Ecosystem and snails

We are always talking about environmental pollution that happened due to deforestation and animal hunting. But, did you know that, beneath that destruction, a great carnage is happening to our ecosystem without our knowledge? That was by the creatures and plants created in the environment due to the carelessness of humans.

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Snails are one of such destructive creatures that damage our ecosystem. It is said that African snails came to our country due to the carelessness of British planters. These snails have now spread throughout the country and this was an agricultural pest. They destroy the Sri Lankan harvest by eating crops in large numbers. Now, let's find out about these snails.

Snails are belonging to the group of animals called gastropods. Slugs are also included in this category. Their home is a spiral shell which provides them with the necessary protection. This shell is made of calcium carbonate, which grows with the snail throughout its life. When they detect a threat, they immediately enter into the spiral shells to protect themselves.

The most important feature of this snail is its slow walk. He is slipping on a glide product using a special foot. Even though they walk slowly, they efficiently discover everything in their short distance. They are mostly found in the forest, underwater, gardens, and deserts. Snails come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and they can adapt to any environment.
Snails are herbivores that consume plants, algae, and fungi. Some snails frequently encounter scavengers. They scrape and consume their food with something resembling a tongue with tiny sharp teeth.

They play an important role in the ecosystem by producing organic matter. All snails have both male and female reproductive organs. Snails hatch from eggs and lay a lot of eggs after mating.

Snails are deaf, but they use their sense of smell to find food and protect themselves. They are mostly active at night. If we want to protect our flower and vegetable beds, we can hunt them at night and destroy them. In some countries, snails are cooked and eaten. Even though they are tiny creatures, they do great damage to our ecosystem and spread quickly.

Thank you for reading my post.