Snails
What do you already know about snails!
Snails are a type of mollusk called a gastropod. Other types of mollusks in the world include slugs, oysters and squid. Mollusks are creatures that are all squishy! They are invertebrates so don’t have a skeleton inside their body. Like many minibeasts many have an exoskeleton to protect their bodies. A snails shell is its exoskeleton. The name gastropod means stomach foot and describes the fact that the snails body also acts like a foot!
Snails have long bodies that aren’t divided up into sections and they don’t have any legs. They have a large shell on their backs which is attached to their body. Snails have two sets of tentacles on their head, the bottom set acts like an insects antennae, helping them sense the world around them. The top set have eyespots allowing them to see, although they don’t have very good eyesight at all. Their vision is quite blurry and doesn’t allow them to see much more than if it is light or dark.
There are thousands of different species of snails. They are all different sizes and their shells can be different colours and have different patterns on them. The biggest species of snail is the Giant African Land Snail, which can grow to twenty centimetres long. Different species of snails can live on land and underwater all over the world. They prefer damp environments and can be found living under rocks, logs or leaves in many different habitats or even in rivers, lakes and even in oceans.
Snails are born with shells. They hatch out of an egg with a small, soft, clear shell. This shell then hardens and gets bigger as the snail grows.
Snails can completely hide in their shell and their whole body can squeeze into it if needed. Snails do this to protect themselves from predators who might want to eat them. They also go completely into their shell if its too dry around them. Have you ever noticed snails suddenly appear when its raining? This is because they are mollusks and they need moisture to survive. They also find it a lot easier to move around on a wet surface.
A snail moves along as its foot moves in waves. The back part of the foot pushes forwards and the front part pushes back. This helps it move forward. Snails also make a kind of mucus which helps it move along surfaces.
Most snails that live on land are herbivores. Gardeners usually don’t like snails as they munch through all their plants and will eat through crops such as strawberries. Its very annoying! Other species however, especially sea snails, are often carnivores or omnivores.
What we've learnt...
Snails are a type of mollusk called a gastropod.
Snails are invertebrates and have a shell as an exoskeleton to protect their bodies.
Snails are born with a shell and it gets bigger as the snail grows.
Snails can live on land and in water. They need damp or wet conditions to survive.
Test your knowledge...
Snails Quiz
If you click the correct answer the box will turn green. If its the wrong answer it will turn red and then show you what the correct answer was. Make sure you read/listen to the questions carefully!
#1. Do snails like rain?
#2. Do snails hatch from eggs?
#3. Can snails see where they are going?
#4. Are snails born with shells?
#5. What type of minibeast is a snail?
Results
I really hope you have enjoyed learning all about snails, with me Flash!
Question Time...
Are slugs just snails that have lost their shell?
By Leo
No, a snail can’t survive without its shell. Without its shell a snails body can’t work properly. Its shell is also incredibly important to protect it from predators and to stop it becoming dehydrated and drying out.
Slugs are basically snails without shells but they have been born that way. They have evolved, which means they have changed over a long long time, to be able to survive without having a protective shell. A snail that is born with a shell cannot turn into a slug during its life. Without its shell a snail will eventually die.
Any other questions?
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