Snail - Bucking Around in the Rain

Snail
The snail is an ancient mollusk that has been gliding along leisurely for over 600 million years, leaving a trail of glistening slime in its wake. Over such a long period of time, they've adapted to all environments and can be found everywhere on the planet. If a snail dries out it dies, so they secrete mucus to keep their soft bodies moist and to provide a lubricant that enables them to crawl over rough surfaces. Snails are most active at night under the cover of darkness when it's safer and cooler. They have a ferocious appetite and love to consume fruits, vegetables and flowers which frustrates even the most experienced gardeners.

They're content to spend their days buried underground avoiding the sun's harmful rays. If the soil becomes saturated from heavy precipitation, and floods their subterranean chambers, hordes of them will emerge from the depths gasping for air. Land snails have lungs and can easily drown in too much water. They appear to delight in these wet-weather gatherings because the birds are held at bay and the slick concrete provides an ideal surface for bucking around in the rain.

I photographed this snail at Animal Kingdom Park in Florida on just such a day. The remarkable shell is spiral-shaped and grows with mathematical precision as the mollusk gets larger. My seven-year-old son was flabbergasted by their sudden appearance and became consumed with collecting and scrutinizing such unique little creatures. We traveled clear across the country to Disney World and experienced all the rides and shows but I think my kid's favorite part of the trip was capturing snails during a hurricane. I guess some of the best things in life really are free.

Comments

  1. Jean Katherine BaldridgeApril 22, 2013 at 7:12 AM

    Dear Dan, I love snails as well, but in Florida, where my oldest son and grandchildren were on vacation recently, there has been an infestation of a kind of snail which was accidentally introduced from another country. They are just now battling it.
    I cannot remember, but I believe it is called the giant African snail. I will go google it now and let you know if that is not the correct name. Don't let your son study or touch these particular snails, OK? xox jean

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dan MillerApril 24, 2013 at 10:12 AM

      Thanks for the warning. I don't think these were African but I don't know for sure. He has allergies to other animals so we have to watch him closely around cats and dogs.

      Delete
  2. Jean Katherine BaldridgeApril 22, 2013 at 7:17 AM

    here is the article I read:
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/15/giant-african-land-snails-miami-117000_n_3079741.html

    yes, it is really jean again xox

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dan MillerApril 24, 2013 at 10:13 AM

      Okay, I will check this article out right now. Thanks, Jean.

      Delete
  3. John WiswellApril 22, 2013 at 9:12 AM

    It is a classic of evolution, outdated and yet not obsolete. Gross little things, I've always tried to leave them to their own devices. I didn't realize they were big burrowers.

    John at The Bathroom Monologues

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dan MillerApril 24, 2013 at 10:10 AM

      I guess they've been around forever. I never paid much attention to them, we don't see them much in Colorado. My son sure became interested in them and wanted me to take photos.

      Delete
  4. Courtney - Maui JungalowApril 22, 2013 at 1:35 PM

    Delightful and gives me a smile to think that your son liked this the best.
    In Hawaii we have African snails - they are quite large, although I'm not sure how big they are in comparison to this one in Florida. Your snail is quite a bit prettier. The African snails are the gardener's dismay - but are not in all parts of the island equally. They seem to love where I live, which is more damp and gets its share of rain.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dan MillerApril 24, 2013 at 10:09 AM

      I think they like damp, cool areas because they have to stay moist to survive. It is so dry where we are we don't see them. When my kid saw them in Florida, he became so fascinated and collected them and lined them up and watched them slither along leaving a slime trail behind. Best part of the trip for him.

      Delete
  5. AnonymousApril 22, 2013 at 2:27 PM

    Love the spiral house..:-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dan MillerApril 24, 2013 at 10:00 AM

      Yeah, they're cool and they grow with mathematical precision!

      Delete
  6. UnknownApril 23, 2013 at 2:00 AM

    Wow, I never stopped to think much about snails, but they really are an amazing animal. Thanks.

    Rinelle Grey

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dan MillerApril 24, 2013 at 9:56 AM

      I hadn't either until my son got so enamored by them. He kept asking me to take pictures and I thought this one turned out pretty good. I like the shell.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Lair O' the Bear and Dunafon Castle

Image
The restored Dunafon Castle Lair O' the Bear Park is nestled in a steep canyon about six miles east of Evergreen, Colorado. John and Matilda Johnson emigrated from Sweden with their two young boys and purchased the narrow meadow in 1902. They named it Mountain Nook Ranch, built a four-bedroom house and raised Red Durham cattle. Their two sons, Finis and Francis, attended school in nearby Starbuck, now known as Idledale. It was originally named for John Starbuck who won the town property in a poker game. John Johnson was a master gardener and his popular, fresh produce was sold in Evergreen and Denver. They planted over 200 cherry and apple trees in the area. If you look closely many can still be found throughout the park today. The unruly Bear Creek sculpted the beautiful scenery and provided the needed irrigation for productive crops but it also wreaked plenty of havoc. There was a constant fear of extreme flooding. The Lariat Trail (Highway 74 today) crossed Bear Creek s...
Read more

Ibis - A Symbol for Danger and Optimism

Image
White Ibis The white ibis is a wading bird that is very common throughout Florida. Their traditional habitat has always been the Everglades but they've recently adapted to a more urban environment. During our visit there this past summer, we frequently saw ibises on freshly mowed lawns rooting for large bugs as well as stalking aquatic prey along the shoreline of ponds, lakes and marshes. These splendid, white birds have evolved a long, downward-curved bill. This distinctive feature has helped them develop into efficient hunters. Their legs are long enough to wade in shallow water but they are also perfectly at home on dry land where they can use their pink beak to probe for insects. The white ibis is a symbol for danger and optimism because Native American folklore held that the bird was the last to seek shelter before a hurricane and the first to emerge afterwards.
Read more

An Approaching Storm - Colored Pencil Drawing

Image
"An Approaching Storm" Colored Pencil In the midst of an already grievous winter, an approaching storm gradually extinguishes the landscape’s last sliver of light. The inclement weather rushes in aggressively as it envelopes the magnificent range of rugged peaks. Extending across the page, a strip of turquoise sky is still visible above the embattled scenery. It won’t be long, though, before a cloak of cool-gray smothers the valley in a shroud of deep snow. The high mountains assume a defiant posture as their sharp edges tear through the soft atmosphere, creating patches of bare rock. The kaleidoscope of broken terrain sparkles in blue-violet before the impending storm’s onset. The forested foothills are distinguished by three different, overlapping tiers of conifers. As the woodland ramparts recede into the distance, the wintery colors gradually become several shades bluer. The wide, white meadow sweeps across the foreground, its smooth surface decorated with elongated shado...
Read more