Answers to Everyday Questions : What causes a slug to decide to find a shell and become a snail?

What causes a slug to decide to find a shell and become a snail?

12 Responses to “What causes a slug to decide to find a shell and become a snail?”

1. talismb said :
   April 24th, 2011 at 9:59 am

   Slugs don’t “find” a shell and crawl in, where in the world did you get this bizzare idea??? Slugs and snails are completely different creatures!
2. Marvinator said :
   April 24th, 2011 at 10:46 am

   A snail grows it’s own shell. It is not like the hermit crab which finds a shell and adopts it as its own.

   A snail’s shell is comprised mostly of calcium carbonate. You are probably familiar with calcium carbonate in the form of chalk! Limestone is also mostly calcium carbonate (limestone forms at the bottom of lakes and oceans from the accumulation of the shells of marine animals when they die and sink). Holding all the calcium carbonate in the shell together is a protein called conchin, that is secreted by the snail.

   Growing the shell is actually a pretty complicated process. New shell is added along the lip of the opening of the shell- where the slug-like part of the snail sticks out. So, as a snail grows, it adds layers to the bottom of the shell, in effect making it longer. If you look closely at a snail shell, you can actually see the layers it makes as the shell grows. The shell is coiled because the snail doesn’t add layers at the same rate all along the lip- that means that the shell grows faster in some areas than others and coils up. To think of that another way, imagine if a snail added layers that were the same thickness all around the lip of its shell- in that case the shell would grow out straight, forming a cone shape instead of a spiral.

   Edit to add: A few answerers are a bit off. Snails and slugs are nearly identical and are both the same species: Gastropods. Essentially, the only difference between slugs and snails is that snails grow coiled shells on their backs while slugs don’t.
3. rrxdeadman said :
   April 24th, 2011 at 11:09 am

   A slug is a slug and a snail is a snail. They are not the same. They are not like hermit crabs.
4. Christine said :
   April 24th, 2011 at 12:04 pm

   A slug gets cold and kind of lonely and it is just luck that it finds a shell. It does not look for it but when it sees it it knows tat he nees one. They are found ither from previous snails that grew out of there shell or beach shells.
   I hope I helped
   Christine
   xxx
5. Kay said :
   April 24th, 2011 at 12:21 pm

   Um they are not the same..

   Slugs dont find shells, they live their lives without one.
   Snails are snails and live their life with a shell.
6. o r said :
   April 24th, 2011 at 1:14 pm

   slugs and snails are differnt things

   this is worse than racism
7. Cee & Kay <3 said :
   April 24th, 2011 at 1:43 pm

   Slugs are slugs. Snails are snails. Snails have shells and are attached to the inside of them. They grow them.
8. hazelle said :
   April 24th, 2011 at 2:10 pm

   Hahaha

   My child has asked why her cousin has a sausage and she has a plate, – i said because we are all different. As for the slugs – i thought those things are totally different creatures. the best way out is to say go ask daddy.
9. Kat H said :
   April 24th, 2011 at 2:33 pm

   They are two different species. Slugs are not snails. Snails grow shells. Slugs never have shells.
10. Parent said :
    April 24th, 2011 at 3:22 pm

    Two different creatures. I wonder if i can stump my wife with that one though.
11. Babby Maker said :
    April 24th, 2011 at 3:32 pm

    LOL @ this being worse than racism.
12. Syd XIV CR3 said :
    April 24th, 2011 at 3:57 pm

    The desire to work closer to home.