Most land snails shun heat and direct sunlight, and need moisture. I think those are the principal ideas to keep in mind when looking for them. In dense woods that are always moist and cool, you may find snails out and about during the daytime; but in fields or other open areas, you won't see a snail exposed anywhere during most of the daylight hours. Actually this is an advantage in searching for them. When they are active, they can disperse over a relatively wide area, and can be harder to find. But when conditions are not right for them to be actively feeding and moving about, they often congregate in whatever small areas will afford protection from light and heat. Good spots for daytime collecting include - under logs, bark, or other debris on the ground. This includes manmade debris. An old sheet of plywood or pile of shingles will often shelter a good number of snails. I have found snails more than once inside the openings of cinder blocks. Underneath any large rock that has clearance with the ground is good. If the rock is embedded in the earth, don't break your back. All you'll find is worms. If a large rock has a sheltered overhang on one side, snails may be attached to the underside of the overhang. Along the base of a large boulder, where it makes contact with the ground, is often good, especially on the side of the rock away from the sun. Likewise at the base of stone walls, either on the soil against the wall or in holes or depressions in the wall near ground level. Inside a hollow log lying on the ground is also a likely shelter. Check the undersides of large leaves of low-growing plants. Raking through leaf litter on moist earth is a productive method. On dry earth you won't usually find anything alive. Of course you may find dead snails that took shelter there before the area dried out. I would advise using some sort of tool for this, not your bare hands. Leaf litter can also shelter spiders, snakes, and other undesirables. A friend of mine, on a business trip to Florida, went out looking for snails in leaf litter and ended up in the emergency room, compliments of a small rattlesnake. Daytime is the best time to look for snails in hiding. The best time to find them out and active is early morning, especially after a night rainfall. Evening can be good if there is moisture, but if a hot sun has dried everything out during the day, they may not become active until the morning dew. Paul M.