 For Anyone Interested in the Wildlife of the United Kingdom |
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For Anyone Interested in the Wildlife of the United Kingdom |
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Latin name: Helix aspersa Size: Approximately 8cm long Distribution: Garden snails are common throughout the U.K. Months seen: Mostly active between March and October Habitat: Hedgerows, gardens and fields. Garden snails prefer to feed on areas with chalky soil as this helps shell growth. Food: Garden snails like to feed on vegetable matter, which is why they are loathed by many gardeners. Special features: When garden snails are moving you get to see their head which has two long tentacles, each with an eye at the tip. During the winter garden snails hibernate, often in large groups, under stones and in crevices of trees. They seal themselves into their shells with a layer of mucus which hardens to form a cap. Garden snails are hermaphrodites. Each snail has both male and female sex organs. They don't need a partner to produce fertile eggs, however they seem to prefer mating with a partner. Mating can last for several hours, during which time the two snails exchange sperm and shoot love darts into each others bodies. It's thought these love darts contain a hormone-like substance which assists the survival of sperm. After mating both snails part to lay 40 to 80 eggs each. The eggs are usually laid in a shallow hole in the ground. Each egg hatches into a tiny snail after about four weeks. The shell of the snail grows as the snail's body grows. Baby garden snails take about two years to reach adult size.
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Garden Snails
