You will find snails everywhere around the world. In fact, Gastropods range second, only behind insects when it comes to the number of named species. As an obvious result of this, they are found in many locations, living in a very diverse type of habitats and even having particular feeding habits. Howley, Elaine (18 July 2022). "Snail Mucin for Skin Care: Products and Uses". U.S. News. Archived from the original on 18 July 2023 . Retrieved 29 July 2023. Whilst they may be hard to differentiate from one another, there are actually many different types of snails. There are land snails, freshwater snails, and sea snails, all of which are different species of snails but are all classified as gastropods. Gastropod is a big word, but an important one! Essentially, the term ‘gastropod’ refers to the fleshy foot that is located on the underside of a snail’s (and slug’s) body. Therefore, a snail is not an insect, but a gastropod. The speed of snails is around 0.5-0.8 inches per second. If they moved without stopping, it would take more than a week to complete 1 kilometer. This fascinating and massive snail is primarily found in tropical and subtropical coastal habitats. Along with other sections of the Indo-Pacific region, it may be found in the seas surrounding northern Australia, especially those near the Great Barrier Reef. These snails live in sandy or muddy soils and can be found partially or entirely buried.

Safavi-Hemami, Helena et al. " Proteomic Interrogation Of Venom Delivery In Marine Cone Snails: Novel Insights Into The Role Of The Venom Bulb." Journal Of Proteome Research, vol. 9, no. 11, 2010, pp. 5610-5619., doi:10.1021/pr100431x A garden snail reaches sexual maturity between its first and second year of life and the breeding season is at the beginning of summer. In the short process of courtship, male and female touch each other and then each inserts the other a mucus-covered calcium structure, known as the “love dart,” which could help to survive spermatozoa. Then both insert their penis into their partner, and the sperm is transferred and stored until the eggs are mature and ready to be fertilized. The entire mating process requires 4 to 12 hours. This species is targeted for fishing due to its enormous shell, edible meat, and its use as fishing bait. The shell is utilized as a source of lime and is marketed for shell collectors. Its shell can also be used to carry water. You may have never seen a terrestrial snail eat, but its appetite is huge. In fact, in many places, these eating habits mean a real problem for humans.

Snails have made their habitat all over the world, including the Arctic and Antarctic oceans! They adapt to their environment, so there are lots of different types of snails with different habitats. Land snails are the most common species of snail, but there are even some that have adapted to live in water. In North America alone, there are over 500 different species of snails. Different Types of Snail Habitats Clements, Reuben et al. " Further Twists In Gastropod Shell Evolution." Biology Letters, vol. 4, no. 2, 2008, pp. 179-182., doi:10.1098/rsbl.2007.0602 However has been moved by humans to Asia, Africa, Oceania and the Americas, where there is a huge industry of snail farming of this and some other edible species. Tentacles, brain, and heart are just some of the body parts of snails, soft-bodied gastropod mollusks with an attractive and rigid outer shell made mostly of calcium carbonate and essential for their protection and survival. The garden snail is a terrestrial species with nocturnal habits; it does most of its day-to-day activities at night or very early in the morning, but if it rains during the day, it usually goes out.

Lalli, Carol M., and Ronald W. Gilmer. "Pelagic Snails: The Biology of Holoplanktonic Gastropod Mollusks." Stanford University Press. 1989.This structure protects the snail from the environment and even from predators. It is made up of calcium carbonate which makes it strong and remains that way as long as the snail consumes food with calcium. Snails vary in size and color. The largest are members of the family Achatinidae, of which the species Achatina achatina can reach a length up to 11.8 inches and a diameter up to 5.9 inches. Internal anatomy