Snails are found in freshwater, marine, and terrestrial environments. More
than 40,000 species, or kinds, of snails can be found throughout the world. Some
live on land or in trees. Others live in freshwater or salt water. Some people
include snails in their aquariums.
Snails have different shaped shells.
It can be a single shell that is rounded, spiral high and pointed or it can be
flat. The snail has two pairs of tentacles on its head. One pair is longer than
the other pair. The eyes are on the longer pair. The shorter pair is used for
smelling and feeling its way around. The tentacles are very important to the snail.
Snails are often drab in color, but some tree species can be brightly colored.
Snails generally eat plant materials. The lifespan of snails varies from species
to species. A mature snail may live around 2 - 3 or 5 - 7 years. Some have been
known to live up to 15 years. Snails eat a variety of different foods, including
leafy vegetation, fruits, manure and carrion.
The snail laid its eggs in
a nest, 2.5 to 4 centimeters deep in the soil. Each snail can lay an average of
85 eggs and they hatch in 2 to 4 weeks, depending on the temperature and moisture
of the soil. They can cause damage to agricultural crops and garden plants, and
are therefore often regarded as pests.
Snails eat mostly living plants
as well as decaying plants. They also chew on fruits and young succulent plant
barks. Snails are also eaten as food in some parts of the world.
