Snails are part of the gastropod family.
They belong to the genus of molluscs, which includes both terrestrial and aquatic species.
The snail: description and characteristics
Like any gastropod, the body of the snail is made up of a head which bears two pairs of tentacles (including a pair of eyes), a foot which helps it move, and a body protected by a shell .
In all snails, terrestrial or not,
the shell is twisted and univalve
, composed of only one piece.
The smallest snail measures less than one cm, while the largest exceeds 20 cm.
In France, we mainly find snails measuring between 2 and 6 cm.
What are the different species of snails?
There are thousands of species of snails around the world, and probably just as many that have yet to be recorded.
In France alone, there are at least
400 species
of these gastropods.
Some are more widespread than others:
The Burgundy snail (
Helix pomatia
)
is the largest species of snail present in mainland France.
Its large creamy white and light brown shell is finely streaked.
From yellow to brown, including pink, their shell can have a black band;
The garden snail (
Cepaea hortensis
)
and the hedge snail (
Cepaea nemoralis
), almost indistinguishable, are the most widespread;
Also belonging to the genus
Cepea
,
the forest snail (
Cepaea sylvatica
)
is distinguished by the discontinuous bands of its shell;
The little gray (
Cornu aspersum
)
is recognizable by its dark bands streaked with yellowish bands.
What is the lifestyle of snails?
Snails move by crawling on surfaces while secreting mucus to facilitate their movement.
They evolve
at night or in rainy weather
, sheltered from the sun and heat.
They hibernate in winter only to reappear in spring, when temperatures rise and plants regrow.
Hermaphrodites
, snails produce both sperm and eggs, but always need a conspecific to mate.
They reproduce and lay eggs on rainy days, with hatching occurring 3 weeks later.
Snails hibernate in winter only to reappear in spring.
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What do snails eat?
The vast majority of land snails are
phytophagous
, meaning they feed mainly on plants.
They use their tongue (radula) made up of thousands of small teeth to graze on plants.
They are particularly fond of salads and aromatic herbs such as parsley or basil!
Note that some snails can be scavengers, scavengers, and even cannibals.
What are the natural predators of snails?
Snails are a prey of choice for many garden animals, including ocellated lizards, birds and small mammals such as hedgehogs, field mice or shrews.
They can also be attacked by insects and cannibalistic snail species.
Ocellated lizards are among the natural predators of birds.
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Is it good to have snails in your garden?
Considered a pest
because of the damage it causes to salads and young shoots, the snail does not only have bad sides.
It contributes to the balance of the garden, in addition to having a beneficial effect on the soil.
Its movements help to aerate, hydrate and bind the soil thanks to the mucus it produces!
If you protect your crops well, it is in your best interest to let the snails grow in the garden.
Also read: Top effective grandmother's remedies to fight slugs!
How to scare away snails in the garden?
To fight against snails that become invasive, you can install traps
by
simply placing tiles and boards under which the snails will hide in sunny weather.
You can also use nematodes which will eliminate the snails for you.