Mr. Snail has a security alarm in its tentacles
- Pranita Rao
- Jan 5
- 2 min read
Updated: Feb 9
Hello snail enthusiasts,
It has been close to a year since I began feeding snails. They've become my friends now.
I reminisce about how scared I was in the beginning to touch them or feed them. More than being judged, I feared the snails biting me or their mucus hurting me.
Today, I can't think of my day without feeding them.
Snails are truly the most understated creatures I've ever come across.
They may not be flamboyant like peacocks or loud like lions, but they are the most delicate and smart beings I've encountered.
I didn't even know that snails ate flowers. I never even thought about what they eat. I say that with a little bit of guilt now, considering that I am an animal lover.
Once, I saw a Jasmine glandiform flower in my garden and began feeding a snail. It felt refreshing like I had discovered a new world that was always in front of my eyes.
I began picking up fallen flowers and looking for snails in the corners areas of my garden. Once I found a snail for the day, I would take a flower closer to its tentacles and let it touch it. However, this wasn't necessary, as research suggests that snails can sense different foods up to several meters. Although the accuracy of this fact is questionable, research indicates that snails can move away from chemically treated plants and vegetables. If that is true, isn't that mind-blowing?
All the snails I've come across seem to have a great sense of perception, especially concerning the sense of touch. Mr. Snail (snails as a collective) likes to touch with its feelers located on its head. Feelers are the tentacles of Mr. Snail. It is studied that its entire body is sensitive to touch, including its head. Mr. Snail has sharp retractor muscles that are activated by external touch. The muscles coordinate at light speed with their touch receptors, creating sudden movements like going back into their shell, etc.
I've mostly picked a snail from a pot or the sewer, and it almost always has shrugged and quickly gotten into its shell. Its feelers are also sensitive to the touch of delicate objects like flower petals. If I exerted even the slightest pressure to take the flower to its mouth, Mr. Snail would retract towards its shell or in the backward direction.
However, their high perception of touch, smell, and taste often act as alarm bells for when the real threat is around.
It's like they have a security alarm within their senses.
Now, would you like to know why snails are smart?
Coming up next!
Stay tuned!
-Don't be a stranger,
Pranita
Reference: Montana State University. Snails. Montana State University.
Comments