
Shells of snails can get bigger in size as they grow older. A snail's shell is large enough to protect it from external factors such as heat and enemies. Any mollusk that is known to have a coiled body and a conspicuous shell is called a snail. Other differences between a snail and a slug are in their habitat and behavior, but these differences are a result of the fact that a shell is present in a snail and is absent in a slug. The basic difference between a slug and a snail is the presence of a protective shell in snails which is most of the time absent in slugs. They are alike because they belong to the same species of animal called the mollusk, known as soft-bodied animals, including oysters, clams, and squids. If you like this article, why not also read about bug vs insect and hall of bulls here on Kidadl? What is the difference between a snail and a slug?īoth slugs and snails belong to the same class of creatures called the gastropod. Both snails and slugs are found living in a habitat that is usually wet and damp. Some slugs can even lay up to 500 eggs a year, which hatch, mature, and then start laying eggs themselves within three to six months. Both a slug and a snail lay clutches of eggs in the soil. Snails are considered hermaphrodites, having a presence of shells from the early days of their development and growing to be large enough to fit along the snail's body. On the other hand, a snail's shell gives it protection from various external enemies and heat conditions. On one hand, slugs are considered the shell-less terrestrial gastropod mollusk. Slugs come out at night after the sun has set. However, a few slugs help clean up garden debris. Gardeners seem to protect their plants and flowers from these well-known pests called slugs and snails. Mucus promotes the movement of land snails and keeps their body moist.īoth snails and slugs feed upon plants, but the slug species is sometimes seen eating dead animal material, insects, and sometimes worms and snails. A wide variety of animals, as well as humans, eat snails and slugs. Some slugs and snails spend their winter underground. Some are found on land on a tree or plant, and usually in a garden, while some are found in freshwater. Snails and slugs belonging to the class of gastropods are found throughout the planet. As such, they are known to have a small internal shell. A snail can become a slug through evolution as they seem to internalize the shell by reducing its size. Slugs are known to evolve from a snail differently. Other differences between a snail and a slug are in their habitat and behavior, but these differences result from the fact that a shell is present in a snail and is absent in a slug. Thus, the slug is, in essence, a homeless snail. The main difference between a snail and a slug is that a snail has a conspicuous shell, whereas a slug lacks this shell. There are a few basic differences between a slug and a snail.
