Snails Aren't Bugs: Decode Their Symbolism
- Pranita Rao
- Sep 5
- 2 min read
Snails are not bugs. The smaller snails might look like bugs, but they are different. Snails belong to the family of mollusks and gastropods. That is their scientific group! To me, they are my friends and spiritual messengers.
This morning, I went for a morning walk near my apartment and found a snail burrowed in the soil. Research suggests that snails burrow themselves in the soil and provide habitats for tiny insects, creating microhabitats and shelter for smaller organisms. Snails are known to create microhabitats by burrowing into the soil or hiding under rocks and leaf litter. Anyway, I took the snail in my hand and realised it was hiding in its shell.
I took it with me to a bench and put it next to me. I had to let the tiny insects crawl on my hand, as I didn’t want to kill them.
After some time, the snail began coming out of its shell. When it came out of its shell, I realised its stringy, dark green poop also came out along with it.
I know...I can hear your discomfort!
I love snails, but I am a bit of a hygiene police. So, I left the snail on the bench, got up, and went away from it.
Now, we all consider snails to be slow, right?
Well, within five minutes the snail crawled from the bench and onto a wall that was behind the bench. That's mighty fast in snail time. It was like the snail had wheels on its foot.
Friends, imagine if we were like snails, seeming slow to ourselves but actually fast to others?
Many times, we underestimate our speed, and that can give us imposter syndrome.
So, on behalf of the snail on the bench, I would like to motivate you to trust your speed.
You never know who could be surprised by your speed!
Until next time, dear friend.
-Don't be a stranger,
Pranita
Science Communicator | Author | Energy worker
P.S. - To respect the content in this post, I humbly request readers to look at snails and angels as sacred beings that are equal to human beings.
Word count: 305
Reference: Mathew M. Snails and Slugs as Silent Witnesses: Exploring the Ecological Significance of Ecosystem Engineers and Biodiversity Indicators. https://www.entomologyjournals.com/assets/archives/2024/vol9issue4/9073.pdf
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