Snails

I love shells & that includes snail shells!
Some of them are quite beautiful! I have learned that if a snail shell has a lip around the edge
it means they are finished growing. If it has not lip then it is still a young snail & has more
years to grow. They live up to around 15 years if they are not eaten by your dog or cat
out in the garden! Birds go for them, too!

Snails may be slow but they are smart. They come out at night or in the very early morning to feed so that the hot sun doesn't dry up their moist little bodies. They will eat fruit, veggies, leaves and even dirt! But if you raise them as pets DO NOT feed them salt or sugar or they will die! Calcium is what they need so as to keep their shells strong & hard for protection.
They lay many eggs at one time & are considered male AND female.
In other words, they can reproduce with whomever they meet - male OR female.
When they are born they eat the shell they came out of. It continues to grow as part of them
and becomes their little 'house' & their only means of protection.


They are very quiet & cannot hear & do not see well. They feel by vibration. The only 'noise'
you may hear is when they eat. Their rough little tongues tear at their food making sounds so they can digest well. The 'slime trail' they leave behind is so they can move along - at a snails' pace - & not scratch or hurt their little soft bodies.

Snails are plentiful no matter how many are eaten by both animals & humans. They only become
'pests' in your garden if they get to all your veggies! But you can catch them with a little bit of beer in a jar & release them elsewhere. They always carry their home on their backs so they will never be lost or homeless. They seem to make do wherever they travel.