Can snails think? Where is their nervous system?

Mr. Snail has a nervous system!

The gentleness of Mr. Snail

This week, I met a particularly gentle snail who reminded me to be gentle with myself. As a highly sensitive person, it is easy for me to sense Mr. Snail's energy over my skin. Here is a self-loving disclosure, I chatted about my day with Mr. Snail and that particular day, I asked a question to Mr. Snail. I remember Mr. Snail moving on my palm extremely gently as a response. It was almost as if someone were moving a thread over my skin. Mr. Snail's movement made me feel like I was accepting of gentleness.

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Can Mr. Snail think?

Well, research suggests that snails have a nervous system! Their nervous system is derived from segmented worms called Annelida. Their nervous system is in the shape of a rope ladder and is present in their underside. In the early stages of development, there are nerve cells in different parts of snails. These nerve cell clusters are named according to their location in the snail's body and are called the foot ganglion, visceral ganglion, and pleural ganglion. The well-developed snails have a fully functioning centralized nervous system, wherein all nerve cells form one ring-shaped structure around the esophagus. This centralized collection of nerve cells is called the buccal mass.

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What sets Mr. Snail apart?

In my opinion, Mr. Snail would need a well-developed nervous system to respond back to my questions and chitter-chatter. More importantly, snails move smartly. If you've ever observed a snail, they make slow or swift movements. The way they perceive information must be different than humans, hence, they must have a nervous system that sets them apart.

I know, you might not believe me?

Well, please go out into your garden and observe a Mr. Snail! I assure you that they will astonish you with their gentleness, patience, and smartness.

More importantly, they will astonish you with their harmlessness :).

-Don't be a stranger,

Pranita

Science Communicator and Author

P.S. - I use the term Mr. Snail affectionately to describe the snail that I feed on particular days :).

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Reference: Snails and Slugs (Gastropoda). www.molluscs.at. https://www.molluscs.at/gastropoda/index.html?/gastropoda/dormancy.html

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