Two Snails Stuck Together? The 80 Top Answers

Life at a Snail’s Pace: Video reveals why they piggyback, how they hijack slime — and top speeds of a meter per hour

Snails have been found to reach a maximum speed of one meter per hour

Time-lapse footage shows them hiding in tall grass and even in dog toys

Molluscs have also been found to travel in convoy to conserve energy

Snails were fitted with lights and coated in UV paint to track habits

Snails don’t have the best reputation – they’re slow, slimy, and in ancient cultures the symbol of a snail was used to denote humans as evil.

But new research shows they could be smarter, more imaginative and more interesting than first thought.

Scientists studied the habits of 450 garden snails, recording their movements using LED lights on their shells, UV paint and time-lapse photography.

They discovered that snails can explore the length of an average British garden in a single night, reaching a top speed of one meter per hour, and that they hijack other people’s slime to conserve energy.

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Scientists attached garden snails with LED lights, photographed them, covered them in UV paint and used time-lapse photography to track their movements. They discovered that the mollusks can explore the length of an average British garden in a single night, reaching a top speed of one meter per hour

WHAT IS LUNGWORM?

The snail study was commissioned as a resource for information for dog owners whose pets are exposed to a potentially deadly parasite spread by snails and snails, the lungworm Angiostrongylus vasorum.

The parasite becomes infected when dogs accidentally ingest even the smallest slugs or snails found in dog toys, puddles, and tall grass. A recent survey suggests that lungworm is now endemic in much of the UK as slug and slug numbers have increased.

Snails and snails also topped a list of the top 10 garden pests in the UK, in results published by the Royal Horticultural Society.

The results showed how slugs travel distances of up to 25 meters in 24 hours and seek shelter such as long grass, trees or objects, including dog toys, left in the garden overnight.

The four University of Exeter researchers also discovered that snails travel in convoys, piggybacking on other snails’ slime to conserve energy.

According to the study, a snail could use up to 30 percent of its energy just to produce slime.

The study was commissioned as an information resource for dog owners whose pets are exposed to a potentially fatal parasite spread by snails and snails, the lungworm Angiostrongylus vasorum.

The parasite becomes infected when dogs accidentally ingest even the smallest slugs or snails found in dog toys, puddles, and tall grass.

dr Dave Hodgson, Associate Professor of Ecology at the University of Exeter, led the research.

The Exeter study also found that the creatures kidnapped the slime of others to conserve energy by tracking LED lights attached to the snails. It is thought that a snail could expend up to 30 percent of its energy just on slime production. Small convoys can be seen in this time-lapse shot

Snails are the cause of lungworm in dogs. The parasite is contracted when dogs accidentally swallow the molluscs

He said: “Until now, no one has fully understood the habits of these fascinating creatures that we encounter every day in our gardens.”

‘ In this study, we aimed to solve the mystery of gastropod activity and provide a resource for gardeners and pet owners who want to better protect the health of their plants and pets.

“By learning more about snail behavior, we hope dog owners can better understand how dogs can encounter snails in everyday life and the lungworm risk they pose if they take the appropriate precautions.”

Preventive treatment for lungworm infection in dogs is widely available and pet owners are advised to consult their veterinarian if they are concerned.

In recent years, nudibranchs and snails have experienced a population explosion due to increasing wet conditions and favorable breeding conditions.

Last year, the Royal Horticultural Society reported a 50 percent increase in snail numbers.

And snails and snails also topped a list of the top 10 garden pests in the UK, in findings published by the Royal Horticultural Society.

A recent survey suggests that lungworm is now endemic in much of the UK.

Mysterious snails are non-aggressive and gentle in nature. They can live peacefully with other aquarium pets such as bettas, tetras, shrimp, molies and danios. However, due to their small size, slow pace, and lack of proper support mechanisms, mysterious snails stick together when mating, out for a ride, or attempting to obtain food.

Mystery snails are usually susceptible to attachments from other larger pets such as goldfish, oscars, or cichlids. They have no teeth to attack and only retreat into their shells and close the lid when faced with a threat. They only come out when they feel safe. Although this is a form of defense, larger pets can still swallow them.

If you observe closely, you’ll also find that mystery snails love the company of other mystery snails. Suppose you dropped two lettuce leaves into a tank containing two mysterious snails. You will find that they may feed on one leaf before moving on to the next.

Contrary to what most people believe, sticking together doesn’t mean the mysterious snails fight. Below is a detailed explanation of why your mystery snails are sticking together.

Why are my mysterious snails sticking together?

Mystery snails are very amusing creatures. Personally, observing their behavior has become one of my hobbies. Here are some reasons why mystery snails stick together.

Mating Getting a ride Looking for food

pairing

Mysterious Snails are not hermaphrodites, and in order for reproduction to occur, the male Mysterious Slug must fertilize the eggs of a female Mysterious Slug. The female later lays eggs above the waterline, which hatch in about two to three weeks.

Fertilization occurs when a male mystery snail climbs onto the female and inserts her male reproductive organ into the female reproductive organ. The male releases sperm that fertilize the eggs.

The male is firmly attached to the female during the fertilization process and will not come off until fertilization is complete. The mating season can last anywhere from two to twelve hours. Interestingly, the female mystery snail normally continues with her usual feeding and moves about undisturbed.

In a mating attempt, a male mystery snail can climb onto another male mystery snail. This is because mystery snails are unaware of their surroundings and cannot tell the gender of the other mystery snail.

