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Articles on Snails

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One distinction between a snail and a slug: The snail has a shell. maxphotography/Moment via Getty Images

Why are snails and slugs so slow?

These members of the mollusk family may be slow, small and slimy, but they are an indispensable part of the ecosystem.
Southerly species like the giant owl limpet, seen here, started appearing on northern California shores. Jerry Kirkhart/Flickr

Five years after largest marine heatwave on record hit northern California coast, many warm–water species have stuck around

The Blob, a long-lasting mass of warm water, sat off the Pacific coast of North America for years, bringing new species to formerly cold waters. What allows some to survive while others fade away?
Scientists built a small database showing which animals do and don’t fart. Not every animal in the world is on there, but it does have moon snails listed as a no. Flickr/Florida Fish and Wildlife

Curious Kids: can snails fart?

One thing I can tell you is that a snail’s bottom is right over its head.
We know that lots of animals, maybe all animals, sleep. Cats, dogs, even worms and jellyfish sleep. But we still don’t know exactly why they started sleeping. Marcella Cheng/The Conversation

Curious Kids: Do animals sleep like people? Do snails sleep in their shells?

Pond snails use things like rocks or the side of their aquarium as their bed, attaching themselves while they sleep. This might not seem very relaxing but their shells do hang away from their body.

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