Snail 54969 225044375 2008-07-11T16:52:13Z Acalamari 2530149 Protected Snail: Move vandal target [move=sysop] {{otheruses}} {{Taxobox | name = Snails | image = Common snail.jpg | image_width = 200px | image_caption = Land snail | image2 = Redramshorn.jpg | image2_width = 200px | image2_caption = Freshwater snail | image3 = Cypraea caputserpentis.jpg | image3_width = 200px | image3_caption = Sea snail | regnum = [[Animal]]ia | phylum = [[Mollusca]] | classis = [[Gastropoda]] | synonyms = <center>'''''Slowpoke'''''<br>'''''[[Mollusk]]'''''<br>'''''[[Escargot]]'''''<br>'''''[[periwinkle]]'''''<br>'''''[[Gastropod]]'''''<br>'''''[[Slug]]'''''</center> }} The word '''snail''' is a [[common name]] that can be used for almost all members of the [[mollusca]]n class [[Gastropoda]] which have coiled [[animal shell|shell]]s in the adult stage. (Those snails which do not have a shell or only a very small shell are usually called [[slug]]s. Snails which have a broadly conical shell which is not coiled, or appears not to be coiled, are most often known as [[limpets]].) The class of Gastropoda (the snails and slugs) is second only to the [[insect]]s in terms of total number of [[species]]. Snails are extraordinarily diverse in [[habitat]], [[morphology (biology)|form]], [[ethology|behavior]], and [[anatomy]], and therefore what is true of one snail species may not at all be true of another. Snails can be found in a wide range of different environments from [[ditch]]es to [[desert]]s to the [[abyssal zone|abyssal]] depths of the sea. The great majority of snail species are [[marine biology|marine]]. Many others are [[terrestrial ecoregion|terrestrial]], and numerous kinds can be found in [[fresh water]], and even [[brackish]] water. Many snails are [[herbivore|herbivorous]], though a few land species and many marine species are [[omnivore]]s or [[predation|predatory]] [[carnivore]]s. Although the average person might perhaps be more familiar with terrestrial snails, land snails are in the minority. Marine snails have much greater diversity, and a greater [[biomass (ecology)|biomass]]. Snails which [[respiration (physiology)|respire]] using a [[lung]] belong to the group [[Pulmonata]], while those with [[gill]]s form a [[paraphyly|paraphyletic]] group, in other words, snails with gills are divided into a number of [[taxonomy|taxonomic]] groups that are not very closely related. Snails with lungs and with gills have diversified widely enough over geological time that a few species with gills can be found on land, numerous species with a lung can be found in freshwater, and a few species with a lung can be found in the sea. Although the word snail is often used for all shelled gastropods, the word "snail" can also be used in a much more limited sense, to mean various larger species of air-breathing (pulmonate) land snails. The majority of this article is about air-breathing land snails. ==Land snails== Species of land snails live in almost every kind of habitat, from [[desert]]s and [[mountain]]s to [[marsh]]es, [[woodland]], and [[garden]]s. However, certain species are "[[anthropophilic]]", which means they are found most often around human habitation. Whichever reasonably large land snail species is most commonly seen or most commonly eaten in a given area, that species will usually be referred to simply as "snails" by the local people. In many parts of the world, the fairly large edible species ''[[Helix aspersa]]'' or ''Cornu aspersum'', has been introduced, and has become a [[pest (organism)|pest]] in [[agriculture|farms]] and gardens, so this is perhaps a good example of a species commonly known as "the snail." ==Slugs== {{main|Slug}} Gastropod species which lack a conspicuous shell are commonly called [[slug]]s rather than snails, although, other than having a reduced shell or no shell at all, there are really no appreciable differences between a slug and a snail except in habitat and behavior. A shell-less animal is much more maneuverable, and thus even quite large land slugs can take advantage of habitats or retreats with very little space &ndash; places that would be totally inaccessible to a similar-sized snail, such as under loose bark on trees or under stone slabs, logs or wooden boards lying on the ground. Taxonomic families of land slugs and sea slugs occur within numerous larger taxonomic groups of shelled species. In other words, the reduction or loss of the shell has evolved many times independently within several very