Females do not mount others for mating purposes, but perhaps to search for food or get a ride. The male that climbed on will try to shake off the mysterious snail on top, and you may mistake this for a fight.

get a ride

Slugs are generally lazy and move very slowly, but some mysterious slugs win the trophy. A mysterious snail climbs onto another to avoid the tank or get food. The smaller mysterious snails mostly climb on the larger ones for a free ride.

Funnily enough, many mysterious snails can stick together and form a snail train. As much fun as this seems to be, smaller mystery snails may fall off or get crushed during the spin.

looking for food

Mysterious snails have a very strong sense of smell. When a mysterious snail moves to feed on algae and biofilm, some food may stick to its shell. Other snails can climb on it and try to reach the food stuck to the shell.

How do you know snails mate?

During mating, the male mystery snail crawls onto the female’s back and positions himself over the female’s right shoulder where her reproductive organ is located. Installation can take anywhere from two to 12 hours. However, in “other times” it will attach itself to any other location, not necessarily where the reproductive organ is located.

Mating is a regular occurrence, and as long as you’ve kept male and female mystery snails together, it will happen. If you want to increase the swarm of your wonder snails through reproduction and you want healthy wonder snails, you should consider keeping more females than males. Here are some dangers of keeping more males than females in the same tank.

1. Conflict between male mystery snails

Although mystery snails are peaceful and unlikely to injure other aquarium inhabitants, conflicts can arise when more males than females of mystery snails are kept. Each male will want to mount to perform the fertilization, and if one “mounts” first, the others may try to take it off to get their chance. One of the male mystery snails can be knocked off to fall, which can cause it to crack its shell.

2. Harassment of the female mysterious snail

If there are more male mystery snails than females, the males will keep chasing the female for their turn. Excessive mating harms the female and can even lead to death.

What to do if snails attach to each other?

Unless you have too many males mating with your mystery snail female, there’s no reason you should separate stuck mystery snails. If they are pulled apart when mating, it can cause serious damage to their reproductive organs. Instead of separating them during the act, you can wait for them to finish and put them in different tanks to prevent future mating.

If you don’t want mysterious baby snails, consider using other methods to control breeding. It is possible to limit the female’s egg-laying by filling the tank with water to ensure she has no place to lay her eggs (female mysterious snails lay eggs only above the waterline). You can also wait for her to lay eggs, then sift and knead them before they hatch.

Conclusion

The fact that mysterious snails stick together does not mean that they fight, but most likely they mate. However, you could also drive around the aquarium for free or feed them. Don’t try to separate them while doing this, as this may harm them or disrupt their playtime.

Anyone who has dealt with aquarium keeping is probably familiar with snails at one level or another. For some aquarists, they are valued algae eaters and scavengers, helping to clean the aquarium and keep things balanced. For others, they’re a loathed scourge that quickly overwhelms the tank and nearly impossible to get rid of, and for some, they’re beautiful creatures that make colorful, interesting pets.

For the most part, freshwater aquatic snails are hardy creatures that thrive in the same water parameters as most aquarium fish, making them easy to keep and compatible with a wide variety of fish and invertebrate species. They come in a variety of sizes and colors and despite popular belief, not all snails are prolific breeders who will overpopulate your aquarium, although some species can and do. Always research new additions before introducing them to your tank. In this article, we’ll look at the different types of freshwater snails and how to properly care for them or avoid them.

Good vs. Bad Snails

There is a tendency to categorize aquarium snails as “good” or “bad”. The truth is that all snails are good for our aquariums in one way or another, it’s just that sometimes they do things that we don’t like or are unprepared for, like eating our plants or to overfill the pool. Virtually all problems with snails can be avoided by understanding them, knowing how to avoid accidentally introducing them to your aquarium, and doing proper research to ensure you are purchasing the right snails for your aquarium.

“Good” aquarium snails

Most aquatic snails are excellent at getting rid of algae and consuming leftover food, dead plant matter, and other debris that accumulates in the aquarium. One species, the Malaysian trumpet snail (MTS), burrows into the sand or gravel in search of food while keeping the substrate clean and preventing it from becoming compacted and anaerobic. Unfortunately, they are also the main culprit in overpopulating an aquarium.

More recently, aquarists are seeking snails as unique pets. Their bright colors, intricate patterns, and unusual shapes make several species of snails ideal candidates for aquariums of all shapes and sizes.

“Evil” aquarium snails

There really are no “bad” snails, but a few species can reproduce unchecked and overgrow an aquarium. Watching hundreds if not thousands of these little beasts take over your tank can be nerve wracking, and they can stress biological filtration and clog the filter inlet hoses. Malaysian trumpet snails (MTS) and ramshorn snails are prone to this. To compound the problem, pesky snails are virtually impossible to eradicate once they are in your aquarium. Ironically, one way to deal with unwanted snail outbreaks is to introduce a species of snail that will eat other snails! This article will go into more detail below.

Some species of apple snails (Pomacea) are voracious herbivores that will decimate a planted aquarium in a short time. Apple snails have also damaged crops in certain parts of the world after being accidentally introduced into the wild. However, the majority of apple snails in the aquarium industry are great aquarium scavengers and usually leave plants alone.

How do I get snails in my aquarium?

There is only one way to get snails into our aquariums – we put them there. But you could say I’ve never bought a snail in my life and suddenly they appear! The most common ways unwanted snails accidentally get into our aquariums are via eggs or hatchlings hitchhiking on plants or decorations, or in gravel cultures being transferred from one tank to another.

