snail after the rain

The garden snail (Helix pomatia) is a species of terrestrial snail from the snail family.

This animal has a spherical right-handed (left-handedness is a rarity) shell made of calcium carbonate 32–50 mm wide and 30–50 mm high. The body is about 10 cm long. The basic body structure is the same as for other stem-eyed snails. The head carries 2 pairs of tentacles, of which the longer pair carries the eyes and the shorter pair is the organ of smell and touch. The mouth opening contains a radule, a file-shaped chitin plate. The muscular leg secretes mucus, which is used for movement. The internal organs are stored in a gut bag in the shell. In young snails, the shell has a dark brown or yellow-brown color, as the snail ages, the color becomes lighter.

Interestingly, snails are hermatophrodites, so they have both male and female reproductive organs and can choose how to fertilize each other with their partner. The percentage of animal species that are hermaphroditic is about 5% and most plants are also hermaphrodites.

This photo was taken after the rain so the soil is moist. Snails move most often in the rain and 1 day after it, this is a good time when you can observe them.