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Description
Snail

The word snail is a common name for almost all members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have coiled shells in the adult stage.

The class of Gastropoda (the snails and slugs) is second only to insects in terms of total number of species. Snails are extraordinarily diverse in habitat, form, behavior, and anatomy. Therefore, what is true of one snail species may not be true of another.

Most snails move by gliding along on their muscular foot, which is lubricated with mucus and covered with epithelial cilia. This motion is powered by succeeding waves of muscular contractions that move down the ventral of the foot. Snails move at a proverbially low speed (1 mm/s is a typical speed for adult land snails). They produce mucus to aid locomotion by reducing friction, and the mucus also helps reduce the snail's risk of mechanical injury from sharp objects. This means that they can 'walk' over sharp objects like razors without being injured.

Snails range greatly in size. The largest land snail is the Giant African Snail or Ghana Tiger Snail, which can measure up to 30 cm. The Giant Apple Snail is the largest freshwater snail, with a diameter of up to 15 cm and a mass of over 600 g. The biggest of all snails is Syrinx aruanus, an Australian marine species which can grow up to 77.2 cm (30 inches) in length and 18 kg (40 lbs) in weight.

As the snail grows, so does its calcium carbonate shell. A snail's shell forms a logarithmic spiral. Most snail shells are right-handed, meaning that if the shell is held with the apex (the tip, or the juvenile whorls) pointing towards the observer, the spiral proceeds in a clockwise direction from the apex to the opening. When the animal reaches full adult size, many species of snails build a thickened lip around the opening of the shell. At this point the animal stops growing, and begins reproducing.

All land snails are hermaphrodites, producing both spermatozoa and ova. Some freshwater snails, such as apple snails, and marine species, such as periwinkles, have separate sexes; they are male and female. Most snails can mate when they are around 1 year old.

More info: [link]

Featured by the talented Adam in his journal "New Year, Bokeh, some from the Newborn and BKS": [link] .

Featured by the talented Melissa in her article "Photo-Invertebrate Best of Week 1": [link] .

Description
Snail

The word snail is a common name for almost all members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have coiled shells in the adult stage.

The class of Gastropoda (the snails and slugs) is second only to insects in terms of total number of species. Snails are extraordinarily diverse in habitat, form, behavior, and anatomy. Therefore, what is true of one snail species may not be true of another.

Most snails move by gliding along on their muscular foot, which is lubricated with mucus and covered with epithelial cilia. This motion is powered by succeeding waves of muscular contractions that move down the ventral of the foot. Snails move at a proverbially low speed (1 mm/s is a typical speed for adult land snails). They produce mucus to aid locomotion by reducing friction, and the mucus also helps reduce the snail's risk of mechanical injury from sharp objects. This means that they can 'walk' over sharp objects like razors without being injured.

Snails range greatly in size. The largest land snail is the Giant African Snail or Ghana Tiger Snail, which can measure up to 30 cm. The Giant Apple Snail is the largest freshwater snail, with a diameter of up to 15 cm and a mass of over 600 g. The biggest of all snails is Syrinx aruanus, an Australian marine species which can grow up to 77.2 cm (30 inches) in length and 18 kg (40 lbs) in weight.

As the snail grows, so does its calcium carbonate shell. A snail's shell forms a logarithmic spiral. Most snail shells are right-handed, meaning that if the shell is held with the apex (the tip, or the juvenile whorls) pointing towards the observer, the spiral proceeds in a clockwise direction from the apex to the opening. When the animal reaches full adult size, many species of snails build a thickened lip around the opening of the shell. At this point the animal stops growing, and begins reproducing.

All land snails are hermaphrodites, producing both spermatozoa and ova. Some freshwater snails, such as apple snails, and marine species, such as periwinkles, have separate sexes; they are male and female. Most snails can mate when they are around 1 year old.

More info: [link]

Featured by the talented Adam in his journal "New Year, Bokeh, some from the Newborn and BKS": [link] .

Featured by the talented Melissa in her article "Photo-Invertebrate Best of Week 1": [link] .