OxScience

The main difference between slug and snail is that the Land slugs are shellless mollusks with an elongated, mucus-coated body. A snail is a mollusk whose body is protected by a spiral shell, they can be marine, freshwater, and terrestrial.

Slug

They are gastropod mollusks of the order Pulmonata, they do not have a shell or have small internal protective shells. The larger ones are called Taveras.

They have an elongated body that can measure between 1 and 15 cm depending on the species. Your body is divided into:

• Middorsal crest.
• Mantle or shield.
• Antennas.
• Caudal mucous gland.
• Creeping plate.

On their head, they have four antennae and a mouth. In the upper antennae are the eyes, which have tactile and olfactory functions. In their mouth, they have two jaws with small teeth and a serrated tongue known as a radula.

The foot is the central and muscular part. It adheres to the ground with the help of the creeping plate.

The mucus that lines its body acts as a humectant and facilitates the movement of this animal.

It is a nocturnal animal with variable activity depending on the time of year, temperature and humidity.

Snail

It is a common name used to designate gastropod mollusks that have a spiral shell. There are marine, land, and freshwater snails. They travel through muscle contractions that run through the bottom layer of your foot. In their bica they contain a radula, a kind of toothed tongue that allows them to feed.

They secrete a mucus with which they lubricate the place where they move, facilitating movement by reducing friction. This mucus allows them to climb hills due to its smoothness. This substance also helps them regulate their temperature and helps scare off insects.

Some, by retracting into their shell, secrete a special type of mucus that solidifies and seals the entrance, forming a structure known as an operculum.

As it grows, its shell also grows. Each time the snail changes size, it closes a section of its shell and opens a new chamber, which will be larger than the previous one. This is why the shells are shaped like a logarithmic spiral.

Differences between slug and snail

• Snails are spiral-shaped mollusk shells.
• Slugs are mollusks without a shell or with tiny internal shells.
• Snails secrete mucus that allows them to seal their shell and keep moisture inside during dry spells or during winter.