Different regions, different species, different looks
It's different from what used to be visible to the naked eye
A small snail under the magnification of macro photography
Change into an amazingly interesting look
The world of snails
∨ Text, Figure / He Path
Tropical snails, the family Cuneis, live in trees, and are mainly green in color, mostly left-handed snails.
Snails crawl quietly in damp, secluded corners, almost unnoticed. If we walk into the space of snails, we will find a colorful world. This tiny life glows with strange beauty under the magnification of macro photography; in the classics of biological experts, there is a colorful world of snails.
Snails are colloquialisms, not scientific terms. Taxonomically , snails belong to the mollusk phylum , along with conchs in the sea and snails in lakes . Gastropods are thought to have originated in the sea, adapted to fresh water in evolution, and eventually landed ashore. Therefore, snails are the common name for terrestrial gastropod species.
Over the course of its long evolution, snails have differentiated dramatically. They are distributed to various parts of the world, adapted to different living environments, and the physiological structure and appearance of interspecifics vary greatly. At present, there are more than 30,000 known snail accounts, and the colors and shapes are very different.
Where there is a lot of vegetation and humidity, there are outcrops and rocks, and it is a place to look for snails.
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" > widely distributed pipe snails in China</h1>
China has a vast territory, large climate differences, and rich snail species. There is a pipe snail Clausiliidae, which not only has a large number of species in China, but also has a wide distribution, almost all over the country, even in large cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, but most people are not aware of their existence. In fact, as long as you look carefully in places such as wet corners, you can generally find them. The regions with the highest snail diversity in China are tropical regions such as Guangxi and Yunnan, and there are also very rich snail species in southern Gansu.
Snails photographed in the jungles of China.
In China, the most common snail is the grey snail Bradybaena ravida (Benson, 1842). This snail is distributed in all provinces and cities, and it is a dominant species in the Yangtze River Basin, which can be seen everywhere. Its shell is relatively large among domestic snails, the shell is relatively strong, spherical, and the shell surface is yellowish brown. When the snail is in an active state, the water requirements are very high, and it only comes out under the condition of sufficient moisture, which is the reason why the snails are usually seen after the rain. When in drought, snails hide.
Bradybaena ravida, the most common gray snail in China.
For gray snails, they no longer have a mouth cap, and the way they retain moisture is to adsorb on a hard object and seal the shell with a membrane to enter a dormant state. Peel off a layer of film on the surface, you can see that there is a very dense film inside, this layer of film should be more effective in preventing water dispersion. At this time, adding some water to the mouth of the shell can wake it up, and at the same time awaken some dormant snails. Depending on the length of sleep, the speed of waking up is not consistent. Snails are species that are not very athletic and have high water requirements, so once they wake up, the first thing they do is eat. Since rainwater can disappear quickly under natural conditions, they move very quickly.
Snails of this genus live only in tropical jungles
Although there are many records in historical documents in Guangdong and Guangxi, they can only be found in a small area of Hainan and are in urgent need of protection.
Most snails require two individuals to mate and exchange sperm with each other
△ Ordinary snails lay their eggs in moist soil, and usually after 2 to 4 weeks, small snails will break through the soil. Up to 100 eggs can be laid at a time. Some snails can reproduce in monomers under extreme conditions.
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" > is called snail candy in Cuba</h1>
Cuba is a snail country, and its unique island environment has evolved a rich snail species. The 2008 Cuban snail monograph, entitled "Cuba, The Paradise of snails," is a rare title in serious zoological books.
△ Cuban snails are bright in color, and many snails have strange shapes. The two specimens in the lower right belong to the same species, and the male snail with the gap in the lip is not much like this snail that can be divided into male and female by the shape of the shell alone.
Polymita is a genus in the Helminthoglyptidae of the Helming snail family, a genus of snails that are sought after by enthusiasts around the world for their brilliant colors and ever-changing colors, and many people refer to them by "Cuban candy" without using their scientific names. Thanks to Cuba's slow industrialization and relative isolation, these beautiful creatures live well in the region. However, these species are not widely distributed, and as Cuba's industrialization advances and the country opens its doors, its survival will be threatened by some. Fortunately, these species are already very well-known internationally, and the Cubans should be able to give them enough protection.
Polymita is a genus of Helminthoglyptidae in the helming snail family, a genus of snails that are sought after by enthusiasts around the world for their brilliant colors and kaleidoscopic variations.
< h1 class= "pgc-h-center-line" > ribbon snails in the United States face an existential crisis</h1>
Florida in the southeastern United States is tropical and rich in species. Liguus fasciatus, a spiral tree snail of the ribbon snail family Orthalicidae, lives in trees, and the spiral ribbons on them are ever-changing, and different flower types have been named different species throughout history, taking thousands of names, but modern taxonomy confirms that they are the same species.