different lineages of gastropods, thus the various families of slugs are very often not closely related to one another. ==Biology (primarily but not exclusively of pulmonate land snails)== ===Physical characteristics=== [[Image:Snail climbing grass SMC 07.jpg|thumb|Underside of a snail climbing a blade of grass, showing the muscular foot and the [[pneumostome]] on the animal's right side]] Most snails move by gliding along on their muscular [[foot]], which is lubricated with [[mucus]]. This motion is powered by succeeding waves of muscular contraction which move down the undersurface of the foot. This muscular action is clearly visible when a snail is crawling on the glass of a window or aquarium. Snails move at a proverbially low [[speed]] (1 mm/s is a typical speed for adult ''[[Helix lucorum]]''<ref> {{cite journal | author = G.A. Pavlova | year = 2001 | month = May | title = Effects of serotonin, dopamine and ergometrine on locomotion in the pulmonate mollusc Helix lucorum | journal = Journal of Experimental Biology | volume = 204 | issue = 9 | pages = 1625–1633 | pmid = 11398751 | url = http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/reprint/204/9/1625 | format = pdf | accessdate = 2006-05-24 }}</ref>). They produce mucus in order 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.<ref>http://www.kiddyhouse.com/Snails/</ref> Snails also have a [[mantle (mollusc)|mantle]], a specialized layer of tissue which covers all of the internal organs as they are grouped together in the visceral mass, and the mantle also extends outward in flaps, which reach to the edge of the shell and in some cases can cover the shell, and which are partially retractible. The mantle is attached to the shell and creates it by secretion. When retracted into their shells, many snails with gills (including many marine, some freshwater and some terrestrial species) are able to protect themselves with a door-like anatomical structure called an ''[[operculum (gastropod)|operculum]]''. (The operculum of some sea snails has a pleasant scent when burned, so it is sometimes used as an [[operculum (incense ingredient)|ingredient]] in [[incense]].) Snails range greatly in size. The largest land snail is the Giant African Snail or Ghana Tiger Snail (''[[Achatina achatina]]''; Family [[Achatinidae]]), which can measure up to 30 cm. ''Pomacea maculata'' (Family [[Ampullariidae]]), or Giant [[Apple snail|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 [[Australia]]n marine species which can grow up to 77.2 cm (30 inches) in length<ref>[http://www.conchologistsofamerica.org/faq/#q6 Conchologists of America FAQ no. 6]</ref> and 18 kg (40lbs) in weight.<ref>[http://www.g-kexoticfarms.com/funanimalfacts.html Fun Animal Facts]</ref> 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 you hold the shell with the apex (the tip, or the juvenile whorls) pointing towards you, then 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. [[Image:Samsoncj snail 07.jpg|thumb|Sinistral (left handed) species of snail from western [[India]]]] The shells of snails and other molluscs, and some snail egg casings, are primarily made up of calcium carbonate. Because of this, molluscs need [[calcium]] in their diet and environment to produce a strong shell. A lack of calcium, or low [[pH]] in their surroundings, can result in thin, cracked, or perforated shells. Usually a snail can repair damage to its shell over time if its living conditions improve, but severe damage can be fatal. Most snails bear one or two pairs of [[tentacle]]s on their heads. In most [[Stylommatophora|land snails]] the eyes are carried on the tips of the first (upper) set of tentacles (called [[ommatophores]] or more informally 'eye stalks') which are usually roughly 75% of the width of the eyes. The second (lower) set of tentacles act as [[olfaction|olfactory]] organs. Both sets of tentacles are retractable in [[Stylommatophora|land snails]]. The eyes of most marine and freshwater snails are found at the base of the first set of tentacles. For Sea snails, if something comes in contact with the center of the snail's underbelly, it with curl up, trapping the object in the center. ===Internal anatomy (land snails)=== [[Image:Snail diagram-en edit1.svg|thumb|left|300px|The anatomy of a common snail]] A snail breaks up its food using the [[radula]], which is a [[chitin]]ous structure containing microscopic hooks called cuticulae. With this the snail scrapes at food, which is then transferred to the [[digestive tract]]. This is why, in a quiet setting, a large land snail can be heard 'crunching' its food: the radula is tearing away at what it is eating. The cerebral [[ganglion|ganglia]] of the snail form a primitive [[brain]] divided into four sections. This structure is very much simpler than the brains of [[mammal]]s, [[reptile]]s and [[bird]]s, but nonetheless, snails are capable of [[classical conditioning|associative learning]].