate the giant African land snail. However, they also attacked the O`hau tree snails. As a result many tree snail species were hunted to extinction within the first year. These snails are still a threat to the local snail fauna.

The Rosy wolfsnail is a gastropod; other molluscan classes include the Bivalvia, the family that includes oysters and clams, and the Cephalopoda, the squids, octopuses, etc.

Appearance

In appearance the rosy wolfsnail has a light brown long spiraled shell and a light grey, or brown body. It can grow quite large compared to most snails, and its lower tentacles seem to almost drag on the ground.

Feeding habits

This species is a voracious predator, preying on other snails and slugs. The smaller species of snail that it eats are ingested whole. This gave it the nickname "the cannibal snail".