Many snail eggs are transparent and often adhere to the underside of plant leaves, making them difficult to see. Young ramshorn and marsh snails can be very small and hide easily, especially in fine-leaved plants. There are ways to get rid of snails and their eggs, which will also be discussed below.

Malaysian trumpet snails are often transplanted into used gravel to start the biological cycle in a new aquarium, but they can also end up on rocks, plants, driftwood and decorations. MTS have been known to live in buckets of used gravel for over a year! Even after a thorough flushing of the gravel, they may still be alive and well and ready to breed in their new home.

types of snails

Mysterious snails

Mysterious snails (Pomacea spp.), sometimes called Inca snails, are a species of apple snail and are among the most popular in the aquarium hobby. These peaceful snails live 3 to 4 years, reach just over 1½ inches in diameter, and are prized for their bright colors and ability to eat algae. Bodies are usually black or pinkish-orange with neon orange markings around the head area. Shells can be light brown or olive with dark stripes, maroon, white, golden yellow, or blue. They eat soft algae, dead plant matter and are great scavengers in peaceful community tanks.

There are several theories as to how mystery snails got their name, but a popular one is that no one knew what type of snail it was when they were first introduced to the hobby. it was a puzzle. Scientists have described two species that are popular in the aquarium industry – Pomacea bridgesii and Pomacea diffusa, with P. diffusa believed to be the most common.

Mysterious snails have gills, as well as lungs with a kind of suction tube that allows them to breathe air by coming to the surface. A secure lid should be used to prevent them from climbing out of the tank. Breeding is not difficult; mystery snails are gonochoristic, which means you need a boy and a girl for it to happen. In addition, the female must be able to leave the water to lay her eggs, which appear as a honeycombed cluster attached to the tank wall above the waterline or attached to the underside of the lid. The babies hatch in 2 to 3 weeks depending on the temperature and drop into the water.

Nerit slugs

Nerites (Neritina spp.) are fantastic algae eaters that will also eat leftover fish food, dead plant matter and other “stuff” that ends up on the bottom. They come in a variety of colors and patterns, including one with horns! They are among the most beautiful of all aquarium snails. They are relatively small, do not eat plants, and their droppings contain bacteria that are beneficial to the shrimp digestive tract, making them perfect for planted aquariums and shrimp tanks.

Nerite snails are not difficult to breed, but the larvae require brackish or salt water to develop, so there is little chance of them overflowing an aquarium. They are believed to live to be at least 3 years old, but there are reports of 5 years from hobbyists. They love to crawl out of the water so make sure you have a secure lid on your tank!

rabbit snails

Rabbit snails (Tylomelania spp.), a relatively new addition to the hobby, are quickly becoming a favorite in the aquarium due to their larger size, interesting colors, and “rabbit-like” faces. Some species native to Sulawesi, Indonesia can grow up to 4 inches in length and are believed to live up to 3 years. They thrive best in aquariums 20 gallons or larger and prefer warmer temperatures (76° – 84°F) and slightly alkaline water with a pH of 7.8 – 8.4. Some aquarists mix crushed coral into the gravel or place coral in their filters to achieve proper water chemistry.

Rabbit snails feed on soft algae, dead plant matter, and other debris, but they will also eat sinking pellets, algae waffles, and other fish food that falls to the bottom. They don’t bother plants, but there are anecdotal reports of them nibbling on Java fern.

Hare snails are gonochoristic and give birth to live, fully developed young encased in a milky-white eggshell. Babies are usually born singly, although occasionally two or even three are included. Egg pods are produced every 4 to 6 weeks, so their rate of reproduction is very slow even if you have several of them.

Assassin Slugs

Predatory snails (Clea helena) are native to Southeast Asia. They have become popular in the

Aquarium because they eat other snails, making them a natural way to reduce troublesome snail populations. They grow to about 1 inch in length and have alternating yellow and dark brown “bumblebee” stripes. They like to burrow into the substrate, but quickly come out to feed.

Unlike most aquarium snails, which are mostly herbivores or at least omnivores, assassin snails are carnivores, feeding primarily on other snails or carrion. However, they will not eat any of their own kind, even when other food is scarce. Some shrimp farmers have reported seeing assassin snails eating their prized shrimp, but experts believe this is very rare and the victims are most likely weak or ailing.

Assassin slugs have been known to breed in captivity. They are gonochoristic so if you want to breed them you should start with at least 5 or 6 to make sure you have males and females. Reproduction is slow as females only lay 1 to 4 eggs at a time. The eggs are transparent and difficult to see, and hatch in 8 to 9 weeks, depending on the temperature.

ramshorn snails

Ramshorn snails have been part of aquaristics for longer than almost any other type of snail. Some aquarists use them to keep brood rearing or shrimp tanks clean, while others consider them a pest that should be eliminated at all costs. They are excellent at eating soft algae, dead plant parts and uneaten food, but they can multiply quickly, especially in aquariums with a lot of organic dirt. They have also been known to eat soft-leaved plants when food is scarce.

The two most common species in the aquarium trade are the red ram’s horn and Planorbarius corneus, a larger species known as the common ram’s horn. Red post horns, as the name suggests, are red, while greater post horns are typically olive to brown, with stripes on the shell. Other variants such as pink, yellow or blue are also available. Post horns are air breathers, so they must come to the surface to breathe.

Ramshorn snails are usually introduced into aquariums on purpose to control algae and keep the aquarium clean, but ramshorn snails often appear spontaneously. Most often, tiny individuals or eggs sneak up on live plants, rocks, driftwood, ornaments, and even gravel, transferring them from one aquarium to another. A sudden population explosion is often the result of debris and organic debris building up in the aquarium.

