Animal Kingdom

Mollusc Phylum: The edible snail

The edible snail or Roman snail is the biggest snail in Europe. It lives in open woodlands. Like all snails, they are most active when the weather is warm and humid. They feed on green leaves which they scrape into their mouths using their tongue. Snails have a pair of eyes on the end of the large tentacles which grow out of their heads. They cannot see very well with these eyes but the can also touch, smell and taste with the smaller tentacles on the front of their heads. When the weather is very dry or very cold snails will hide away, pull their bodies into their shells and sleep.

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© Paul Billiet, Shirley Burchill, Alan Damon and Deborah James 2009