Zootecus insularis is a land snail usually confined to arid and semidesert environments. However, studies from the Arabian Peninsula and Pakistan have reported that this spe­cies have also lived in mesic habitats such as gardens, palm plantations, and other irrigated places. A likely reason for this contradiction is that Z. insularis is highly adaptable and therefore able to survive in semi-arid environments as well as more mesic microhabitats. Most of the mesic micro­habitats where Z. insularis has been found are of anthropic origin and, therefore, related to modern, often present-day ecology. We present an in-depth, comprehensive review of both ancient and modern occurrences of Z. insularis based on 19th and 20th century contributions of geographers, zoolo­gists, botanists, and archaeologists, and we investigate this species’ palaeoenvironment. Comparisons made between finds of Z. insularis, floral and faunal remains, and palaeoen­vironmental records show that this species had responded to periods of climatic variability in Asia and Africa during the Pleistocene and Holocene. Overall, our review contrib­utes to the understanding of the distribution of Z. insularis through space and time, and its use as a palaeoenvironmen­tal indicator.