<ref>{{cite journal | author = Christie Sahley, Alan Gelperin, and Jerry W. Rudy | title = One-Trial Associative Learning Modifies Food Odor Preferences of a Terrestrial Mollusc | journal =Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | volume = 78 | issue = 1 | pages = 640–642 | publisher = National Academy of Sciences | date = January 1, 1982 | pmid = 16592960 | doi = 10.1073/pnas.78.1.640 }}</ref> ===Hibernation/Estivation (land snails)=== Some snails [[hibernation|hibernate]] during the winter (typically October through April in the Northern Hemisphere). They may also [[estivation|estivate]] in the summer in [[drought]] conditions. To stay moist during hibernation, a snail seals its shell opening with a dry layer of mucus called an ''[[epiphragm]]''. Some freshwater snails such as [[apple snail]]s have gills and a "door" or [[operculum]] to close the shell when they withdraw. This structure functions as protection from predators as well as protecting the soft tissues from desiccation when an aquatic habitat dries out temporarily. ===Reproduction (primarily land snails)=== [[Image:kissingsnails.jpg|thumb|Two Helicid snails make contact prior to mating.]] [[Image:Snail mating.jpg|thumb|Two ''Cornu aspersa'' Garden snails mating]] All land snails are [[hermaphrodite]]s, producing both [[spermatozoon|spermatozoa]] and [[ovum|ova]]. Some freshwater snails, such as [[Apple Snail]]s, and marine species, such as [[periwinkle]]s, have separate sexes; they are male and female. Most snails can mate when they are around 1 year old.<ref>http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/snails.htm</ref> Prior to reproduction, most land snails perform a ritual courtship before mating. This may last anywhere between two and twelve hours. Prolific breeders, pulmonate land snails [[insemination|inseminate]] each other in pairs to [[internal fertilization|internally fertilize]] their ova. Each brood may consist of up to 100 [[egg (biology)|egg]]s. Pulmonate land snails and slugs have a reproductive opening on one side of the body, near the front, through which the outer reproductive organs are extruded so that exchange of sperm can take place. After this, fertilization occurs and the eggs develop. [[Garden snail]]s bury their eggs in shallow [[topsoil]] primarily while the weather is warm and damp, usually 5 to 10 cm down, digging with their foot. Egg sizes differ between species, from a 3 mm diameter in the [[grove snail]] to a 6 cm diameter in the Giant African Land Snail. After 2 to 4 weeks of favorable weather, these eggs hatch and the young emerge. Snails may lay eggs as often as once a month. The snail's shell develops while it is still an embryo; it is, however, very weak, and needs an immediate supply of calcium. Newly hatched snails obtain this by eating the egg from which they hatched. Baby snails cannibalizing other eggs, even unhatched ones, has been recorded. Promptly after they are finished ingesting their egg casings, they crawl upwards through the small tunnel remaining from when their parent dug their nest. At this stage, the young are almost completely transparent and colorless. Their shell is usually slightly smaller than the egg they hatched from, but their body length when out of their shell is slightly greater than the egg diameter. After a few weeks, the snails will begin to show their first tinge of color, usually slightly blue, before they turn their adult color. Roughly three months after they have hatched, they will look like miniature versions of their mature kin. They will continue to grow, usually for two to three years, until they reach adult size, although there have been confirmed recordings of snails growing amazingly fast - becoming even bigger than their parents in little more than a month.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} Irrespective of their rate of growth, however, it will still take at least 1 year before they are sexually mature.