| Helix pachya | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Order: | Stylommatophora |
| Family: | Helicidae |
| Genus: | Helix |
| Species: | H. pachya |
| Binomial name | |
| Helix pachya Bourguignat, 1860 | |
| Synonyms | |
Helix textaMousson, 1861 | |
Helix pachya (Hebrew: שבלול החרמון) is aspecies of large, edible, air-breathingland snail, aterrestrialpulmonategastropodmollusk in the familyHelicidae, the typical snails. This species isendemic toIsrael. It lives in the high northern part ofIsrael, typically in theHermon ridge area.
It is the largest Israeli snail with ashell of diameter 55 mm. It is active duringautumn (which is November in Israel), when it eats and mates. When the cold winter comes the snail enter hibernation until the next autumn. This snail lives several years and mates usually only a year after hatching from the egg. The size of the egg is 5.5 mm.[1]
Recent studies determined thatHelix texta is a synonym ofHelix pachya.
