Snails, or snails, are among the little-known animals of most people, usually thinking of them gives the image of a small being, with a sticky body and a shell on the back, but the truth is that there are different types. of snails, with different characteristics.
Whether marine or terrestrial, these gastropods are a mystery to many, although some species represent a scourge for human activity. Do you want to know the types of snails and their names? So watch out for this Animal Perito article!
- Did you know there are types of sea snails?Sea snails.
- Like terrestrial and freshwater snails.
- Are gasteropod molluscs.
- Meaning they belong to one of the oldest animal phylums on the planet.
- As their existence is recognized since the Cambrian period; In fact.
- Many of the shells we can find are actually some of the types of sea snails that we will mention below.
Sea snails, also known as prosovernians, are characterized by a flexible and flexible body, in addition to a conical or spiral shell, there are thousands of species that have different types of food, however, they usually feed on plankton, algae, corals and plant remains, which they pull from rocks.Others are carnivorous animals and consume clams or small marine animals.
Some species breathe through the gills, while others have a primitive lung that allows them to absorb oxygen from the air.Here are some types of sea snails and their names:
Called the “magic cone”, it inhabits the Pacific and Indian oceans.This species is known because its bite is toxic and sometimes fatal to humans.Its venom has 50,000 different components, called conotoxics. Currently, Conus magus is used in the pharmaceutical industry because the components of its venom are isolated to produce pain-relieving drugs in cancer and HIV patients, among other diseases.
Known as Common Lapa, or Patella vulgata, it is one of the types of snails endemic to the waters of Western Europe, it is common to find it attached to rocks on the coasts or in shallow water, making it one of the most widely used species for human consumption.
It is a mollusk found in the Atlantic Ocean, and can be found in the waters of the United Kingdom, France and North America, where it prefers to inhabit areas with temperatures of 29 degrees.The species does not tolerate exposure to air, so its body dries easily when it is pulled out of the water or dragged to shore by the waves.
Known as seacoons or abalone, molluscs belonging to the Haliotidae family are prized in the culinary field worldwide. Haliotis geigeri is located in the waters around Sao Tomé and Prencipe.Se characterized by an oval shell with several spiraling needles.attached to the rocks, where it feeds on plankton and algae.
Also known as snails, it is a mollusk that inhabits the Atlantic Ocean, found in abundance in the regions of North America and Western Europe, characterized by a smooth hull that forms a spiral towards the most prominent part.rocks, but it is also common to find them at the bottom of the boats.
Land snails are better known to humans.They are characterized by a soft body more visible than their marine relatives, in addition to their inevitable shell.Most species have lungs, although some snails have a gill system; therefore, although considered terrestrial, they must live in humid habitats.
They have snot or slime coming out of the soft body, allowing them to move on any surface, whether smooth or rough, they also have small antennae at the end of the head and a very primitive brain.Here are some of the types of terrestrial snails:
Also called a snail, it is a typical garden snail widely distributed throughout Europe.It reaches about 4 centimeters in height and its color varies in different shades of brown.Helix pomatia is a herbivore that feeds on pieces of fruit, leaves, sap and flowers.Their habits are nocturnal and during the winter it remains almost completely inactive.
Helix aspersa, called a snail, is widespread in many parts of the world, being possible to find it in North and South America, Oceania, Europe, South Africa and parts of the British Isles.It is herbivorous and is usually found in gardens and plantations.However, it can become a scourge for human activity as it attacks crops.As a result, pesticides used for their control severely contaminate the environment.
Among the types of land snails, the giant African snail (Achatina fulica) is a species native to the coasts of Tanzania and Kenya, but which has been introduced in different tropical regions of the world, and after this forced introduction it became a pest .
It is between 10 and 30 centimeters long, with a spiral shell with brown and yellow stripes, while its flexible body has the typical brown color, has nocturnal habits and a varied diet: plants, carrion, bones, algae, lichens and even rocks., which you consume in search of calcium.
Commonly known as snail (Rumina decollata), it is a garden mollusk found in Europe, part of Africa and North America.It is carnivorous and consumes other garden snails, so biological pest control is often used.activity increases at night. In addition, it prefers rainy seasons.
The goat snail is endemic to the western Mediterranean region, however, it is now possible to find it in several countries of South America, besides in the United States and Algeria, it is a common species in the gardens, characterized by a spiral shell defined in brown tones with white dots.Otala punctata is herbivorous and feeds on leaves, flowers, fruit pieces and plant residues.
Among the snails that live outside the sea, there are thousands of species that live in the fresh waters of rivers, lakes and ponds, similarly they are among the types of aquarium snails, that is, they can be raised as pets, provided that they are given the right conditions to lead a life similar to that they would have in nature.
Here are some types of freshwater snails and their names
Known as the New Zealand mud snail, it is a species of freshwater snail endemic to New Zealand, but now found in Australia, Europe and North America.It has a long shell with a well-defined spiral and a body between white and gray.It feeds on plant remains, algae and diatoms.
It is given the common name of aru and is one of the most common types of aquarium snails.It was originally distributed in the temperate waters of South America, although it is currently available in freshwater as far away as Japan, Australia and India.
It has a varied diet, consuming algae found at the bottom of rivers and lakes, debris of all kinds, fish and some crustaceans; the species can become a pest for humans because it consumes cultivated rice plants and harbors a parasite that affects rodents.
Leptoxis plicata, known as Plicata snail, is a freshwater species endemic to Alabama, USA.But currently registered only in Locust Fork, one of the tributaries of the Black Warrior River, the species is critically endangered.Its main threats are changes in the natural habitat due to human activity, such as agriculture, mining and river diversion.
Although it has no known common name, this species of snail inhabits the fresh waters of Spain, where it is recorded in 63 different locations.It is found in rivers and springs.It is classified as a species of less concern, as many of the rivers on which it lived have dried up due to pollution and overexploitation of aquifers.
The species does not have a common name in Portuguese, but is a gasteropod mollusc endemic to the underground freshwater of the Hérault Valley in southern France.The species is considered critically endangered and may already be extinct in the wild.that exists today is unknown.
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