Snail Anatomy 

Basic Snail Anatomy

The anatomy of a snail is very different from many other animals in the world. Some people find them to be fascinating while others thing they are ugly. When you start to break down all of the parts of the body though they definitely have an interesting composition to them.

The shell of a snail can be very different in size and shape depending on the type of snail it is. Some of them are round while others are flat. Many of them have a spiral design to them. These shells serve as a way to protect them from the environment and even from predators in some cases. However, many predators are able to bite through the hard shells with powerful teeth and jaws.

The shell of a snail is made up of calcium carbonate. The shell becomes very strong and remains that way as long as the snail consumes a diet that is full of calcium. Without it the shell will start to crack. Since the rest of the body is very soft and slimy, they must have a hard shell if they are going to survive the elements in the world around them.

The parts of the snail are described below

 


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Author Original by Wikimedia Commons User Al2, English captions and other edits by Jeff Dahl

They shell is s safe haven for the snail to reside in. When it senses danger around it, putting the whole body into the shell is the line of defense. You will also find that the snail spends a great deal of time in the shell when they weather is very hot and dry. Otherwise their moist bodies will dry out.

Snails have one or two sets of tentacles that are on top of the head. The number of pairs will depend on the species you are describing. Most of the time you will find that the eyes are present on the longer set of them if they have two. You may not always see these tentacles though as all land snails have the ability to retract them.

The snail has a very small brain which is known to have four distinct sections to it. They have more of an ability for thinking though than most people give them credit for. Most research shows that they do take part in associative thinking which is based on conditioning and experiences that they take part in.

The mouth of a snail is found at the bottom of the head, in close proximity to the tentacles. Snails don’t have lungs but they do need air to breathe. This is achieved through a cavity called the visceral. There are many blood vessels here and the function is the same as what our lungs are able to do for us.

There is a foot on a snail as well that allows it to move forward. There is contracting and expanding in this muscle that allows it to have movement. The mucus that they glide along is produced in a gland in the foot as well. Without this slime under them, the environment would be too hard for their soft bodies to move along without injury.

Around the foot is a protective layer called the mantle. It is also found around the shell to offer it additional protection. Without that they would injure the food and end up not being able to move at all. If you watch how a snail looks before moving you will notice what appear to be spasms through them and then they inch forward. This is the muscles in the foot working. Even though they do move slowly there is a rhythm to it that they will follow over and over again. This can be fascinating to watch.