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While snails are often recognized for their slow pace, there’s much more to these creatures than meets the eye. For example, certain snail species can reach lengths of up to 18 inches! Dive into these 16 captivating facts about these fascinating, slow-paced animals:
1. SNAILS AND SLUGS ARE PRACTICALLY THE SAME …
The primary distinction between snails and slugs lies in the presence of a shell, which snails possess.
2. … HOWEVER, SOME SLUGS ONLY SEEM TO LACK SHELLS
In truth, slug families like Limacidae and Milacidae possess internal shell plates concealed inside their bodies. These smaller shells enhance their mobility, offering an evolutionary edge when hunting prey.
3. THEY’RE RELATED TO SHELLFISH.
Both slugs and snails belong to the mollusk family, placing them alongside oysters, clams, and mussels. Gastropods, the taxonomic class for snails and slugs, represent the largest group of mollusks, accounting for over 80 percent of living mollusk species. They are also among the most diverse groups of animals in terms of shape, habitat, and behavior.
4. THEY CAN BE FOUND IN EVERY CORNER OF THE GLOBE.
With an estimated 150,000 species, gastropods thrive in nearly every environment, from the deepest ocean trenches to arid deserts.
5. THEY COULD HAVE INSPIRED THE LEGEND OF CUPID.
A snail’s love dart. Image Credit: Joris M. Koene and Hinrich Schulenburg via Wikipedia // CC BY 2.0
One scholar suggests that the tale of Cupid’s arrow may have originated from the mating behavior of Helix aspersa, a common garden snail. These snails fire “love darts” coated in mucus at their mates, enhancing the likelihood of their sperm’s survival (since snails are hermaphrodites, both partners exchange sperm during mating). Historically, these mucus projectiles were thought to be calcium gifts or aphrodisiacs, leading Ron Chase of McGill University to propose that they might have inspired the myth of Cupid’s passion-inducing arrows.
6. THEY’VE PAVED THE WAY FOR MEDICAL ADHESIVES.
Scientists from Boston Children’s Hospital and MIT have created an adhesive inspired by the sticky slime of slugs, which enables marine snails to firmly attach to rocks even in turbulent waters. This medical adhesive is intended for repairing heart defects, adhering effectively to uneven surfaces where conventional sutures might fail. To date, it has only been tested on pig hearts.
7. THEIR SLIME COULD ENHANCE YOUR SKIN.
Image Credit: iStock
Certain research suggests that snail mucus may aid in wound healing, potentially by stimulating an immune reaction that promotes skin cell regeneration.
8. CERTAIN WATER-DWELLING SNAILS POSSESS LUNGS.
Certain freshwater snails do not use gills to breathe underwater; instead, they rely on a lung-like organ, surfacing periodically for air. Some species even possess both gills and a lung. The apple snail, for example, has a siphon—a breathing tube it extends to the water’s surface to breathe while avoiding predators.
9. A SNAIL CAN DEFEAT A STARFISH.
The giant triton, Charonia tritonis, can reach lengths of up to 18 inches. This aggressive predator, equipped with a sharp sense of smell, preys on starfish, immobilizing them with its toxic saliva.
10. FOR PRE-COLUMBIAN CULTURES, SNAILS REPRESENTED HAPPINESS.
Mesoamericans viewed the sea snail as a symbol of renewal and joy, interpreting the spiral shape of its shell as a representation of the eternal cycle of life.
11. THEY CAN BE TRANSFORMED INTO MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.
Conches, which are enormous sea snails, have been fashioned into shell trumpets and used as musical instruments for thousands of years. These shell trumpets hold significant roles in the mythology of ancient Greece, India, and Hawaii. For example, in Greek mythology, Triton, the sea god, used a conch-shell trumpet to calm the seas.
12. THEY ENJOY SHARING MEALS.
Certain garden snails favor eating from the same food source as another snail, even when alternative food is easily accessible nearby. A family dinner, perhaps?
13. THE FIRST WOMAN TO COMPETE IN INTERNATIONAL CAR RACING WAS KNOWN BY THE NICKNAME “SNAIL.”
Hélène van Zuylen, a 19th-century French socialite and author, made history by completing the 1898 Paris–Amsterdam–Paris race, reportedly becoming the first woman to compete in an international car race. Her husband, the president of the Automobile Club de France, raced under the pseudonym “Escargot.”
14. SOME SNAILS HAVE FUZZY SHELLS.
Image Credit: iStock
Certain land-dwelling snail species, particularly young ones, possess shells covered in tiny hairs. Researchers suggest this may be an evolutionary adaptation to aid movement in wet environments, as these hairy snails are typically found in damp regions.
15. AUTHOR PATRICIA HIGHSMITH BROUGHT THEM TO SOCIAL GATHERINGS.
Highsmith, renowned for her novels Strangers on a Train and The Talented Mr. Ripley, which were turned into iconic films, reportedly favored mollusks over human company. She owned approximately 300 pet snails, which frequently appeared in her literary creations. In a biography, author Joan Schenkar recounts an anecdote describing Highsmith as “the woman who would pull snails from her purse and let them trail slime across her host’s table.”
16. THE TINIEST LAND SNAIL ON EARTH CAN PASS THROUGH A NEEDLE’S EYE
The recently identified Angustopila dominikae is believed to be the smallest land snail ever discovered, with a shell measuring a mere 0.03 inches in height. Ten of these snails lined up could easily fit through the eye of a needle. Any snail under 0.2 inches in size is classified as a microgastropod.