Malaysian trumpet snails

When it comes to reproduction, the Malaysian Trumpet Snail (MTS), Melanoides tuburculata, has few competitors. Depending on your attitude, these small, cone-shaped snails can be the best scavengers known to the aquarium hobby or the most despised creature on earth. Sure, they’re productive. They are parthenogenetic – not hermaphroditic – meaning females can give birth to more females without needing contact with a male. In short, a tiny hitchhiking female is enough to get things started and once they enter your aquarium they are virtually impossible to get rid of.

On the plus side, MTS forages in the substrate during the day, keeps it aerated, and breaks down any organic waste and debris that accumulates there, preventing anaerobic conditions from developing that can release deadly hydrogen sulfide gas. Also, they won’t eat your plants. For these reasons, they make excellent scavengers for planted aquariums, shrimp tanks, and heavily stocked or generously fed aquariums. That’s reassuring if you like natural methods, but for some people, seeing so many snails in a tank or watching your gravel actually “move” is, well… a little creepy.

It is next to impossible to completely eradicate MTS once they are in your aquarium, but restricting feeding and vacuuming the substrate regularly will deprive these snails of their food source and keep their numbers down.

pond snails

Several species fall under the term “pond snails”. For some hobbyists they are a prized scavenger, while others consider them a pest. Most grow to an inch or less and are mottled olive green to brown. They are omnivores, feeding on algae, dead plant matter, detritus, and uneaten fish food. They do not normally disturb living plants, but they have been known to reproduce rapidly when there is an adequate supply of food.

Pond snails can be kept with peaceful community fish and are great scavengers in shrimp tanks. To prevent populations from getting out of hand, keep organic debris to a minimum by changing water regularly, vacuuming debris, and feeding sparingly.

Water quality requirements

Snails are not very picky about their water parameters, but it is important to maintain healthy conditions in their aquarium through sparing feeding, regular water changes and good filtration. Test water chemistry regularly to ensure you are providing the right conditions for all of your aquatic life.

How and what to feed snails

Snails naturally feed on algae, dead plant matter and bits of fish food that fall to the bottom, but they can also be fed Aqueon Algae Rounds and Bottom Feeder Tablets. Snails – and shrimp – need an ample supply of calcium for healthy shell growth. So if you’re using reverse osmosis or deionized water, add Aqueon Water Renewal to replenish essential minerals and trace elements. You can also add some crushed coral to your filter, add liquid calcium to the aquarium, or even feed your snails Zilla Aquatic Turtle Food to ensure they are getting enough calcium. If you’re more of a “naturalist,” feed your snails blanched kale, spinach, bok choy, green beans, or broccoli, all of which are high in calcium. Feed sparingly and discard uneaten food to avoid water quality problems.

Avoid introducing pesky snails into your aquarium

Disruptive snails have an uncanny ability to invade aquariums, and once there they can be extremely difficult to eliminate. To avoid this, take the following precautions:

Soak ornaments from other aquariums in bleach water or scrub them thoroughly before adding them to your tank.

Thoroughly inspect used gravel before adding it to your tank. If you are unsure of its origin or there are pesky snails in the tank it came from, don’t put it in your aquarium!

Soak live plants in a solution of 2 to 3 tablespoons of powdered alum per gallon of water or quarantine them in a separate aquarium for at least 15 days before introducing them to your display tank.

Get rid of annoying snails

You can’t always completely eliminate pesky snails, but you can drastically reduce their numbers by doing the following:

Vacuum gravel regularly and vacuum out dead plant material and detritus to eliminate their food supply.

Feed your fish less to control the amount of food and waste available to snails.

Physically remove slugs by picking them out with your hand, using a slug trap, or by baiting them. Add Aqueon Algae Rounds, Bottom Feeder Tablets or lettuce leaves to the aquarium, leave overnight and remove in the morning with the attached snails! Red ramshorn snails can be captured from the surface when they surface to breathe.

Crush a few snails at a time and let your fish eat them!

Introduce assassin slugs to eat your pesky slugs.

Certain species of fish, including loaches, catfish, cichlids, and puffers, eat snails, and they can be an effective way to reduce troublesome snail populations. Always research fish before purchasing them to ensure they are appropriate for your aquarium size and compatible with their inhabitants.

Use slug killing products. While chemicals should always be your last resort and should be used with extreme caution, they can and do. The problem with chemical treatments is that some are harmful, if not fatal, to plants, shrimp, other invertebrates, and certain delicate fish, so they must be removed if you decide to use this method. Also, a mass die-off of snails can overload your filter and raise ammonia and nitrite levels.

Can I use medicines and other additives with snails?

Some medications contain copper sulfate and other chemicals that are harmful to snails and other invertebrates. Most other water treatments are safe to use in the presence of aquarium snails. Always read package directions and ingredient lists before using any treatment in your aquarium.

Snails are part of nature and as such can be a valuable and interesting addition to an aquarium.

von Schnäggli in Arion spp., Cornu aspersum, Euglandina rosea, nutrition, information & details, linguistics, essays, photos, Pomacea bridgesii, Schizoglossa novoseelandica Keywords: adelphophagy, animal, animals, biology, cannibalism, etymology, gastropods, Greek, invertebrates, images, photos, linguistics, malachology, mollusks, nature, papers, pic, pics, predator, snail, snails, snail, snails, science, woods, woods, zoology

Crawling through a forest in broad daylight, two slugs approach a lucky meal: a dead member of their own species. Many snails and slugs are saprophagous, meaning they feed on decaying matter and dead animals. And some of them, like Arion snails, do not hesitate to eat dead snails or snails of their own kind.

