The mouth of a snail

A land or terrestrial snail has a thick grey-to-cream body with antennae and a shell.

On the underside of the body is a small mouth. The mouth is partially covered by a pair of lobes (like ear lobes) or lips. The jaw on the upper lip can be seen when the snail is feeding. 

Giant African Land Snail

It is a macrophytophagous herbivore, which means that it eats a wide range of plant material, especially fruit and vegetables.

It cuts its food with teeth on its tongue. Its tongue is called a radula. Its tongue has rows of tiny teeth on it. If these teeth break off, they can re-grow.

The snail pictured is the Giant African Land Snail (Lissachatina fulica), a large mollusc in the Achatinidae family.

Giant African Land Snail
Giant African Land Snail
Giant African Land Snail

Location of photographs: Paris Zoo, France

Photographer: Martina Nicolls

Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM

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