What is the Difference Between a Slug and a Snail

The difference between a slug and a snail is that snails carry a spiral shell on their back and can withdraw their bodies into it when threatened.

On the other hand, Slugs have no shell or, more commonly, a single flattish internal plate hidden within the body.

The gastropods, also known as snails and slugs, are soft-bodied animals that belong to the mollusk family, including oysters, octopus, cuttlefish, clams, and squid. There are approximately 60,000 different species of snails and slugs.

Slugs and snails have many similarities and differences, and they are mollusks that have several things in common but also have some distinguishing differences.

Here are the most beautiful snails in the world

What is a Slug

A slug, also known as a land slug, is a common name for any terrestrial gastropod mollusk that appears to be shellless.

Slug is also frequently used as part of any gastropod mollusk with no shell, a very reduced shell, or only a small internal shell, especially sea slugs and semi slugs.

The absence of a shell has occurred many times throughout evolution, making “slug” a polyphyletic term.

Slugs do not have the luxury of a shell for defence. Many slugs, on the other hand, have a vestigial internal shell that stores calcium. Because they lack a protective shell, their soft tissues are prone to desiccation.

All that remains of its ancestors’ shells in common slugs (Arionidae) are a few grains of lime. The absence of a shell conserves energy because the slug does not have to carry it around.

Instead of a protective shell, slugs have a thick slime that protects them from drying out and has an unpleasant taste that protects them from predators.

What is a Snail

The term “snail” refers to most members of the mollusk class Gastropoda that have coiled shells. Some snails live in freshwater, saltwater, and on land.

Snails (Gastropoda) are the animal class with the most species in the phylum Molluscs (Mollusca). Some dwell on land, while others choose to live in the sea.

Oxygen is taken in by land snails via a network of thin-walled blood vessels in the mantle cavity beneath the shell.

The snail uses its muscles to control the opening of the breathing pore. Breathing occurs by opening and closing the breathing pore and raising and lowering the floor of the mantle cavity, similar to how vertebrates use the diaphragm.

Many snails are nocturnal, taking advantage of the cool and damp conditions at night. If the weather is too dry, they seek a suitable hiding place to wait out the dry spell.

Some snails crawl up plant stems and hibernate. They next utilize a slime seal to shut off the opening to the shell, as well as to adhere themselves to the surface they’ve preferred.

Because of their famously slow movement, snails have a very small radius of activity.

Snails have a spiral-shaped shell that is wrapped around a spindle. It is the snail shell into which they retract their soft bodies when threatened.

The snail builds its shell by eating lime-rich food, which protects it from predators.

The shell protects against drying out during dry periods and can be closed off with a slime or lime layer.

Find out If snails are good or bad for consumption

Similarities Between Slug and Snail

Eyespots at the endpoints of thin tentacles, downward-directed mouths, and single, wide, muscular, flat-bottom feet lubricated by mucus and coated with epithelial cilia are all features shared by both mollusks (slug and snail).

Other slug and snail similarities include:

• Slugs and snails are gastropod mollusks with a muscular ventral foot.
• Both are members of an unofficial group known as pulmonates.
• They are invertebrates because they lack a backbone.
• Slugs and snails secrete mucus on the ground, which aids in their movement.
• Both use a pallial lung for breathing air.
• They have a head with two tentacles and a broad, muscular foot.
• Slugs and snails are also slow-moving creatures.
• Both hide in dry places to prevent moisture loss from the body.
• Snails and slugs are both hermaphrodites, which means they can be both male and female.
• They consume both living and decaying plant material, but they prefer young, tender plant growth.
• Both move by gliding on one of their feet.
• Slugs and snails are primarily nocturnal but will emerge during the day or in the evening.
• Many countries consider snails and slugs to be pests because they feed on plants and vegetation.
• Humans can eat both snails and slugs.
• Snakes, toads, turtles, beetles, and birds eat slugs and snails.
• Snail and slug eggs are typically coated with a slimy, slightly gummy substance.
• Both produce mucus to move about on the ground.

Find out: Is It Healthy For A Pregnant Woman To Eat Snail

Slug and Snail Differences

Let’s see the differences between a slug and the snail

Examples

Slugs include field slugs, garden slugs, keeled slugs, large black slugs, and so on, whereas snails include garden snails, banded snails, strawberry snails, etc.

Slugs lack an external shell, whereas snails have a coiled shell on top of their body. Slugs and snails have similar anatomy.

The muscular foot, which aids movement, is a distinguishing feature of both slugs and snails. The primary distinction is the presence of an external shell distinguishes slugs from snails.

Find out the health benefits of Edible snails

Snail Nutritional Information

Calories in a 4-ounce serving of raw snails: 102

• 2 gram of fat
• 57 milligrams of cholesterol
• Sodium content: 79 milligrams
• 2-gram carbohydrate
• 18-gram protein

Snails’ protein content is comparable to pork and beef, but snails have a much lower fat content.

Snails have high protein and low fat and are a good source of iron, calcium, Vitamin A, and several other minerals.

Vitamin A strengthens your eyes and helps your immune system fight disease. It also promotes the growth of cells in your body.