<ref>http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/snails.htm</ref> [[Image:Snail-egg-batch.jpg|thumb|200px|The red circle shows the egg mass of a freshwater pulmonate snail. The egg mass is attached to a solid surface.]] [[Image:Aquatic-snail-mating.JPG|thumb|left|Freshwater species mating]] There have been [[hybrid (biology)|hybridizations]] of snails; although these do not occur commonly in the wild, in captivity they can be coaxed into doing so. [[Parthenogenesis]] has also been noted in certain species.<ref>www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1420-9101.2004.00791.x</ref><ref>http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0014-3820(199208)46%3A4%3C907%3APIAFSR%3E2.0.CO%3B2-F</ref> Freshwater pond snails do not lay their eggs in the ground, but instead they attach them to something solid, or in some genera they carry the eggs internally until they hatch, a form of [[vivipary]]. ===Lifespan=== The lifespan of snails varies from species to species. In the wild, [[Achatinidae]] snails live around 5 to 7 years and [[Helix (genus)|Helix]] snails live about 2 to 3 years. Aquatic Apple Snails live only a year or so. Most deaths are due to predators or [[parasite]]s. In captivity, their lifespan is much longer, ranging from 10 to 15 years for most species. On occasions, snails have lived beyond this lifespan, up to 30 years.<ref name="pomatia">[http://www.weichtiere.at/Mollusks/Schnecken/weinberg.html The Roman snail or escargot (''Helix pomatia'')]</ref> ===Diet=== In the wild, snails eat a variety of different foods. Some species can cause damage to [[agriculture|agricultural]] crops and [[gardening|garden]] plants, and are therefore often regarded as [[pest (organism)|pest]]s. Aquatic snails eat other varieties of food such as [[plankton]], [[algae]], [[plant]]s, and other [[microorganism|microscopic organisms]] that live underwater. ===Predators=== Land snails have many natural predators, including members of all major [[vertebrate]] groups, [[decollate snail]]s, [[ground beetle]]s, [[leech]]es, and even the predatory caterpillar ''[[Hyposmocoma molluscivora]]''. The [[Botia]] family of freshwater fish also feed on freshwater snails by sucking them out of their shells. In the pulmonate marsh snail, ''[[Succinea putris]]'', there is a parasitic flatworm, ''[[Leucochloridium paradoxum]]'', which prevents the snail from retracting its enlarged and parasitized eye stalk, which thus makes the snail much more likely to be eaten by a bird, its final host. Humans also pose great dangers to snails in the wild. Pollution and the destruction of habitats has caused the extinction of a number of snail species in recent years.<ref>[http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/swcbd/Programs/policy/esa/essa-Table5.pdf Centre for Biological Diversity: snail extinction update]</ref><ref> [http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/endangered/ext-snails.html Hawaii's Extinct Species – Snails]</ref> == Snails in cuisine == [[Image:Eyragues-l-Escargot-des-Alpilles-5738.jpg|thumb|A snail farm in [[Provence]]]] <!-- [[Escargot]] links here --> Snails have been eaten for thousands of years, beginning in the [[Pleistocene]]. They are especially abundant in [[Capsian]] sites in [[North Africa]] but are also found throughout the [[Mediterranean Basin|Mediterranean region]] in archaeological sites dating between 12,000 and 6,000 years ago.<ref>[http://watarts.uwaterloo.ca/~dlubell/Antibes.pdf Prehistoric edible land snails in the circum-Mediterranean: the archaeological evidence.], D. Lubell. In J-J. Brugal & J. Desse (eds.), ''Petits Animaux et Sociétés Humaines. Du Complément Alimentaire Aux Ressources Utilitaires''. XXIVe rencontres internationales d'archéologie et d'histoire d'Antibes, pp. 77-98. Antibes: Éditions APDCA.] </ref><ref>[http://watarts.uwaterloo.ca/~dlubell/Ljubljana.pdf Are land snails a signature for the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition?] In, M. Budja (ed.), ''Neolithic Studies 11. Documenta Praehistorica XXXI'': 1-24. D. Lubell.</ref> However, it should be noted that wild-caught land snails that are undercooked can harbor a parasite that may cause a rare kind of [[meningitis]].<ref>[http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/angiostrongylus/factsht_angiostrongylus.htm Division of Parasitic Diseases - Angiostrongylus Infection Fact Sheet]</ref> Specialized snail [[caviar]] is also growing in popularity in European cuisine.