1. The Giant African Land Snail (Achatina Fulica)
The enormous African land snail is one of the world’s largest snail species, measuring roughly 2.75 inches tall (6.9cm) and 7.87 inches long (19.8cm) when measured in total length.
This snail species is native to Africa, but it may now be found on all continents except Antarctica.
The largest invasive snail species in Africa is the massive African land snail, which is well-known for wreaking havoc on agricultural plants and crops in its native environment. It has also been shown to be a promoter of plant infections, in addition to being a transmitter.
It is the most dangerous of all snails because of its brown, thick shell, which has the highest concentration of harmful metals. Herbivores consume a wide range of vegetation, fruits, greens, and even paper products in their diets. This kind is an herbivore.
The Giant African Land Snail may consume a range of additional materials in addition to sand, tiny stones, skeletons, and eggshells as a nutritional supplement. Snails, snail eggs, and other deceased animals are sometimes eaten by them, although this is quite uncommon.
2. Mediterranean Green Snail (Cantareus apertus)
This land snail, sometimes known as a green garden snail, can grow to be up to 4.72 inches long (11.9 cm).
It’s only found in rainforests in Europe and Africa, where it’s indigenous. In the United States, this plant is considered invasive and may harm agriculture, human health, the environment, and commerce.
Green vegetables, fruits, grasses, and other plants are the primary sources of nutrition for this type, which is primarily a herbivore.
3. The Roman Snail (Helix pomatia)
The escargot, a huge, edible snail native to Europe, is a traditional dish. Nonetheless, it may now be found practically everywhere on Earth, including the United States.
Two-thirds of the Roman snail’s total weight is made up of ivory, which has a medium brown shell. Plants, fruits, vegetables, blossoms, and other botanicals are among the foods this snail consumes.
Two-thirds of the Roman snail’s total weight is made up of ivory, which has turned to a medium brown shell. Plants, fruits, veggies, flowers, and other botanicals are among the items this snail eats.
4. The White-Lipped Snail (Cepaea hortensis)
Yellow is the most popular color for this snail species, which comes in a variety of hues. It is distinguished from other turtles by the white ring that surrounds its shell’s aperture.
Since the white-lipped snail favors moist environments, gardens, woods, meadows, sandbars, and rocky outcrops are all suitable habitats for it. Among the plants this land snail eats are Ragwort, thistles, and hogweed.
5. Brown-lipped Snail (Cepaea nemoralis)
The white-lipped snail is closely related to this snail species. The brown-lipped snail is distinguished from the other species by a brown line that runs around its shell’s aperture. Yellow, pink, brown, and red are among the hues available for its shell.
With the exception of the most northernmost areas of Scotland, it is most typically distributed across the United Kingdom. It feeds on nettles and buttercups, among other things, and survives on vegetation.
The brown-lipped snail eats fresh plants but prefers dead vegetation, so it’s a non-issue for gardeners who want their vegetation to thrive.
6. Garden Snail (Cornu aspersum)
This land mollusc is one of the most common in the world. It is endemic to the region and originates from the Mediterranean area, can now be found on every continent except Antarctica.
The garden snail is highly regarded as a delicacy in various regions of the globe, however it is considered a pest in other parts of the globe where snails are not recognized as a meal.
Garden snails eat a wide range of plants, including orchards, veggies, flowers, wood, rose bushes, and grains. They might devour spoiled debris, which might be made up of natural materials.
7. Milk Snail (Otala lactea)
The milk snail, which is also known as the Spanish snail, is a huge, delicious snail that can be found only in Europe and parts of North Africa. As a result, it’s also known as the Spanish snail.
Greens such as cruciferous veggies, salad greens, and yucca plants, as well as fruits and veggies like papaya plants, fennel, and lilies are among the foods that this snail species consumes.
In some places, such as the Mediterranean basin, snails from the milk are consumed as a delicacy.
8. Apple Snails (Ampullariidae)
An apple snail may grow up to 5.9 inches (14.9 cm) in length if cared for properly, making it a popular name for this species’ huge freshwater snails.
Because of its appealing appearance, this breed is frequently kept as an aquatic pet. There are several hues to choose from, including golden, azure, striped, and ivory.
Plants, fishmeal flakes, shellfish, frozen meals, and dead fish or insects are among the foods that apple snails consume.
For their ability to escape from aquatic settings and devour the harvests of horticulturalists who planted them, this kind of snail is considered a pest in Asia.
9. Snail with a Golden Apple Shell (Pomacea canaliculata)
The channeled apple snail is a South American species of aqueous snail known by its common name. It is also endemic to the continent.
On the other hand, it has grown throughout the world. In Southeast Asian nations such as Thailand and Vietnam, it is considered a serious commercial pest.
Immature, growing rice plants and taro and other root vegetables are eaten by golden apple snails. Algae and debris are consumed by juvenile snails, on the other hand.
10. Mystery Snails (Pomacea bridgesii)
Mystery snails are among the most popular freshwater snails among aquarium enthusiasts because of their brightly colored shells and capacity to clean up trash and excess food. Moreover, due to their role of tidying up waste products and extra food, mystery snails are a wonderful addition to any environment.