Cannibalism of some form is not uncommon in gastropods: some snails (including Pomacea bridgesii and other common aquarium snails) feed on the remains of dead conspecifics, and juveniles (e.g., newborn common garden snail, Cornu aspersum, sometimes eat the other eggs , which have not yet hatched). Few species, however, prey on living individuals of the same species: Schizoglossa novoseelandica is an example. In contrast, Euglandina rosea (rose wolf snail), although known as a “cannibal snail,” will rarely prey on individuals of the same species.

GLOSSARY

Intraspecific predation: from Latin intra “within”, predation within the same species = cannibalism

Adelphophagie: from the ancient Greek ἀδελφός (adelphos) “brother” & φάγος (phagos) “eater” = sibling cannibalism

Literature:

Let’s take it easy: snails appear to kiss when they cross paths on a log

It probably never was a whirlwind romance, but the courtship between the two looks like it’s moving at a snail’s pace.

The slimy duo had a love affair when they both decided to crawl along a partially submerged log in a pond and visit the water’s edge.

As they paused to pass each other, the pair paused to take a closer look and even appeared to share a quick kiss.

Lovestruck: The two snails were trying to get past each other on this partially submerged log when they stopped to take a closer look

Thrills of the hunt: The smaller snail will not be deterred from attracting the attention of its larger neighbor

Get Through: From this useful perch on its partner’s shell, the tiny snail gets a bird’s-eye view of its surroundings

After the quick introduction, the smaller of the two snails decided to get a better look at her surroundings by piggybacking onto her larger companion’s shell.

The images, which also captured a wonderful reflection of the snails in the water, were taken by Willi Rolfes.

He took her to a kindergarten near his hometown of Vechta in Lower Saxony while he was waiting for his daughter.

Willi, 49, said: “My daughter was at a party and as I was waiting to pick her up I saw the snails on the log in the pond.”

Water sample: crammed together on a small tree trunk, the two snails show their affection

Get comfortable: After their amorous encounter, the two snails get up close and personal as they glide past each other

“I’ve seen several dozen of them there and watched them reach the bottom of the log before they realized there was water and it was a dead end.

“When there is some traffic on the tree trunk, like this time, the snails climb on top of each other – that seems to be a special overtaking manoeuvre.

“It looks like they’re kissing, but I think they’re examining each other as they try to find a way to get past each other.

snail reproduction

male or female?

Non-mammalian reproduction attracts the attention of some people because they are usually unique processes. Snails have a striking appearance, but their reproductive habits are also unusual. One of the keys to snails’ survival over time is the characteristics of their reproductive process.

The first thing to know about these terrestrial snail molluscs is that most are hermaphrodites. Any organism that has male and female reproductive organs and can therefore produce both eggs and spermatozoa is called a hermaphrodite. It is as if the snails were male and female at the same time.

However, there are exceptions. The snails of the family Pomatiidae differ from their relatives in that they have separate sexes, that is, each snail is either a male or a female depending on which reproductive organs it possesses. It is relatively easy to identify the sex as the species exhibit sexual dimorphism: the males have smaller carapaces than the females.

Most terrestrial snails are hermaphrodites, but some snails do not have this attribute, particularly some freshwater snails such as the apple snail and periwinkle. These two snail species still have separate male and female individuals.

The reproductive system ends in an external opening located in the lower part of the body near the head called the genital pore. Individuals reach sexual maturity at different ages depending on their species and their particular conditions. Once sexually mature, their sex organs acquire the necessary conditions to reproduce, but they may later begin mating. Normally, land snails become sexually mature between 6 weeks and 5 years. Some mature sooner or later when the conditions of their external environment are favorable for their development or not.

Courtship: What to do to be noticed?

When a snail is already fully grown it can start mating, that’s clear, but how do they approach each other?

Before intercourse, both approach each other to begin the courtship process, which consists of a series of movements and attitudes that may or may not end in mating. The whole process can take as little as 2 hours or as long as 12 hours. They rely primarily on their senses of smell and touch to find a mate, as their eyesight is poorly developed and their hearing is lacking. They can detect chemicals in the air that communicate the susceptibility of another snail nearby.

During the process, both land snails grow closer, acknowledge each other, and “test the odds.” When they get close, they start to interact more physically and can touch each other with the help of their tentacles. Some move in circles and can bite the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe genital pore.

In the final stages of courtship and before mating, some species use a unique weapon: the “love darts”. No, it’s not a metaphor, it’s a structure made of calcium or chitin, which only mature snails have and which have usually mated more than once. In detail, they actually resemble pointed arrows.

When both are close enough to each other and touch their genitals, they shoot their love darts. Darts are not shot away but are a contact shot. Usually, the two snails shoot at the structures and pierce the skin of the other, making them united. The dangerous thing is that darts can sometimes damage an internal organ or go through the body and exit the other side.

The function of love darts is not sperm transfer, but a form of sexual selection, and observations suggested that garden snails (Helix aspersa) could increase their reproductive success. The slime covering an arrow contains a type of hormone that can increase offspring’s chances of success.

pairing

After the snails have shot their “love darts”, copulation follows. The transmission of sperm through the penis can be reciprocal or unilateral; This means that either both of them transmit it or only one of the snails. It depends on the style. Others prefer to fertilize themselves so they don’t need another individual to lay eggs.

