The snail is not an animal that is unknown to us, even so, we know very little about its life. As well as its characteristics and how snails are born. The snail is a mollusk that has a shell and there are two types. The marine snails, or snails, and the terrestrial ones. Surely we have observed their slow movement, but we do not know exactly how they advance. This action is achieved thanks to muscle contractions located on the bottom of your foot. In the mouth they have a formation called radula. This has infinity of dentils used to get the mold of the rocks to be scraped.
As for your life expectancy usually varies. This ranges between one and seven years, depending on the type of snail. But as there are always exceptions, some have exceeded three decades of life.
Snails and their reproductive system
Although its appearance is somewhat peculiar, the way it reproduces is much more so. The first great curiosity is that they have a mixed reproductive apparatus. The complete development of their reproductive system occurs at various ages. It influences the type of species that said snail is. The two types, maritime and terrestrial, enjoy sexual maturity from the sixth week. This maturity ends at five years of life. When their sexual development is complete and they have stopped growing, they can have offspring. This also depends on the environment they inhabit. Snails located in hatcheries have a better reproduction. Since the caregivers ensure that all environmental factors are optimal for that purpose.
How snails are born:
Between a week and fifteen days. That’s how long, more or less, it takes for life to start making its way after mating. When it is time to lay eggs, the snail digs a hole, not very deep, to hatch. Once the nest is finished, it is covered by its parent. When they are going to hatch is when he uncovers the nest. The process of laying the eggs takes up to a whole day. This depends on the number and age of the snail.
It is an arduous task for this mollusk, causing death. Or even a kind of coma that ends once they have regained energy. The hatching of the eggs is like a ‘domino effect’. When the first does, in general, the others follow in their footsteps. When the embryo comes to life, it wears down the inside of the egg until it breaks the shell. That is when they are born.
The incubation time usually varies. Some don’t make it to twenty-four hours. In contrast, others can last weeks, even almost a month. This time span changes depending on the temperature and humidity in the place where they are placed. The time they have been internally fertilized also influences.
In each gestation, a snail is capable of lying about 50 eggs per occasion, having a maximum of 150. In their fertility stage, they manage to reproduce more than once. The older the snail, the less successful it will be at such a task. Young snails have an average of ninety eggs, to give a rough figure.
Instructions for hatching snails
The reproduction and birth of the snail is, to say the least, peculiar. Surely, if we have not seen any documentary about snails, we do not know exactly what it is like. Nor is it likely that we have seen two snails in action. And if we have witnessed this scene, it is most likely that we have not noticed. Or we were distracted by other more pressing issues. Apart from peculiar, this process is really interesting. The instructions that the snails follow in this topic are:
- They begin their mating ritual. This usually lasts two hours and a maximum of twelve.
- They douse each other using a substance that paves the act.
- A snail goes on to fertilize the pair’s eggs.
- The eggs that have managed to start the fertilization process begin their development.
- The parent, after a week or fifteen days, makes a hole in moist soil to deposit the eggs.
- The embryo develops enough to break the shell.
- Finally born.
What do you need to hatch snails?
Like any other species, snails require minimum conditions for reproduction. Since, if they don’t have them, no matter how hard they try they won’t be able to get it. In this section we will talk about what exactly they need for life to make its way. They only need:
- Optimum environmental conditions.
- Being at the optimal age.
- Protect the eggs during gestation.
- The embryo needs calcium that it gets from the shell. Which serves to create a stronger shell on growth? If they do not get enough calcium, they will be snails with a “cracked” or not so resistant shell. Even with the occasional hole.
- A certain time for such growth.
- Once they hatch, they need to spend more or less seven days in the nest. After that time they hatch in search of food.
Tips for hatching snails
The snail is a very weak animal. A large part of the snails do not reach the contemplated average age for different reasons. Predators, they are stepped on or by the conditions of the place. That is why if we go through the forest or a place where we know that there may be snails, we must be careful. At the slightest carelessness we can step on it and not even know about it. Or find out too late.
If, on the other hand, we like this animal and want to breed at home, we will need to be aware and have several things. How to also know how to breed snails. In this case, temperature is very important. This should be between 15 and 22 degrees. While hibernating it has to go down to 7 degrees. The farmed snail usually reaches a larger size than the wild one. Basically it is because in the breeders they are much safer and better cared for. By having caregivers who feed them and provide their environment, their quality of life increases. As well as its size. On the other hand, the savages are exposed to too many dangers and difficulties. We may be interested in knowing what snails eat.
This peculiar mollusk is a hermaphrodite. Even so, it needs another snail for reproduction, since it cannot fertilize the eggs inside it. From the month of June to the month of October is the time for breeding.
If we have decided to raise snails in our home, it is important that we do it conscientiously. It would be good to inform ourselves before experts on the subject and provide them with the best possible conditions. Once thought and decided, if we are not able to raise them correctly, it is better to wait until we are.
Let’s not forget that they are living beings and deserve a pleasant stay on Earth. If it’s just a hobby that we can’t pay much attention to, surely there will be other options available. But if we really like this animal, apart from the intention, the conditions that we can provide it with are important. The snail is really very weak and we must take care of it at all times, not only during reproduction. Newborns need calcium to get their shells to develop.