They may be kept with other fish, shrimp, or flora without posing a threat to healthy plants. Mystery snails eat fish flakes, biofilm, and blanched plants like cucumber, lettuce, greens, and squash in addition to algae. They consume a wide range of foods.
11. The Colombian Ramshorn Apple Snail (Marisa cornuarietis)
This huge freshwater snail is widely used as a biocontrol agent in both aquaria and the wild, and is also known as the paradise snail. South and Central America are home to this snail species. Algae, vegetation, other snails, and dead animals are its primary sources of nutrition. It is an omnivore that feeds on them.
12. The Common Whelk (Buccinum undatum)
Whelks come in a range of colors, including white, red, and yellow. They are a large edible sea snail.
Because this species eats live bivalves, it benefits greatly from starfish feeding since it feasts on the remnants of the starfish’s meal.
The common whelk feeds on a variety of fish and shellfish, which in turn prey on them. In various areas of the globe, these vegetables are also served as a main dish.
13. The Periwinkle Snail (Littorina littorea)
These slugs are tiny and tasty, and only live on the stony beaches of the northern Atlantic Ocean. In Scotland, this snail was once thought to be a vital source of nutrition.
It’s become a specialty in African and Asian cuisines, among other places, in recent years. Periwinkle snails are also used as a fish capture bait, which is another advantage of the snails.
The omnivorous common periwinkle snail prefers algae but will eat tiny creatures like benthic larvae if they are accessible.
14. Nerite Snails (Neritina natalensis)
Despite the fact that this algae can live in freshwater aquariums, it is considered an exceptional consumer. Nerite snails, in fact, eat any leftover male fish, dead leaves, and other debris that builds up at the aquarium’s water column’s base.
They are an excellent option for shrimp tank inhabitants because they don’t eat nice plants and their feces include bacteria that aid the intestinal systems of shrimp.
15. Assassin Snails (Clea Helena)
Since assassin snails consume pest snails in any tank, they are helpful critters that eliminate a problem.
These are particularly good at regulating snail populations in the area where they live. Assassin snails, which are indigenous to Southeast Asia, eat a variety of other snails.
When keeping them in the same enclosure with them, the fact that they may eat dwarf shrimp if given a chance should be taken into consideration.
Since they are primarily inclined to eat other snails, keeping them alongside fish and living plants is not a cause for concern.
They will not eat their own species’ snails, despite their appetite for other snails.
Interesting Facts About Snails
1. Some snails hibernate throughout the winter.
During the winter season, several snail species hibernate, while others are active all year. During the summer, they keep their bodies safe with a mucus coating that protects them from drying out. Estivation is the term for this procedure. The processes outlined above are most likely responsible for their survival over millennia.
2. Snails can live for a very long time.
Snails’ environment, as well as their species, play a role in determining their average lifespan. For a few of them, their life expectancy is only about five years. Those who have been kept captive, on the other hand, may survive for up to 25 years.
3. There are huge snails to be found.
The 12-inch (30cm) length of the world’s largest land snail was approximately 2 pounds (.9kg). A huge African snail was discovered. Some species are rather small, with a length of just a few millimeters and a weight of just a few ounces when fully developed.
4. The Snail’s Pace.
Snails create a slime trail as they move about. Because of its lubricating properties, mucus serves as a barrier against irritation between the mucus and the surface it flows over.
5. Snail Mucus is another kind of mucus.
The notion that snail mucus might make people sick is a fallacy. Some individuals fear that the snails in their gardens will devour their crops, making them unsuitable for human consumption, but this is untrue.
6. Snails are creatures of slow motion
According to some estimates, garden snails (Helix apersa) can travel at a maximum speed of 50 yards per hour, or approximately 0.5 inches every second. They do it at a steady pace, even if they don’t move quickly. The world’s slowest creatures are snails.
7. Snails are Hermaphrodites
Snails are hermaphrodites since their genitalia are comparable to those of both sexes. These, on the other hand, are not known to be able to reproduce on their own. They will both create eggs after mating with another snail.
8. Snails are able to see but are deaf.
As shown in the illustration, the majority of land snails have two sets of tentacles: one with eyes and the other with olfactory organs. They, on the other hand, lack hearing and an internal ear.
9. Snails are only active at night.
Most of the activities of snails take place in the evening hours, since they are nocturnal animals.
Snails are more plentiful on gloomy days because they dislike bright sunlight. They will cease feeding and retreat inside their shell when there is a lot of sunlight in the area where they are kept if you keep them in a tank, so keep that in mind.
10. Salt is deadly to them
Snails will die if you sprinkle salt on them. Since its body cannot absorb salt, if you keep one in captivity, make sure it does not come into touch with it.
11. Some are very gluttonous
The Giant African Land Snail has been seen eating over 500 different plant species.
12. Being small does not imply being weak.
When in an upright posture, snakes are extremely strong and may transport up to ten times their own weight.
13. Snails belong to a large family.
There are at least 200 million types of mollusks in the world, yet only 50,000 have been identified thus far.