Snails are gastropod mollusks that most people don't know. There are many types of snails, but beyond their curious appearance supported by their shell, the life cycle of these small animals is a great mystery to many, many people.
We decided to explain how snails are born and reproduced in this article to teach you more about them. Learn more about snail eggs, reproduction, as well as the different types of snails and other curiosities about them! Good reading!
Physical description of snails
The snail is a mollusk of the gastropod class, which measures 2 to 4 cm in length. There are thousands of known species, and it is estimated that there are probably millions of them not yet listed!
Its skeletonless body is divided into three large parts: the head, the foot, and a visceral mass coiled under the shell. Inside the shell is the mantle cavity, which contains the heart, kidney, and lung. The head has 2 or 4 tentacles (called horns in popular language) and two eyes located at the end of the first two tentacles.
He only moves forward with the help of his foot, which is a muscle that alternately contracts and lengthens. An operculum on the tail can block access to the interior of the shell for predators. It has a tongue with 1,500 to 2,000 teeth arranged in rows, called a radula.
Types of snails
There are different types of snails in the world, terrestrial, marine and freshwater:
Land snails
They are the most famous snails to humans. They have an appearance characterized by their soft body covered with a shell in a spiral shape. They move through contractions as well as through the slime that comes out of their body. The different species of snails do not feed in the same way, and each has a specific way of feeding. Indeed, herbivorous snails feed on leaves, fruits, and detritus, carnivorous snails that devour other snail species.
Marine snails
Marine snails are distributed in oceans and seas worldwide, where they live at different depths depending on the species to which they belong. They have the same soft body, but their shells can take on different shapes, colors, and sizes. Unfortunately, many marine snails are used for human consumption; some can be very poisonous.
Freshwater snails
There is a third type of snail; they live in the fresh waters of rivers, lakes, and rivers all over the Earth. They feed on algae, plant detritus, diatoms, and other substances. They have similar characteristics to marine snails, but they will not live in a salty environment.
Reproduction of snails
The snail is an amazing animal due to its particular mode of reproduction. Almost all snails are hermaphrodites; that is, they produce both sperm and eggs. However, they must mate to reproduce, exchange seeds, and mutually fertilize their eggs. Each litter consists of approximately 100 eggs buried at a 5 to 10 cm depth from the ground's surface. The eggs hatch after 2-4 weeks.
Snail eggs
Once the reproduction of the snails has taken place, 10 to 50 days must pass before oviposition.
Do snails lay eggs?
The answer is yes! Snails are oviparous animals. The period varies according to the species to which the snail belongs, but climatic conditions also play an important role in egg-laying.
When do snails lay eggs?
Faced with heat and adequate humidity conditions, each snail will dig a hole in the ground to deposit its eggs; this process will take around 20 minutes. Sometimes they may complete their nest, depositing a few dry leaves, branches, and soil in it, with which the snail covers its eggs. This last step is crucial because humidity stimulates the development of the young.
How long do snail eggs take to hatch
With humidity between 75 and 85%, snails take between 7 and 25 days to hatch, a process that occurs during nights when it rains a lot. When the snail comes out of its shell, it stays in the incubation chamber, between 5 and 10 days, surrounded by soil and residues. In this period, it will feed on all the material that surrounds it, including its shell. Once this time has passed, it will dig until it comes out of the hole to continue its life cycle.
Reproduction of aquarium snails
The explanations are given above on snail reproduction correspond precisely to terrestrial species; however, the process may vary in marine snails. So, if you have aquarium snails or would like to know how to mate and how the sea and freshwater snails are born, this section is for you.
Once they reach adulthood, aquarium snails wait for the breeding season, which occurs during the hottest seasons of the year. First, several males gather around a female to court her. Then, one or two males can approach her from the front to stimulate spawning or introduce their genitalia. Some species of water snails have internal fertilization, while for others, fertilization is external.
In the case of internal fertilization, the rest of the process is similar to that carried out by land snails. Conversely, when fertilization is external, the female lays her eggs on a sandy substrate through her genital opening. Then the male fertilizes them, and the latter is usually present when the female lays the eggs. Then the female covers the eggs with sand and shells to protect them. They can lay between 100 and 150 eggs; the amount depends on the species to which the snail belongs.
The eggs hatch when temperatures rise, usually 5-7 days after laying. During this stage, they feed on the remains of the shell and plankton.