After fertilization, the eggs go through a growth process inside the snail until they are ready for birth. After that, both snails lay their eggs and bury them in separate places in a small hole drilled in the topsoil in a cool place. The mating process of snails allows them to deliver eggs at a constant rate.

It usually takes two to four weeks for a snail egg to develop. (1) As soon as they hatch, they immediately go into a survival mode because their shells are still soft. Their first reaction once they hatch is to find sources of calcium, either by eating what is left of their egg or eating other eggs that haven’t hatched to get the extra nutrients.

In summary, the mating process of snails begins with reaching sexual maturity, followed by finding the right mate, mating, locating and creating a place to lay the eggs, hatching the eggs, and ending with the development of small snails .

Sources:

http://scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=2578

Animals, a visual encyclopedia. Second edition. Smithsonian 2012.

http://www.molluscs.at/gastropoda/index.html?/gastropoda/morphology/reproduction.html

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/03/150310-snails-reproduction-sex-animals-science-evolution/

BioExpedition Verlag © 2017.

How do snails reproduce? Question date: 2011-05-17 Answer 1:

Different snails reproduce differently, but most snails are “hermaphrodites”. Being a hermaphrodite means that any snail can be male and female at the same time. This can make it much easier for the slugs to reproduce and make a whole lot of slugs quickly! Some hermaphroditic snails do not need another snail to reproduce, but can produce more snails of their own accord (this is known as asexual reproduction). Other snails are hermaphrodites but still need another snail to reproduce (this is called sexual reproduction). There are also some snails that are not hermaphrodites but are either male or female and need to find a snail of the opposite sex to breed with. Most of the large land snails you see roaming around Southern California, called California garden snails, actually originated in Europe and were deliberately introduced to California to eat (snails are a dish made from prepared snails, and it’s a French one Delicacy). . These snails are hermaphrodites and need another snail to reproduce. I actually wrote an article about these snails and you can read it here:

Delicacy Here is an excerpt from this article on the propagation of these snails:

“California offers very good breeding conditions for Helix aspersa. Like many snails, they are hermaphrodites, meaning each individual has both male and female reproductive organs, although they still need to mate with each other in order to reproduce. In less than ideal climates, they breed in late spring or early summer, but in humid, tropical climates they can breed year-round, up to five times a year, and even store up to a year of extra sperm if they can’t find another mate. The snails burrow small holes in moist, soft soil for a nest and lay about 80 eggs buried about an inch deep. The eggs hatch a few weeks later and the newborn snails take a year or two to mature, but may then be able to repeat the process and raise many more snails in their two to five year lifespan.” Hope this helps! Answer 2:

Snails are really interesting! Most snails are considered hermaphrodites and have both male and female reproductive organs. Snails can reproduce when they are 1 year old (they live around 5-7 years, some even up to 25 years!). At this point, they need to find a snail mate to mate with. After mating, each snail lays eggs either in the dirt (terrestrial snails) or behind a rock (sea snails). The eggs hatch and after 2-4 weeks a baby snail is born. As the baby grows and develops, it will remain in a nest close to its parents for about 3 months before it is ready to go into the world on its own. Did you know that snails get really sick if they eat salt or sugar!! If you find or have a pet snail, make sure you only give it plants to eat. Thanks for the great question! Answer 3:

Snails, like so many other animals, reproduce with eggs and sperm, and most snails are either male or female. But some snails have both eggs and sperm in their bodies, so sometimes the sperm in the snail fertilizes the eggs in the same snail. But that doesn’t seem to happen normally. Normally, the sperm cells in the snail have already grown while the eggs are young, so the sperm cells fertilize eggs in other snails. With snails in the water, the snail often just sends the sperm cells out into the water and they swim to the eggs of other snails. Answer 4:

Snails reproduce in the same way as almost everything else – they mate and lay eggs. However, some snails are hermaphrodites (having both male and female reproductive organs in the same individual), meaning that two snails can fertilize each other.

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In nature, fatherhood is simpler. It’s the fastest and cheapest way to pass on your genes. Motherhood requires a much greater investment of time, energy and resources.

“They sort it out through courtship,” Roth said. “Who’s going to be male? who becomes female Or will it be shared?”

In garden snails, courtship is somewhat euphemistic. Their idea of ​​foreplay is to stab each other with a tiny spike called a love dart.

Here’s the play-by-play. Snails find companions through taste and smell. By waving their upper tentacles in the air – smelling – and tapping the ground with their lower ones – tasting – they pick up the sticky marks of potential mates.

Then they follow the slime.

(For an in-depth look at the many uses of slime, watch this episode of Deep Look, Banana Slugs: Secret of the Slime.)

When snails meet, the tasting and smelling continues, this time with full-body contact, sometimes for hours. Call it heavy stroking or extreme checking, snails take their time getting to know their partners.

Everything in this commercial is wine and roses first – then comes the dart of love.

Technically called Gypsobelum, the love dart is a nail-clipping needle that remains concealed in an inner pouch until about half an hour before copulation begins, when the pouch is inverted and indiscriminately fired or pricked into the partner’s body.

“Getting stabbed by a male dart makes you more of a female-centric partner in this courtship,” Roth said.

The love dart is Snails’ tool to maximize their masculine side. It injects hormones to prevent the other snail’s body from killing newly introduced sperm once copulation begins.

When snails mate, two penises enter two vaginal passages. Both snails in a mating transfer sperm, but the snail that shot the dart best has a better chance of ultimately fertilizing eggs.

In some species, only one snail will fire a love dart, in others, like the garden snail, both will.

