Day 16 - Snail hunt

Did you know there are around 90 different species of land snail in the UK? There are hairy ones, flat ones, stripey ones and tiny ones. Download this spotter sheet and see how many different ones you can find in your garden, local park or even in your street. They like to hide in cool, damp places so you may have to look hard. If the weather is too hot and dry they can stay in their shells for months and often camouflage themselves in gaps in walls. 

Snails have four tentacles; two are eyes and two are for feeling, they only have one foot and a tongue known as a radula that is covered in tiny 'teeth' . As you probably know they love to eat plants, particularly nice soft ones like lettuce and spinach. But beware, studies have shown that snails have a homing instinct, so the next time you throw one over the garden fence to stop it eating your plants - watch out because it may just come back! 

  

The reason that there are so many is probably because they lay about 100 eggs in an underground nest and most snails are hermaphrodite (both mail and female) so nearly all can lay eggs.

Happy snail hunting!

And if you are still a fan of snails you can download this poster from the Woodland Trust.