<ref>[http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071215/lf_afp/lifestylefrancegastronomysnails_071215174704 Snail caviar! The new gourmet frontier]</ref> ===Europe=== Snails are eaten in several [[Europe]]an countries, as they were in the past in the [[Roman Empire]]. Mainly three species, all from the genus ''[[Helix (genus)|Helix]]'', are ordinarily eaten: *''Helix pomatia'', or ''edible snail'', generally prepared in its shell, with [[parsley]] [[butter]] (size: 40 to 55 mm for an adult weight of 25 to 45 g.; typically found in [[Burgundy]], [[France]]). *''Helix aspersa'': **''Helix aspersa aspersa'' also known as the [[European brown snail]], is cooked in many different ways, according to different local traditions (size: 28 to 35 mm for an adult weight of 7 to 15 g.; typically found in the Mediterranean countries of Europe and North Africa and the French [[Bay of Biscay|Atlantic coast]]). **''Helix aspersa maxima'' (size 40 to 45 mm for an average weight of 20 to 30 g.; typically found in North Africa). Snails are a delicacy in [[French cuisine]], where they are called ''[[escargot]]''. In an [[English-language]] menu, ''escargot'' is generally reserved for snails prepared with traditional French recipes (served in the shell with a [[garlic]] and parsley butter). Snails are also popular in [[Portuguese cuisine]] (although not in the [[Portugal, Norte|north of the country]]) where they are called in [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] ''caracóis'', and served in cheap snack houses and taverns, usually [[stew]]ed (with different mixtures of [[white wine]], garlic, [[piri piri]], [[oregano]], [[coriander]] or parsley, and sometimes [[chouriço]]). Bigger varieties, called ''caracoletas'', are generally grilled and served with a butter sauce, but other dishes also exist such as ''[[feijoada]] de caracóis''. Overall, [[Portugal]] consumes about 4,000 tonnes of snails each year.<ref>According to the article ''Comemos três a quatro mil toneladas de caracóis por ano'', by Joana Ferreira da Costa, in the 26.08.2007 edition (n.6358) of the daily newspaper [http://jornal.publico.clix.pt/ Público].</ref> [[Image:Cooked snails.JPG|thumb|Cooked French Escargots]] Traditional [[Spanish cuisine]] also uses snails ("caracoles"), consuming several species such as ''Helix aspersa'', ''Helix punctata'', ''Helix pisana'' or ''Helix alonensis'' among others. Small to medium-size varieties are usually cooked in several spicy [[sauce]]s or even in [[soup]]s, while the bigger ones may be reserved for other dishes such as the "arroz con conejo y caracoles" (a [[paella]]-style rice with snails and [[Rabbit#Rabbits as food and clothing|rabbit]] meat, very popular in the inner regions of south-eastern [[Spain]]). Snails are very popular in [[Catalonia]], where they are called "caragols" or "cargols." In fact, a snail celebration, the "Aplec del cargol," takes place in [[Lleida]] each May, drawing more than 200,000 visitors from abroad. Popular Catalonian recipes for snails are ''a la llauna'', grilled inside their own shells and then eaten after dipping them in garlic [[mayonnaise]], or ''a la gormanda'', boiled in [[tomato]] and [[onion]] sauce. In [[Greece]], snails are popular in the island of [[Crete]], but are also eaten in other parts of the country and can even be found in [[supermarket]]s, sometimes placed alive near partly refrigerated [[vegetable]]s. In this regard, snails are one of the few live organisms sold at supermarkets as food. They are eaten either boiled with [[vinegar]] added, or sometimes cooked alive in a [[casserole]] with tomato, [[potato]]es and [[squash (plant)|squashes]]. Another cooking method is the ''Kohli Bourbouristi'' (''χοχλιοί μπου(ρ)μπουριστοί'')<ref name="abtrec">[http://greekfood.about.com/od/maindishes/r/kohlifried.htm Popping Fried Snails - Kohli Bourbouristi Recipe<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> traditional Cretan dish, which consists of fried snails in [[olive oil]] with lemon. In [[Sicily]], snails (or ''babbaluci'' as they are commonly called in [[Sicilian language|Sicilian]]) are a very popular dish as well. They are usually boiled with salt first, then served with tomato sauce or bare with oil, garlic and parsley. Snails are similarly appreciated in other Italian regions, such as [[Sardinia]]. [[Heliciculture]] is the farming of snails. "They are protected in the wild almost everywhere (at least, the [[Roman Snail]] must not be collected any more), but the Roman Snail and the Garden Snail (''Cornu aspersum'') especially are cultivated on snail farms."