Snails and slugs have a reputation as slimy, repulsive creatures that are nothing more than garden pests, but they are important components of the ecosystems in which they live. Worldwide there are more species of snails and slugs than all the mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians combined, yet they are often overlooked because of their relatively small size. Land snails and slugs are well adapted to live in almost any kind of environment, from high arctic tundra to tropical forests. In British Columbia, they can be found just about everywhere.Land Snails of British Columbia is the first book on land snails (including slugs) that describes all the species in a region of Canada. Robert Forsyth describes the 88 species known to live in our province and includes photographs and detailed drawings of each. Diagnostic keys and a selection of colour photographs also aid in identification. With each species description, the author discusses its natural history and distribution in the province. In the Introduction he talks about reproduction, life history, diet, locomotion, and shell structure (yes, even slugs have shells!).Gardners, nature buffs, and anyone interested in looking past the bad reputation of the much-maligned snail will find this handbook an eye-opening guide.Robert Forsyth is an amateur malacologist who has studied terrestrial molluscs in B.C. since 1990. He is a research associate with the Royal BC Museum and has published more than a dozen articles on molluscs. This is his first book.