When we talk about snails, the most common thing that comes to mind is a shelled creature with a small body.The snail is a family of many gastropod species with similar characteristic features and belongs to the phylum Mollusca. Some common examples of snails are giant snail, garden snail, and Roman snail.A snail is a small, shelled animal that is commonly found all around the world. They are often observed to crawl in gardens or on roads by the trees. Mainly the term snail is used to denote terrestrial land snails rather than sea snails. The soft body of the invertebrates remains enclosed with a hard shell made up of Calcium Carbonate. The spiral shell of the mollusks is large enough to fit their bodies entirely inside them. Even though we mainly talk about the land snails while talking about snails, the group is divided into two types. The other type includes a large variety of sea or freshwater snails.Slugs and snails are symbols of slow movers, and they are often associated with laziness in people. If slugs and snails or their eggs infest your garden, pest control should be summoned immediately. Most people who do not garden are unfamiliar with the nature of the slugs and snails. They think of these invertebrates as harmless animals looking for their food among the garden plants. They can feed on different kinds of plant matters, both living and decaying.Relating snails to insects is incorrect since they do not have any similar features. Insects form the phylum Arthropoda, while snails are mollusks. Slugs also fall under the latter category. They are different from each other both visually and morphologically. Snails and insects are two different types of animals that do not have any similar qualities.For similar content, check out snail facts, and is a scorpion an insect facts too.What is a snail classified as?A snail is used in reference to any shelled creature that belongs to the phylum Mollusca and class Gastropoda. According to their scientific classification, these shelled animals belong to the Animalia kingdom. They also fall under the phylum Mollusca which consists of many soft-bodied invertebrates. All the members belonging to the group of snails are from the class Gastropoda. There are more than 8500 species of gastropods, most of which include snails.The body of gastropods does not necessarily have to be covered by an internal shell. Sometimes internal shells might also be present in a few animals. This is the key difference between a snail and a slug. An animal is classified as a snail only if an external shell covers its body. Those snail species that have small shells are considered semi slugs. Land snails mainly reproduce by laying eggs after mating.What type of pest is a snail?You might see snail species as harmless creatures that exist peacefully at their own pace without causing much damage to the ecosystem, but slugs and snails are the most despised pests of a garden owner. A snail infesting your garden can damage any plant, but they are commonly described as the pests of seedlings and herbaceous plants. They are also typically found in succulent foliage or flowers.A snail is the most common garden plant pest, and it can easily and quickly destroy a wide range of ornamental plants and consume the vegetables you have been growing in your garden for days. They are mostly despised because they are so common and can easily make their way into gardens. The slow and peaceful nature of the slugs and snails tells an entirely different story about their nature. The most common symptom that proves that slugs and snails infest your garden is that they create small irregular holes in the leaves with their rasping tongue. Look for the mucus trail of the gastropods to track them. They mainly attack seedlings having young and soft leaves. They cling to the surface of ripe fruits that grow close to the ground and destroy citrus fruits like strawberries and tomatoes. To control the damage caused by the pests, habitat modification is necessary. First, look for the snail’s mucus trail to ensure that snails caused the damage in the garden and then take the required steps to eliminate these pests. Removing an ideal habitat of slugs and snails from the garden will reduce their numbers, and the chances of laying eggs will also decrease.Are snails and insects related?After knowing that both slugs and snails are invertebrates, the most common question that crosses our minds is whether they are insects or not. The answer is no. Insect and snail species both fall under the domain Eukaryota under the Animalia kingdom. Apart from that, the species of slugs and snails are not related to insects in any other way; instead, they are different types of animals altogether and do not share any taxonomical group.Insects are a part of the phylum Arthropoda, while snail species are considered to be mollusks. The mollusks are more closely related to squids rather than any insect found on land. The phylum Mollusca consists of slugs and snails. The snail is characterized by a hard calcium shell covering its entire body and protecting internal organs. The nature of this shell is different from the origin of insect shells. A slug, however, does not have an external shell on its body. Gastropods use their muscular foot to move, unlike a general insect that either moves by its legs or scaly wings. Snails and slugs are born with male and female organs, making every snail capable of laying an egg. This is not always true for bugs and insects, as most insect species require both males and females to reproduce.Do slugs make good pets?Even though we have seen the notorious nature of the slugs and snails as garden pests, they make an unusual option as pets. Just like a snail loves to be petted by slowly rubbing its shells and head, a slug also has similar preferences. Apart from that, it is also easy to care for a slug or snail both. The slugs are friendly to both older people and younger kids. Some water slugs, as well as snails, make a great addition to your aquarium as a replacement for regular fish. This being said, they have all the good qualities that are required in a good pet.Slugs and snails are slowly growing in popularity as pets. They are very low maintenance in nature and do not make any noise. So if you are looking for a small and quiet pet, a slug makes a great option. A slug can be kept in an aquarium, but since they are sensitive to chemicals, they require freshwater conditions. Food for slugs and snails is the same; they both feed on plants like food and vegetables. They are suitable for soft substrate aquariums, and planting decorations such as twigs and rocks help them to play around in the tank. However, because of their nocturnal nature, some people might restrain from keeping slugs as pets.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for is a snail an insect? Amazing garden snail facts answered for kids! Then why not take a look at December birth flower: birthday flower meanings and symbolism revealed, or death cap mushroom: know facts on poisonous mushroom that are deadly?
When we talk about snails, the most common thing that comes to mind is a shelled creature with a small body.