“The entire reproductive system is quite a maze,” said Joris Koene, a gastropod researcher at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam.

You can spot love darts sticking out of snails in the middle of courtship, and even find them left in puddles of slime where mating took place.

Scale it down to human size and the love arrow would be the equivalent of a 15-inch knife, according to Koene. Despite this, he only saw a snail die from an arrow.

“It makes a pretty decent hole in the body,” he said, “but generally they’re fine. They’re used to it, I think.”

They may look harmless, but the snails snacking in your backyard garden have a sex organ that serves as a sharp, sword-like weapon.

Several species of hermaphrodite land snails fire these so-called love darts into each other’s bodies when they mate.

Once a snail manages to shoot the dart that carries sperm-enriching secretions, that animal can fertilize the other’s eggs. (See also “Wild Romance: Weird Animal Courtship and Mating Rituals.”)

Made from calcium, these love darts are an indispensable tool for promiscuous snails, who mate multiple times with different partners to try to fertilize as many snails as possible.

However, scientists had not known whether these bioweapons were harmful. Now, a new study shows that love darts can reduce fertility and shorten the lifespan of arrow snails.

tough love

For their experiment, study leader Kazuki Kimura, a biologist at Tohoku University in Japan, and colleagues compared clutch numbers to the longevity of captive populations of Bradybaena pellucida, a species of terrestrial snail native to Japan.

The results showed that a arrow snail pays a heavy price to reproduce: it lays fewer eggs and lives only three-quarters of a typical snail’s lifespan, which is about 60 days, according to the study, published March 10 in Proceedings of the Royal Company B

It sounds counterintuitive: why develop love darts when it will harm the mother who carries your brood?

The answer probably lies in selfish genes – the darts are known to discourage the mother from mating again, meaning the darter continues his own lineage.

Joris Koene, a zoologist at VU University Amsterdam who was not involved in the study, says it’s not clear whether the loss of libido is caused by a chemical on the darts or by physical trauma, but the latter theory could be Explain why the snails harm each other.

Additionally, the study suggests that if you’re able to fertilize many of their eggs, it’s not such a bad idea to interfere with your partner’s fertility. (Also read: “Why Sea Slugs Discard Their Own Penises.”)

“It has already been shown that snails can benefit strikingly from an increase in ‘short-term’ male insemination success,” Kimura says via email.

That said, if darts allow a slug to sire a lot more young, a few fewer isn’t a big deal.

Sexual Arms Race

The study also suggests that these harmful mating habitats “are expected to escalate [the sexual arms race] more drastically,” says Kimura.

For example, snails vying for paternity will develop new and better arrows, from simple pointed cones to elaborate-sounding harpoons, Koene found in a 2005 study. (See “‘Torture’ Phalluses Give Beetles a Reproductive Advantage.”)

And they will likely develop resistance to the darts as well. For example, female organs can develop resistance to love darts by becoming better at digesting unwanted sperm. Or the evolution of harder skin – albeit a long shot for these soft-bodied animals – could make anti-arrow armor.

Because when it comes to hermaphrodite slugs, all is fair in love and war.

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Snails are fast breeders; They don’t need mates to produce hundreds of viable eggs. Every three days the snails look for holes in the substrate for egg collection. Destroy the eggs by freezing them for 48 hours. Don’t just throw away snail eggs, as they can hatch and spread live snails into local flora, wreaking havoc on native vegetation. Be careful when handling snails by lifting them by their shell and do not attempt to pluck them from the sides of their tank as this can cause injury.

How do snails communicate?

Do they talk in the tank?

Mystery Snails are fascinating and fun to watch. They exhibit unexpected behaviors such as levitation, wall jumping, and levitation. Recently I saw one of my slugs running down the wall in a diagonal trajectory. Only the outside edge of his foot stuck to the surface and he moved surprisingly quickly for a snail. This was a new behavior that I had never noticed in the other snail. Within a few hours, the other snail showed the same behavior. How did they share this information? I became extremely curious. Did you learn from each other? If so, how do snails communicate?

Snail observations in the tank

This wasn’t the first time I’ve noticed a new behavior and shortly thereafter another snail copying the action. When I first set up my new tank, I bought two Ivory Mystery snails. Once in the aquarium they were on separate tracks for a few days and never seemed to cross paths. The smaller snail, Lil’ Squirt, found the bubble tube immediately and flapped around up there whenever he got a chance. The larger Mysterious Snail Sherman never climbed the tube at all, as far as I know.

One day the paths of the two Ivories crossed. They rolled over each other for a long time. After that, they seemed to be together frequently, as if they were looking for each other. I saw them eat together, sleep side by side and climb on top of each other’s shells.

Can mysterious snails learn from each other?

I placed her blanched zucchini near the bubble tube as usual and after feasting, Squirt climbed onto the tube and let his foot and tentacles go haywire in the bubbles. Coming down, Sherman went up…but not all the way. He came back down and sat side by side with Squirt, then went back up. He did the same move 5 times, each time stopping on the ground next to Squirt and setting the tube back down. Eventually he made it to the top and slapped his foot in the blisters. It quickly became a popular tank pastime for both of them.

Did Lil’Squirt somehow tell him what to do and what’s up there? I briefly considered this possibility, but dismissed it as if it were a crazy thought. They’re snails…they don’t talk.

Mysterious snails surfing the Cuttlebone

Recently I was looking at the aquarium and Sherman used his foot to grab a piece of cuttlefish that was floating in the aquarium. I was glad he got his calcium but then he kept crawling on the bone.

