Slowly wins the race.
- Land snails are terrestrial gastropod mollusks, commonly known as ‘snails’, and have shells that they live and hide in.
- There are thousands of species of land snails, and together with water snails there are 43,000 different species, the second most numerous species on earth, with insects ranking first.
- Land snails have a muscular foot that is moistened by mucus, that they use to glide along surfaces. The mucus helps to protect the snail’s body from being damaged or drying out on rough surfaces.
- Land snails have both male and female organs and generally lay their eggs in soil, or in other hidden and protected spots.
- Land snail babies hatch with shells attached, and they need access to calcium food sources during their life time to maintain their shell.
- Many species of land snails hibernate in winter, and to keep themselves moist during the inactive period, they seal up their shell with dried mucus.
- The largest land snail is the Giant African Snail that can grow up to 30 cm (12 in) in length.
- Land snails can live from 2 to 15 years but some can live more than 25 years.
- Land snails generally eat plant material, including fruit and vegetables, making them a common pest to gardeners, although some species also eat meat.
- Land snails have been part of the human diet for thousands of years and are commonly eaten in some European and African countries, and are often considered a delicacy.
Bibliography:
Land Snail, 2013 Wikipedia,<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_snail>
