Although many people in the world do not have much amused by snails. The reason is that snails are slow creatures, and no one has time to spend hours watching snails’ activities.
Snails may be too slow for humans, but they are amazing and interesting pets. Like, have you ever heard of a 16-inch-long snail in your life? Yes, some snail species are too long to believe that they are snails.
Here are 16 interesting and interesting facts about snails:
1. There is no difference between snails and slugs
They both have almost the same structure, habitat, food, habits, speed minus the shell. Slugs don’t have a coiled shape shell behind their back, and that’s the only difference. Otherwise, they are both almost the same. So yes, you can have both snails and slugs as a pet and enjoy the company of both.
2. The lifespan of snails varies from species to species
The life of the snail is also a matter of luck. Some baby snails are not fortunate enough, and were not even able to cross 1 year of their age (mainly eaten by pests, birds or fish), while the lifespan of other snails could be up to 25 years.
3. Slugs and snails are related to starfish
Yes, slugs, snails, oysters, clams, mussels fall into the category of mollusks. Gastropods (the scientific terminology used for mollusks) are the largest group of mollusks; It is made up of 80% of the live mollusk species.
They are also one of the most diverse groups of animals when it comes to their lifestyle, habitat, food, etc. In addition to snails and slugs being the largest living species on the face of the earth, there are an estimated 150,000 species of snails that can be found everywhere on earth, from deserts to forests, from freshwater, lakes, ponds to sea and oceans.
Walk-in your garden for 5 minutes and you may see 2-3 snails. Snails are everywhere.
4. Snails are the inspiration for Cupid
As experts assumed that Cupid’s lightning fantasy or concept could originate from the mating ceremonies of Helix aspersa. It is a nursery snail. A part of these snails shoots “love darts” at the object of their expressions of love, which contains body fluid that increases the chances that their sperm will last, although, on previous occasions, individuals accepted that these snot rockets were endowments of calcium.
5. Snails are also helping in medical science
Some researchers working in children’s hospitals discover that imitations of snail slime can be helpful in curing some heart conditions. The same gel that secretes the body of the snail, helps the snail to move and climb; This gel can also be used to repeat heart defects, although none of the experiments has yet been performed on human bodies.
However, snail gel cures pig heart defects, and it was quite surprising to researchers and scientists around the world. In addition to that, some studies have also found that mucus from snails is also helpful in curing stomach ulcers.
6. Snails are poisonous too
Don’t worry, land snails are not poisonous, so you can keep them as pets safely. But some species of sea snails are deadly poisonous. The sea-based aquatic snail is considered one of the deadliest creatures present underwater. Even a single sting from that snail can kill a human.
7. Snails have an extraordinary sense of smell
The snail can smell its food even from a few meters. As already mentioned, snails lack ears and an ear canal, and their sense of sight is not very strong.
But snails have a very strong sense of smell. They can smell everything around them, food, obstacles, and danger.
The snail has the power to smell and detect its food even from a few meters. Its sense of smell tells it when it is dangerous around to hide in the shell.
The snails have an extraordinary sense of smell.
8. Snail mucus can improve your skin
Some research and studies done with snail mucus showed that the viscous liquid is good for treating human skin. It helps heal wounds by triggering an immune response that helps skin cells regenerate.
It is added to creams, covers, and serums. This healing ingredient is particularly famous in Korean beauty care products. However, it is important to collect the raw material completely clean and fixed.
9. Even aquatic snails have lungs
Some freshwater snails do not inhale oxygen with the help of gills. However, depending on a type of lung, they rise to the surface every time they have to relax. Some snails have both gills and a lung. The apple snail has a siphon, a breathing cylinder that can be extended to the surface of the water to inhale without presenting itself to predators.
10. Snails can kill starfish
Some snails are so gigantic along with a large amount of poisonous stored in them that they can even kill a starfish. Starfish meat is one of the favorite foods of sea snails. They love to paralyze the starfish first, and then they eat it.
Therefore, keeping sea snails as a pet is not recommended. However, freshwater and land snails are good pets.
11. Snails were symbols of joy
Ancient Americans, especially Mesoamericans, believed that snails are a symbol of joy that bring in peace, prosperity, and a long lifespan. The circles on the shell of the snails were considered as a circle of life.
Sea snails were also considered a symbol of rebirth.
12. Snails love to dine in
Although there is no doubt that snails are very good pets. They are obedient and charming creatures to play with. Other than that, snails also love family dinners and gatherings. They love to eat together with the family.
13. Snails are also musical instruments
There is a very large species of snail commonly known as “conches”. Conches are very long snails with the shells that can also be used in different musical instruments.
Shell trumpets play an important role in different musical instruments. People from ancient Greece, India, and Hawaii have been using these shell trumpets for music-related activities for a long period of time.
According to famous ancient Greek mythology, the sea god Triton calmed the waves with the help of a conch shell trumpet.
14. Some snails have hairy shells
Some snails that come from most humid places also have furry shells. Hairy shells can be a breakthrough that helps locomotion in severe wet conditions, experts say. Hairy shells may be a surprising thing to you, but it’s true. Most land snails have hairy shells.
15. Snails love parties
A famous writer who wrote two novels, “Strangers on the Train and Mr.Ripley”, has always preferred snails over humans. Yes, it is reported that he used to keep his snails close even at parties and dinners instead of having humans close by. The writer named Highsmith has 300 pet snails. It is also mentioned that Highsmith used to be known as the woman who took snails out of her bag and encouraged them to leave sticky footprints all over her host’s table.
16. The smallest snail in the world is the size of a needle
The sizes, structures, and shapes of snails vary according to the species to which they belong. There are many snails that are very long and strong. On the other hand, the smallest snail in the world is equal to the size of the needle’s eye.
A snail named Angustopila Dominika is the smallest snail that lives on the face of the earth. Its shell is only 0.03 inches tall. It is said that if you can ever line up these little snails in a row, they can easily pass through the eye of the needle.
On top of that, any snail less than 0.2 inches officially falls into the category of micro-gastropods.