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Snail Facts & Worksheets

A shelled gastropod, a snail is the common name given to most mollusks that have coiled shells.

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A shelled gastropod, a snail is the common name given to most mollusks that have coiled shells. Found in most freshwater, marine, and terrestrial environments, a snail plays an important role in food chains, as they add aesthetic value and contribute to human fascination with nature.

See the fact file below for more information on the snail or alternatively, you can download our 20-page Snail worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

BIOLOGY

  • Just like any other mollusk, snails are known to have a true coelom; a body segmented into three parts namely the head, visceral mass, and muscular foot; and organ systems for circulation, respiration, digestion, excretion, nerve construction, and reproduction.
  • As with all gastropods, their body plan exhibits torsion or twisting during the larval stage, whereby the visceral mass twists 180 degrees in relation to the head, moving the mantle cavity to the anterior of the snail.
  • Snails are diverse in size, shape, and color. The Giant African snail or Ghana Tiger snail (Achatina achatina) is the largest terrestrial species and can measure up to 30 centimeters long. The Giant Apple snail (Pomacea maculata), on the other hand, is the largest freshwater snail.
  • The Syrinx aruanus, an Australian marine species, is the biggest of all snails, growing up to 30 inches in length and weighing 40 pounds.
  • The majority of the snails are herbivores, though some terrestrial species and most aquatic species may be omnivores or carnivores.
  • Snails digest their food using the radula, a chitonous structure with microscopic hooks called cuticulae. With the radula, snails are able to scrape food, which is then transferred to the digestive tract.
  • Most snails have one or two pairs of tentacles on their heads. In most terrestrial species, the eyes are carried on the tips of the first group of tentacles, called eye stalks, which are typically around 75% of the width of the eyes. The second batch of tentacles serve as olfactory organs. Both sets of tentacles are retractable on terrestrial snails. The eyes of most marine and freshwater species are positioned at the bottom of the first set of tentacles.
  • The cerebral ganglia of the snail create a primitive type of brain, separated into four parts.
  • Snails navigate by alternating body contractions with stretching. They secrete mucus to reduce friction and the risk of injury. Snails also possess a mantle that covers the internal organ that is referred to as a foot.
  • Snail shells are made up of calcium carbonate, causing them to require calcium in their diet and a watery habitat to produce a sturdy shell. Its calcium carbonate shell expands as the snail grows in size.
  • When inside their shells, some snails keep themselves safe with a door-like anatomical structure called an operculum.

HIBERNATION

  • Some snails found in the Northern Hemisphere hibernate during the winter, usually October through April. They may also stay dormant in the summer in drought conditions.
  • To keep themselves moist during these seasons, snails cover their shell openings with a dry layer of mucus called an epiphragm.
  • Some apple snails have a door to close the shell when they retract inside it.

REPRODUCTION AND LIFESPAN

  • All terrestrial snails are hermaphrodites, exhibiting both male and female genitalia. Some aquatic snails, such as Apple snails, are either male or female.
  • Before mating, most snails practice a courtship ritual that may last between two to 12 hours. As prolific breeders, they inseminate each other in pairs to internally fertilize up to 100 eggs.
  • Snails have small cuts on their necks where fertilization takes place.
  • Through the use of their “foot” and the back of their “tail”, garden snails bury their eggs two to four inches down the topsoil in warm and damp weather.
  • Snail shells, although very weak and in need of an immediate supply of calcium during this stage, develop while it is still an embryo.
  • Pond snails usually do not lay their eggs in the ground but carry them around until they hatch.
  • The lifespan of snails differ across the various species. In the wild, the Achatinidae family lives around five to seven years, and the Helix genus survives up to three years. Aquatic Apple snails live only one year or so. In captivity, however, snails live much longer, ranging from 10 to 15 years for most species.

DIET AND PREDATORS

  • In the wild, snails feed on a variety of food, including leafy vegetation, fruits, manure, and carrion. They can even cause damage to agricultural crops and garden plants.
  • Snails have a lot of predators, including members of all major vertebrae groups. The Botia family of freshwater fish preys on freshwater snails by sucking them out of their shells.
  • Pollution and destruction of habitats caused by humans also pose a great danger to snails.

Snail Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the snail across 20 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Snail worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about a snail which is the common name given to most mollusks that have coiled shells. Found in most freshwater, marine, and terrestrial environments, a snail plays an important role in food chains, as they add aesthetic value and contribute to human fascination with nature.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Snail Facts
  • Creature Corner
  • Some Snail Stuff
  • Rare Snails
  • Puzzled
  • Gastronomic Delicacy
  • Slow Like a Snail
  • Snails and Humans
  • Spectacularly Colored
  • What’s the Difference?
  • Mi Casa

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Link will appear as Snail Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, April 12, 2021

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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