Discover over 250 species of freshwater mussels, terrestrial snails, and gastropods that inhabit the rivers, forests, and meadows of Bohemia and Moravia. From the endangered freshwater pearl mussel to the common garden snail, Czech lands host a remarkable diversity of mollusk life.
Explore Freshwater Mussels
Helix pomatia (Roman Snail) - one of the most recognized land snails in Central Europe. Photo: H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0
Detailed profiles covering identification, habitat, conservation status, and ecological significance of key mollusk groups found across Czech waterways and landscapes.
Freshwater
Czech rivers and lakes support 28 bivalve species, including the critically endangered freshwater pearl mussel. Learn about their role in water filtration and the conservation efforts to protect them.
Read full guide
Terrestrial
With 172 terrestrial gastropod species, Czech forests and gardens are home to a strikingly diverse snail fauna. Explore the colorful world of banded snails, door snails, and glass snails.
Read full guide
Invasive
At least 15 non-native mollusk species have established populations in the Czech Republic. Understand how zebra mussels, Spanish slugs, and Asian clams affect local ecosystems.
Read full guideThe Czech Republic, despite being a landlocked country without marine habitats, supports a surprisingly rich mollusk fauna across its freshwater and terrestrial environments.
Mollusks serve as vital bioindicators of environmental health. Freshwater mussels filter enormous volumes of water daily, while land snails help decompose organic matter and cycle nutrients through forest soils. Monitoring their populations provides early warning of pollution, habitat degradation, and climate change impacts.
The Czech Republic sits at a biogeographic crossroads where Atlantic, Continental, and Alpine influences meet. This unique position gives rise to a mollusk fauna with species from multiple ecological traditions, making it an important area for conservation research in Central Europe.
According to the most recent checklist published by Malacologica Bohemoslovaca in 2024, Czech lands host 253 confirmed mollusk species, including several that survive only in specialized greenhouse habitats.
The Czech Red List documents 94 mollusk species in various threat categories. Freshwater species face particular pressure from water pollution, river regulation, and the introduction of non-native competitors. The freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera), once widespread in Bohemian streams, now survives in only a handful of carefully monitored populations.
Terrestrial mollusks contend with habitat fragmentation, agricultural intensification, and competition from invasive species like the Spanish slug (Arion vulgaris), which has spread rapidly across Central Europe since the late 20th century.
Conservation programs coordinated by the IUCN and Czech national agencies work to protect critical habitats and reintroduce threatened species where conditions allow.
