Where Do Snails Live?

You might have seen a snail at least once in your garden or while walking in the park. The snail family contains many different species with unique appearances and characteristics. Have you ever wondered where do snails live? All of the snail species have different needs and live in different habitats.

Keep on reading if you want to know more about snails and where to find them, or create the perfect home for these fantastic creatures. In this article, we’ll answer the question “where do snails live?” and discuss everything you should know about their habitat.

What are Snails? – A Brief Overview

Before we explore where do snails live, let’s briefly discuss the characteristics of these fascinating creatures. 

Did you know that snails live all over the world? From the equatorial regions to the oceans of the Arctic and Antarctic, gastropods are found all over the world. You’ve probably seen them slowly walking in your yard or on the surface of a wall, leaving their mucus behind.

Snails are, in fact, members of the Gastropoda class of mollusks, which accounts for 80% of all mollusk species. Some species have evolved to survive in the water, while others have done so on land. That’s the reason they are separated into freshwater, terrestrial, and marine snails. 

General Features of Snails

Snails have different properties depending on their species. However, all the species share some similar characteristics. The snail’s most typical features include a soft tube-shaped body, one or two pairs of protruding tentacles, eyes situated at the tips of the tentacles, and a slick, muscular foot for locomotion. Its body is extremely brittle. A soft body or mantle protects the internal organs.

The interesting thing about snails is that, because they lack ears, they communicate with one another through touch and vibration. Another fascinating fact about snails is that they are hermaphrodites, which means that a single snail can have both male and female reproductive organs. These incredible creatures are spread worldwide, but where do snails live exactly?

Where Do Snails Live?

There are thousands of distinct species of snails all over the world. They can be found on all five continents and even in the Antarctic Ocean. While snails typically inhabit warm, humid environments with food sources, there are several snails whose natural habitats are high, arid mountains. Besides, some snail species live in arid regions, such as those in Africa and the Middle East. 

Did you know that this sort of climatic circumstance affects the thickness of a snail’s shell? For retaining moisture in arid environments, snails have thick shells, while species living in moist and rainy areas have thin shells. During the winter, snails hibernate. Snail shells have many lines that shield their sensitive bodies from predators while they are hibernating.

Where Do Snails Live In Your Garden?

The garden snail, also known as Helix Aspersa, is arguably the best-known land snail. This is the man you frequently see tracing paths through your garden while snacking on veggies. Despite being a native of the Mediterranean, this species is widespread worldwide.

If you want to find snails in your garden, then you should know that most commonly, gardens, backyards, fields, under rocks, swamps, suburbs, riverbanks, freshwater, ponds, and stones are where snails are spending their time. To evade predators, it burrows tiny holes in the ground and hibernates by retreating within its calcium carbonate-based shell and covering the opening with mucus. They are shielded and assisted in moving without harm by their shell. 

Snails usually spend their days in wet areas. However, when too much water enters their environment, land snails cannot stay in the water for an extended period. They can also be located beneath any subterranean cover, including stones and logs. Under plants and in any wet, shady spot, snails will also hide. The snail emerges to eat at night. 

Snails can live in both inhabited and natural environments. They will be in the same location, hiding in the ground during the winter. Garden snails can be seen crawling on plants or anything else that is wet during the rainy season.

Where Do Snails Live Worldwide?

Are you wondering what some specific countries are where do snails live? Well, these creatures may be easily located since they are spread out throughout many environments. The habitat in which they live, however, varies per species. Snails come in a variety of varieties, each with its own environment. 

Snails are also a valuable source of food for people. On the other hand, because they carry parasites and some are even venomous snails, many types of snails are toxic to consume.

Giant African snails

The giant African land snail is a large species, as its habitat suggests. Today, it can be found all over the world, except for Antarctica. Only a few African nations are home to these animals. You can easily distinguish them with their light brown shell, which has dark stripes; the shell acts as a protective layer.

African giant land snails love warm, muggy weather. Riverbanks, wetlands, shrubs, streams, riverbanks, woodlands, gardens, shrubs, and urban environments are among the habitats of these land snails.

Roman Snails

The Roman snail lives in vineyards, shrubs, temperate woodlands, and areas with rainfall. It enjoys mild temperatures, little sunlight, and high humidity. During the chilly winter months, the Roman snail hibernates. These land snails burrow holes in the ground, enter the shell, and then mucus-seal the opening. They are protected from predators by their shells.

Cone Snails

All tropical and subtropical oceans often include cone snails and aquatic snails. Cone snails come in more than 500 different kinds, and they are all lethal, so there is no recommendation to eat them. The majority of them prefer warm water, but certain species have evolved to survive in the Mediterranean or southern California’s cooler waters.

Its cone-shaped shell is decorated with lovely patterns and hues. Even if you believe it to be an empty shell, despite its distinctive appearance that attracts surrounding divers, it should never be picked up.

How To Build A Garden Snail Habitat?

Now you know where do snails live, but what if you want to make a comfortable home for them? It is simple to raise a garden snail because you don’t need to do much for them. They are one of the easiest species to handle.

In the wild, they have a lifespan of about five years, but with proper care, they can occasionally live up to 20 years. It implies that keeping a garden snail as a pet only requires a small amount of effort. Naturally, you can purchase a terrarium from a pet store, but by following these 7 simple steps, you can create your snail’s habitat.

• Find a transparent container that can be shut all the way. The box can be created from glass or plastic. The number of snails you intend to keep will determine the size of the terrarium.
• Ensure the box’s top is ventilated and has holes through which air can enter and exit. Check to make sure the holes are not too large to allow them to escape the box at the same time. 
• You don’t need heating for it unless you intend to leave the habitat you built-in severe weather.
• Cover the habitat’s bottom with a layer of dirt. Any kind is acceptable. However, you must ensure that there are no chemicals.
• Throw any objects that the animals might enjoy climbing around the terrarium.
• Place a few snail food pieces inside the container.

And that’s it! This newly created habitat will become a new place where do snails live at your home.

Maintenance Of DIY Snail Habitat

As mentioned before, snails make simple pets. However, they require little upkeep as animals. Human interaction is enjoyable for snails. They will live for many years if you give them the correct care. They can easily endure a variety of environments.

Place the best soil layer for this animal species at the terrarium’s surface. Take the necessary steps to prevent diseases if you keep a snail as a pet that you brought in from the wild. It would be helpful if you accomplished a few chores to make it more comfortable to enjoy people’s company. They are given food every one to three days, which can be anything from fresh leaves to rotting and decaying organic materials.

Spray clean water once or twice every day since snails demand a highly humid environment. Snails are protected by their shells, but it’s still important to keep them out of the sun and the cold. Given that shells are composed of calcium carbonate, calcium must be present in their nutrients.

Final Words – Where Do Snails Live

All in all, there is no one exact answer to the question of “where do snails live”. However, they are very adaptable creatures and can live in different environments. Snail species that hibernate throughout the winter do so in various habitats. They have a thin mucus layer covering their bodies to keep them from drying out. The skin’s wrinkles, spots, and scars can be treated using the snail’s mucus.

If you love snails and want to keep them close to you, you can easily find them in your garden or make them a habitat that will be comfortable for them to live in. Keep in mind that some snails can be poisonous and fatal in some cases.