Liguus fasciatus, a spiral tree snail of the ribbon snail family Orthalicidae, lives on trees, and the spiral ribbons on their bodies are ever-changing, and different flower types have been named different species throughout history.
The ribbon snail family lives in Florida, Cuba, Haiti and other places in the United States. They live in trees and depend entirely on dense woods for survival. In the dense forest, moss on tree trunks provides them with food, and dense foliage provides cover for them to avoid predators. For decades, most species of the family were endangered due to severe deforestation. Due to food losses, specimens collected are now, on average, one-third smaller in size than they were before World War II. Most of the tree snails have been banned. But banning collection is only the initial act of conservation, and the key is to protect their habitat. Many flower types are only distributed on a very small island, or even an island, and there are not many trees on the island, so once such a small island is developed, a type will face the danger of extinction.
A snail photographed in the woods of the United States.
The ribbon snail family lives in Florida, Cuba, Haiti and other places in the United States. Their survival depends entirely on dense woods.
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" > South American snail</h1>
In the jungles of South American countries such as Brazil, there are some large snails with shells that can reach more than 10 centimeters in length. They belong to the South American giant snail Megalobulimidae. The classification of the South American giant snail has been inconclusive. First of all, it is doubtful whether they are native to South America, many people think that they were introduced from Africa during the Age of Discovery, and some people think that they are native to South America. A faction that is considered a native species lists the South American giant snail as a separate family. In the local jungle of the South American big snail, humans often pick up snail eggs and even raise snails to eat their eggs. Snail eggs can be as large as quail eggs.
Snail saliva mucus protects against insect infestation.
Snails have flattened, broad ventral feet on the ventral surface, move slowly, and secrete mucus under the feet, reducing friction to aid walking.
<h1 class= "pgc-h-center-line" > colorful snails of tropical islands</h1>
Papua New Guinea, located in the southern hemisphere, has a humid climate, lush vegetation and a particularly rich snail species. There are many endemic species here. Some species of the family Cuneiformes have beautiful and elegant shapes and bright colors.
Candy snail (Polymita), Cuba (Figures 1, 2). Large scattered snail (Helix aspersa Muller, 1774), Europe (Figure 3). Ribbon snail family (Orthalicidae), USA (Figures 4, 5, 6).
△ Festival Ba Snail (Calocochlia festiva Donovan, 1825), Philippines (Figure 7). Golden-mouthed Papustyla xanthochila Pfeiffer, Papustyla xanthochila Pfeiffer, Papua New Guinea (Figure 8). Emerald tree snail (Papuina pulcherrima, 1931), Papua New Guinea (Figure 9). Pomatiasidae, Madagascar (Figures 10, 11, 12).
△ Pipe spiroaceae (Clausiliidae), China (Figures 13, 14, 15). Snail, Gansu (Figures 16, 17, 18).
Madagascar in Africa is also an isolated island environment with many unique snails. There is a red snail family, Aavidae, which is very large and has a very strong shell, and most species in this family are only native to the island.
Southeast Asia has many islands with many tropical snails. The Amphidromus species of camaenidae in the family Camaenidae live in trees and are predominantly green in color. These species are characterized by a large number of levospires.
A snail photographed in a wooded malaysian forest
The Brazilianidae of the Philippine snail family is very famous for their large size, thick shell and bright colors, which are very attractive. The Filipino festival snail, Calocochlia festiva (Donovan, 1825), is as big as an egg and is known for its festive colors.
Brightly colored snails such as red are commonly seen on tropical islands.
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" > the largest snail in Africa</h1>
Achatinidae, commonly known Chinese African snail, is a number of large to extra-large snails, the largest of which can grow up to 20 cm (shell length, excluding the increased length of the species body protruding out of the shell). Snails in this family are not harmful to the human body, some people even treat them as pets, of course, some people use them as food. This animal is very large and has a large amount of food, and it is a very powerful agricultural pest.
Achatinidae, commonly known as the African large snail Chinese.
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" > the most developed snail farming in Europe</h1>
Snail species in Europe are not abundant, but snail farming is the most developed. The snails eaten at the famous French snail feast are basically farmed. Snails are cold-blooded animals and do not need to expend energy to maintain body temperature, so farming is very efficient. There are no snails in traditional Chinese food, but Chinese eat conch and field snails, and now more and more people accept snails as dishes.
Snails with different postures photographed in the jungles of China.
End
Brilliant typography presentation
This article is excerpted from the December 2013 issue of Civilization
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