Snails are not born with their shells, they grow them! This article revolves around the fact that one of the first creatures to evolve a hard shell was the snail. We then move on to discuss how other species of animals get their shells too, like crabs, wood, and sea urchins. For more information about snails check online sources.
Snails are creatures that have hard shells on their backs. The shell is made of calcium carbonate and it helps protect them from predators, as well as keep them warm in cold climates. Snails also use the shell to travel around. Snails are very sensitive to changes in their environment.
A snail’s shell can tell the amount of calcium that is available in its body, so it knows when it should shed its shell as part of its molting process. These processes are important for a snail to be able to molt without dying, so they must shed and grow a new shell at the right time.
It takes about 3 weeks for a snail to grow from an egg to a nutritionally complete adult animal. The process involves five stages called moults, during which the snail sheds its old, mature shell in order to grow a new one. This provides the optimal conditions for growth and it is only after this stage occurs that the adult will be able to reproduce.
Snails are fascinating creatures, and their shells are a great example of this. In order to create their shells, snails must first secrete a substance from their glands called chitin. This chitin is then converted into keratin, which forms the snail's shell.
Interestingly, different types of snails use different materials to make their shells; for example, slugs use mud while wood snails use tree sap. It's amazing to see how these tiny creatures are able to create such durable structures!