Calcium helps your body’s bones stay strong and reduces your risk of developing bone-related issues like osteoporosis.

 Iron supports the health of your hair, nails, and skin by assisting red blood cells in transporting oxygen throughout your body.

See what will happen when you eat a snail.

Slug Nutritional Advantages

Nutritional Facts

• Carbohydrates4 g
• Dietary Fiber2 g Sugar— g
• Fat14 g
• protein, 54 mg s

Snail Are Useful In Many Ways

Hippocrates recognized the benefits of snail slime in ancient Greece and used it to heal skin and ulcers and reduce scarring.

Allantoin, antibiotics, glycolic acid, collagen, and elastin are present in the slime, that also heals and regenerates skin cells, minimizing scarring.

In case you didn’t know, snails are also utilized for aesthetic and medicinal purposes. It’s used by cosmetic businesses to include slime in their skincare products.

Snail mucins have also proven to be a good source of innovation, with numerous applications in chemistry, biology, biotechnology, and biomedicine. The mucus has been used to make skincare products, wound healing agents, surgical glues, and to treat gastric ulcers.

Snail mucin has shown therapeutic potential in treating melanoma, one of the most dangerous types of skin cancer.

While advances in cancer therapy have resulted in higher remission rates and longer life expectancies for those affected, these advancements have not yielded comparable results for melanoma.

Snail Mucins Aid in Wound Healing. Snail mucus can help with healing and has become a valuable resource in wound research. Mucins derived from the Helix aspersa (Garden Snail) have been shown to aid in skin regeneration following acute radiodermatitis, a common side effect of radiotherapy.

Garden snail mucus is said to have increased healing rates by regulating antioxidants and free radicals.

Snail Mucus Is Being Used to Create Bioinspired Materials Using naturally occurring substances as a foundation to create new materials has resulted in several game-changing products, including Lipitor, Penicillin, and Morphine.

Mucins have also been used as a biomaterial coating to reduce the rejection of inorganic implants.

Get your edible dried-freeze Giant African snail here

Ways To Do Away With Snails And Slugs

Snails and slugs are pesky pests that can wreak havoc on your garden. They prefer cool, moist weather and feed at night or on rainy days, so they usually go unnoticed when they cause havoc.

Snails and slugs avoid hot, dry weather and direct sunlight; they hide in damp places during the day to avoid predators because they are too slow and vulnerable to move.

They are frequently found hiding under overturned flower pots, dense groundcover plants, and other garden debris. Snails and slugs lay down a layer of slime to protect their feet when they travel.

What Snails And Slugs Can Do To Your Garden

Snails and slugs eat a wide range of living plants as well as decaying plant matter. By scraping leaves and flowers with their rasp-like tongues, they create irregular holes with smooth edges. Snail and slug feeding can easily clip small succulent plant parts.

Slugs and snails are primarily pests of seedlings and herbaceous plants because they prefer succulent foliage or flowers. They are also major pests of turfgrass seedlings and maturing fruits like strawberries and tomatoes that are near the ground.

Snails and slugs will eat the bark and foliage of young plants, as well as the fruit of some trees. Citrus fruits are particularly vulnerable to damage.

Other pests such as earwigs, caterpillars, and other chewing insects can be confused with snail and slug damage. Look for silvery mucus trails to indicate that the damage was caused by slugs or snails instead of other pests.

Frequently Asked Questions About Snails and Slugs

Is It Possible For A Snail To Turn Into A Slug

No. Slugs and snails are two different types of animals. Although they belong to the same Phylum (Mollusca) and Class (Gastropoda), they belong to separate families.

The common land snail Helix Pomatia, for example, is a member of the Helicidae family.

Are Slugs More Dangerous Than Snails

There is no way to know which is more dangerous. Both are harmful to your lawns and gardens. They prefer well-kept greenery in which to hide, nest, and feed.

Do Slugs And Snails Experience Pain

The slug has an advanced nervous system. Pouring salt on the creature is the quickest way to get rid of it. It rapidly dehydrates (burns) the slug, and you can see them writhing in pain as they try to escape.

The slug even flinches when it comes into contact with an object. According to researchers, snails’ nervous systems do not process emotional information, so they do not suffer.

Is It True That Snail Venom Is Used As Medicine

Conotoxins can be found in snail venom. The snail uses it for both capture and defence. The element contains bioactive peptides that are used in pharmaceuticals. These elements are thought to have the potential to form a new class of analgesics.

When Snails’ Shells Break, Do They Die

A snail’s shell, like our own fingernails, is an integral part of its body. The snail will die if this shell is significantly broken.

While they can repair minor cracks and holes, they will perish if the break is severe because the shell protects the snail and keeps it from drying out.

Do Snails Bite

They do, indeed. Snails have 14,000 teeth on average. You don’t feel it because of their size and lack of force. The bite is said to feel like a scrape on the skin with a tiny brush. Wild snails, on the other hand, can inflict a painful bite.

Final Thought

Slugs and snails are both members of the same family called mollusk. They share a number of characteristics, including slow movement, secretion of mucus etc.

However, there are fundamental differences between them. For instance, snails have shells while slugs don’t have shells; slugs can live in a certain habitat that snails cannot live in.