Snails belong to the type of mollusks and are divided into two types: gastropods and gastropods. These animals are an interesting species, as they carry on their backs a kind of "house", which is both a part of the body and a shelter for the creature. Despite the fact that mollusks do not make any sounds and practically do nothing (as it seems to us), they still attract the attention of both children and adults. They can now be found not only on a summer day in the grass, but also at someone’s house in a beautiful aquarium.
Snails
These are quite interesting animals, since mollusks differ from other types in their special body structure and appearance in general. The main part of the cochlea is the outer shell. It protects the body from the dangers of the surrounding world, and also serves as a moving house for the animal, where it can take refuge at any time. The body itself consists of a head and a leg. The body of the mollusk is both an abdominal cavity and a vehicle. To protect the internal organs of the animal, its body is completely covered with a special mantle. Another function of this fold is that it separates the abdomen from the rest of the body. The very distance between these two parts of the cochlea is called the mantle cavity. The mollusks that live in the water have small gills here.
Animal features
Oddly enough, snails have teeth, and they are special in structure. Most of them are made up of cartilage, so they are quite strong to chew on food and at the same time soft enough to grab food while eating it. In fact, this organ serves the animal not only near the teeth, but also the tongue.
A distinctive feature of all mollusks is the outer shell. It consists of calcium carbonate and a special protein that is produced by the cells of the animal itself. As a result, a sufficiently strong material comes out, from which in the future a good protection for the mollusk is created. Since the substances necessary for the construction of the shell are produced by the snail all its life, then, as it grows, the "house" also grows.
Its surface can be either perfectly smooth, or with a certain roughness or growths. The shape of the shell is most often spiral or conical.
It is believed that these animals are asexual. But still, you can divide them into females and males. How to determine the sex of a snail? Many are afraid to damage the animal during the inspection. Someone even says that this is impossible, since most mollusks are very small and cannot be considered. To find out how to determine the cochlea’s floor without harming it, read the following instructions.
Achatina mollusks
Representatives of this genus have a rounded body shape. Their crown is slightly elongated and pointed from above. There are horns on it (there are 4 in total), the first pair of them has eyes on their ends. Basically, these organs carry out the function of touch. The shell of these snails is quite thick, in adults it can reach up to 9 revolutions. The whole body of the mollusk is covered with pimply, wrinkled skin, which allows it to breathe well. Gills are absent.
It is worth noting that Achatina is the largest species of land mollusks. They are often wound up at home due to their impressive size. How to understand this "boy" or "girl"? Snails of the genus Achatina are hermaphrodites, which means they do not have a particular male or female gender. They can multiply independently of each other. Even if you put one individual in the aquarium, most likely, it will lead to a whole brood in the future. How to determine the sex of the snail Achatina?
Step 1. First, examine several individuals of the same age. Probably those animals that are larger in size are females. This is conceived by nature, since there are female individuals who bear offspring.
Step 2. You can pick up a pet to make sure. The female will be a little heavier, especially if she already wears larvae. Most often they are located in the inner part of the house and they can be seen only after the snail has postponed them somewhere.
Street snail
These animals are real pests of gardens since they live where there is a lot of greenery. They feed on various plants, cereals, and sometimes rotted meat. In principle, we can say that this type of mollusk is omnivorous. It seems that they would be easy to maintain, but in fact, taking them home is not recommended. Firstly, a street snail can be a carrier of diseases. Secondly, such changes can end in failure for the animal itself. The fact is that individuals grown on the street are rather freedom-loving, and therefore rarely survive in captivity.
These snails can be called asexual, since each mollusk of this type can become both a “mother” and a “father” of its future offspring. Most often in the body of an animal there is a certain number of embryos that it can lay in the ground. But instead, the mollusk searches for a partner and takes care of the offspring only after mating. How to determine the sex of a street snail?
- Step 1. First, find individuals of the same age. The outer shell of the snail will help you with this - the more curls on it, the more clam years.
- Step 2. Try to wake the animal. To do this, just slightly move the "house". If you succeeded, then you can proceed further.
- Step 3. Carefully flip the animal. Be careful not to fall, and be extremely careful not to damage the clam.
- Step 4. Take a good look at the lower body of the snail. If there is a small white shoot there, then you are holding a hermaphrodite. This is both a female and a male. If you didn’t find such an organ, you probably have a “girl” in your hands.
Snail ampullaria
This species of mollusk lives in freshwater areas. Since the animal has both lungs and gills, it can breathe calmly with both ordinary air and oxygen in the water. If you decide to make yourself an ampoule, then do not forget to choose the appropriate aquarium for it - it should contain not only water, but also dry places. Initially, the animal will eat only plants, but over time it will become omnivorous. How to determine the sex of a snail ampullaria?
- Step 1. Remove the animal from the aquarium. Wait for the animal to open the “lid” of its shell.
- Step 2. Turn the clam upside down.
- Step 3. A small process will be located in the upper right part of the shell. If he really is - then your male pet. If there is no such authority, then you have a "girl."
