The Life Of The Snail: With The House On His Shoulders

These terrestrial molluscs are able to protect themselves by hiding inside their shells. To this end, they erect a gelatinous ‘gate’ in the opening of their ‘home’.

Sympathetic, the protagonist of children’s songs, anecdotes and stories, this little animal has always awakened our curiosity. Perhaps for his particular lifestyle, always with the house on his shoulders, or perhaps for the slowness that characterizes his movements. In any case, the life of the snail awakens the interest of adults and children.

Discovering the snail

The snail is the common name with which gastropod molluscs are known. What characteristics do these small animals possess?

• They are invertebrates. The group includes thousands of species that possess different anatomies and styles of behavior.
• The best known are the terrestrial ones, as they are seen more frequently. However, there are also several marine species.
• Most of them sport a spiral shell. It constitutes the ‘little house’ that they carry on their backs. When they are born, this shell is very fragile. As they grow it strengthens with calcium. The animal segregates the components needed to make it.

• The lower part of the snail is called the foot.  It is very muscular and, by contracting, allows the animal to move. This ability is benefited by the secretion of a gelatinous and slippery substance, which facilitates movement.

How does the snail’s life flow?

 1- Playback

• Most snails are hermaphrodites. This means that they produce both male and female reproductive cells. Very often it is possible that they mate with each other as they cannot self-fertilize.
• Spring and summer are the most favorable times for reproduction. They copulate at night and, if fertilization is successful, the eggs are laid the next day.
• A snail can lay up to 100 eggs.  He hides them underground in a small hole that he digs about five centimeters deep. Land snails usually lay eggs once a month.

2- Development

• Since the snail is an embryo inside the egg, it begins to develop its own shell. Usually the eggs hatch between two weeks and a month from the time of laying. Therefore, very small snails appear with a small and weak shell and a transparent body.
• They begin to feed immediately. They mainly need calcium, so they feed on other stillborn babies and eggs that have not hatched.
• They grow very fast, although very few of them survive. Snails attract numerous predators which mainly attack the younger specimens.
• The life of the snail lasts on average from two to five years in natural conditions. However, in captivity, these animals also live more than 10 years. With a controlled diet and in the absence of enemies, their life expectancy grows.

3- Hibernation or aestivation

Some species of snails experience periods of hibernation, aestivation during the summer and hibernation if this occurs in winter. Their entire metabolism slows down and so does their vital rhythm.

During such periods they withdraw inside their shells. To avoid attacks by predators, they close the opening with a gelatinous layer which they themselves segregate.

Habitat and feeding of the earth snail

• Snails are very abundant in the world. They can be found in different habitats. Some species adapt very well to the desert, others live in cold climates, mountainous areas and even in swamps.

• The most common and well-known choose humid places to live and depend on water to develop. They usually reproduce very well in places characterized by the presence of human beings. The various gardens in fact provide it with permanent food.
• In the warmer seasons they remain hidden during the hours characterized by high temperatures and move in the evening. When the sun hides and the environment cools, they go out to feed.
• Most of them are herbivores. They feed on leaves, bark, stems and decaying organic matter. They have a special organ, the radula, which contributes to their nutrition. It is the organ that allows you to obtain dust from the stones to provide themselves with the calcium necessary to strengthen their shell.
• These are solitary animals, which come into contact with others only for reasons of feeding or mating. They are not aggressive to other animals, although they cause deterioration in plants.

Currently, snails are used by the food and cosmetics industries. For this reason, farms of these animals have been created.