<ref name="pomatia" /> Snails (or ''bebbux'' as they are called in [[Maltese language|Maltese]]) are a quite popular dish on the Mediterranean island of [[Malta]]. ===Elsewhere=== {{Expand-section|date=June 2008}} [[Image:Cooked Snail Found In Rajang River.jpg|thumb|A dish of cooked freshwater [[Neritidae|nerites]] from the [[Rajang River]], [[Sarawak]], [[Malaysia]]]] ''[[Achatina fulica]]'', the Giant East African Snail, is sliced and canned and sold to consumers as escargot.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} In parts of [[West Africa]], specifically [[Ghana]], snails are served as a delicacy. ''[[Achatina achatina]]'', Ghana tiger snails, are also known as some of the largest snails in the world. Various snail species are eaten in [[Asian cuisine]]s as well. ==Cultural depictions== Due to its slowness, the snail has traditionally been seen as a symbol of laziness. In [[Judeo-Christian]] culture, it has often been viewed as a manifestation of the [[Seven deadly sins|deadly sin]] of [[sloth (sin)|sloth]].<ref name="deVries76"/> [[Psalms]] {{bibleverse-nb||Psalms|58:8|!}} implies that the slimy track of a snail is a sign that it will eventually wear itself away.<ref name = "Cooper92"/> Snails were widely noted and used in [[divination]].<ref name="deVries76"/> The Greek poet [[Hesiod]] wrote that snails signified the time to harvest by climbing the stalks, while the [[Aztec mythology|Aztec]] moon god [[Tecciztecatl]] bore a snail shell on his back. This symbolised rebirth; the snail's penchant appearing and disappearing was analogised with the [[moon]].<ref name = "Cooper92">{{cite book |last=Cooper |first=JC |title=Symbolic and Mythological Animals |pages=p. 213 |year=1992 |publisher= Aquarian Press |location=London |isbn=1-85538-118-4}}</ref> More recently, [[Carl Jung]] noted that the snail was representative of the self [[dream interpretation|in dreams]]. In psychology, the soft insides are analogous to the [[subconscious]], as the shell is the conscious.<ref name="deVries76">{{cite book |last=de Vries |first=Ad |title=Dictionary of Symbols and Imagery |year=1976 |pages=p. 430|publisher=North-Holland Publishing Company |location=Amsterdam |isbn=0-7204-8021-3}}</ref> In contemporary speech, the expression "a snail's pace" is often used to describe a slow, inefficient process. The phrase "snail mail" is used to mean regular postal service delivery of paper messages as opposed to the delivery of [[E-mail]] or electronic mail, which is virtually instantaneous. ==Gallery== <gallery> Image:Mochesnail.jpg|Moche Snails, 200 AD. [[Larco Museum|Larco Museum Collection]], Lima, Peru. Image:Snail2.JPG|''Cornu aspersa'', the Garden snail, in the [[USA]] Image:GardenSnail1.jpg|''Cornu aspersa'', the Garden snail, Hampshire, [[UK]] Image:European brown snail.jpg|''C. aspersa'', a brown Garden snail from Europe Image:Gardensnail.jpg|''C. aspersa'', Garden snail from England Image:Snail in pool with reflection.png|''C. aspersa'' in a pool of water Image:Snail-WA edit02.jpg|[[White-lipped snail]] (''Cepaea hortensis'') Image:Snail WA.jpg|[[White-lipped snail]] (''Cepaea hortensis'') Image:Cepaea_nemoralis_pair_banded_shells.jpg|Two [[grove snail]]s, ''Cepaea nemoralis'' Image:Snails mating 2996 05 02.jpg|Two [[grove snail]]s, ''C. nemoralis'', mating Image:Achatina fulica Thailand.jpg|[[Giant East African Snail]] (''Achatina fulica'') Image:Pouch-snail.JPG|Freshwater snail in the genus ''[[Physa]]'', the pouch snail Image:Kadina-snails-climb-fence-0716.jpg|The introduced snail ''[[Theba pisana]]'' in [[Kadina, South Australia]]<ref>[http://www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/Attachments/LBUN-74L3NM/$FILE/white%20snails%20C%20virgata%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf Common white snail]</ref> </gallery> ==See also== *[[Slug]] *[[Snail racing]] *[[Pasilalinic-sympathetic compass]] ==References== {{reflist}} {{commonscat|Gastropoda}} {{commonscat|Helicidae}} [[Category:Gastropods]] [[ar:حلزون]] [[gn:Jatyta]] [[ay:Ch'uru]] [[bg:Охлюв]] [[ca:Caragol de terra]] [[pdc:Schneck]] [[es:Caracol]] [[eo:Heliko]] [[eu:Barraskilo]] [[fa:حلزون]] [[fr:Escargot]] [[ko:달팽이]] [[io:Heliko]] [[id:Siput]] [[os:Сæтæлæг]] [[it:Chiocciola]] [[la:Cochlea (animal)]] [[lt:Sraigė (moliuskas)]] [[mzn:لیسک]] [[ms:Siput]] [[cdo:Ngù-mō̤-ngù-giāng]] [[nah:Tecciztli]] [[ja:カタツムリ]] [[oc:Cagaraula]] [[pt:Caracol]] [[ro:Melc]] [[qu:Ch'uru]] [[scn:Vavaluci]] [[tl:Kuhol]] [[th:หอยทาก]] [[tr:Salyangoz]] [[zh:蜗牛]]