He detached himself from the wall and stood squarely on top of the sepia, which was beginning to sink in a diagonal trajectory. It looked like Sherman was surfing the Cuttlebone. I couldn’t believe what I saw. He whizzed across the tank and slid away from the bottom.

I yelled, “Don’t turn around! That was so cool,” while wishing I had captured it on video or photo. After the excitement, I sat back down, thankful that I had witnessed such a crazy move. Within 5 minutes, Olive, my mystery black snail, climbed onto the Cuttlebone in the same spot and surfed it diagonally down.

“That’s supposed to be a joke.” I exclaimed. Now I was super disappointed not to have caught the moment. What were the odds of both making this unusual move within 5 minutes?

The next morning I saw Ruby, one of my Magenta Mystery snails, climb aboard the Sepia. She was small and the bone didn’t go under. She stood up briefly and then slid back to the wall.

A moment later, the other magenta, Violet, glided toward the floating bone. I ran to the tank and hit record as she skidded onto the cuttlebone. Violet surfed diagonally down to the underground and continued on her way. The bone slowly rose to the surface again.

Are the snails watching or listening?

This time I felt compelled to research: “How do snails communicate?” This can’t have been a coincidence. But how did this happen?

Although Mysterious Snails have eyes at the end of their shorter tentacles, they cannot see well. So that disproved my thoughts that maybe they were watching each other.

They have good hearing…but that didn’t really explain how they knew what the other was doing.

Research on snail communication

In a Deep Sea News article entitled The Many Personalities of Snails and Anemones, they theorized that sea anemones and snails have personalities. The article mentioned that the snails can make a clicking sound. They couldn’t interpret whether the clicking was a form of communication or just random clicking. They pointed out that slugs will also follow another slug’s slime trail. This could be the case with my mystery snails.

Snails leave a trail of slime as they glide, and pheromones are present in this slime that other snails might recognize and follow. They also exchange pheromones when in close proximity to other snails. The snail’s tentacles wave in front of their bodies, picking up the chemical smell left at a distance. Did my mysterious snails follow a scent trail? The mucus residue left behind left semi-permanent pheromone messages that the others could slide over and “read”. This certainly seemed possible.

A snail study on pheromones and slime

The Journal of Animal Behavior did a study on land snail communication. According to the experiment, the first snail glided along, leaving a trail of slime. The scientists intentionally applied a stressor to the snail at a certain point midway through. A second snail followed the pheromone trail and stopped at the point on the path where the 1st snail had experienced stress and turned back. The researchers concluded that the 2nd snail discovered the stress hormone and decided to move away from the danger encountered by snail #1.

Do the mysterious snails speak?

An article entitled The Sound of a Snail: Two Cases of Acoustic Defense in Gastropods was published in the Oxford Academic Journal of Molluscan Studies. In this study, researchers were able to capture snail sounds on an audio recording. The theory was that the snail emits the sound when stressed or injured, producing a thicker mucus. They also found that the snail made a sound as it rocked in its shell.

The scientists then conducted experiments in the lab and found that there were different frequencies of the snail sounds. You could record three different sounds. The snails made the same two sounds when touched. The touch sound response was repeated over and over again and the snails consistently produced the same two sounds.

The frequency of the sound response varied from snail to snail. Some snails produced the same tonal response to the touch stimuli each time, while others responded a few times but then got tired of the experiment and crawled away.

Could this explain how my snails communicate? Did they make noises? Did the noises have a meaning?

“Hey Violet, you gotta surf the Cuttlebone… Sherman told me about it yesterday. I’ve tried it and it’s great.”

I doubt it’s that advanced, but what do we know?

My snail observations in the tank

When Olive and Sherman lived alone in the aquarium, they would do great leaps, feet heaving, straight to the bottom. When the new baby magentas arrived, they were tiny and made mini-jumps with stops on the way down. Ruby jumped off the top leaf of a plant, briefly landing on a branch and then on the trunk before finally reaching the ground. Soon Olive and Sherman stopped for little stops on the way down, mimicking the train.

The new magentas were also able to tilt their foot to leap forward and project their bodies diagonally downward. You could jump off the wall and slam outwards to the bottom of the bubble tube and land right on top of the veggies. Within the day, imitators Sherman and Olive did the same. It seemed that each new snail introduced new and interesting behaviors. Just when I thought I’d seen all of their tricks, something new happened.

Charles Darwin and snail communication

Charles Darwin had conducted numerous studies on snails. He mainly experimented with hypotheses involving evolution and changes of a species over several generations due to different conditions. He conducted experiments that would alter a snail’s environment and test the effects on the shells and development of future offspring of that snail.

His studies briefly mentioned the possibility of communication between land snails.

Darwin noted, “These animals also appear to be susceptible to some degree of persistent attachment. Mr. Lonsdale, a close observer, informed me that he placed a pair of land snails (Helix Pomatia), one of which was weak, in a small and ill-maintained garden. After a short time, the strong and healthy individual disappeared and was followed by its trail of slime over a wall and into an adjacent well-stocked garden. Mr. Lonsdale concluded that it had deserted its ailing fellow; but after an absence of 24 hours it returned and apparently communicated the result of its successful reconnaissance, for both then started on the same track and disappeared over the wall.”

Are my mysterious snails communicating?

While these studies and observations don’t definitively answer my question about how snails communicate, they definitely give me reason to believe they send messages of some sort.

I assumed that if snails communicated, it would be at a basic level of sustenance or survival. Some of the behaviors I’ve observed seem unrelated to this. These colorful mystery snails continue to fascinate and fascinate.

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