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Facts about African Giant Snail, Garden Snail, Roman Snail or Escargot. Get Started › Introduction Snails’ ancestors are one of the earliest known types of animals in the world. There is fossil evidence of primitive gastropods dating back to the late Cambrian period; this means that they lived nearly 500 million years ago. There are many types of snails, but they fundamentally differ because they are aquatic or terrestrial. The former are adapted to live in the sea or bodies of fresh water, but the latter live exclusively on land, although in humid areas. All land snails are gastropod mollusks, meaning that they belong to the same group of octopuses, which are part of the phylum Mollusca. At the same time, they are members of the class Gastropoda, which includes all snails and slugs. Being a mollusk means lacking an internal skeleton and bones, but snails are not unprotected. Gastropods can adapt to a variety of living conditions, and they don’t require large amounts of food. They have been able to continually evolve to survive the conditions around them which many researchers find to be very fascinating. Gastropods belong to the phylum Mollusca (or Mollusks) a classification of invertebrate animals with a soft unsegmented body, sometimes covered with an exoskeleton or shell. This phylum, Mollusca, includes animals like squids, octopuses, clams and cuttlefishes among others. Snails and slugs are both Gastropods. Therefore they are closely related, regardless the fact that slugs lack a protective shell. Certainly, land snails are incredibly slow. Their forward speed depends on the species, but usually, it is between 0.5 and 0.7 inches per second. Its slowness is another feature that has made it famous, and some people have known how to play with it. For example, in many places in the UK, snail racing is organized! Can you imagine waiting for them to reach the finish line? It does not last as long as it may seem. While moving, snails leave behind a trail of slime, a lubricant they produce to allow them to go on any terrain without injuring its body. Land Snails aren’t able to hear at all, but they have eyes and olfactory organs. They use their sense of smell to help them find food being their most important sensory organ. You will find that snails are most active at night. They may come out during the early morning hours as well. The biological features of snails are fascinating. For example, most are hermaphrodites, which means that a single snail has male and female reproductive organs at the same time. However, they usually mate in the “traditional” way: with a partner. A few weeks after mating and laying eggs, the hatchlings emerge from their egg, small and defenseless against many predators that sneak around, such as beetles, birds, turtles and even other snails. There are exceptions. Some species have sex differentiation, so every individual is either male or female. The life expectancy of snails in the wild is about 3 to 7 years, but in captivity, they can live up to 10-15 years or even more. Snail shell is made of calcium carbonate and keeps growing as long as the snail grows. They keep adding more calcium carbonate to the edge until the snail reaches adult size. Humans have eaten land snails for centuries, although not everywhere. They are common in gastronomy, in some parts of Europe like France and Spain where they are considered a delicacy. However, their consumption must be careful, since some snails harbor parasites that, once in the human body or that of other animals, can cause severe diseases. Therefore, handling land snails, especially those found in the wild, should observe the proper hygiene precautions to avoid dangerous diseases like meningitis among others.

Honeyeaters are a diverse group of Australian birds belonging to the family Meliphagidae. One of their special characteristics is a 'brush-tipped' tongue, with which they take up nectar from flowers. However, nectar is only one of their foods. Most honeyeaters also eat insects, and some eat more insects than nectar. Many honeyeaters also feed on pollen, berries and sugary exudates (e.g. sap) of plants as well as the sugary secretions of plant bugs Many honeyeaters are highly mobile, searching out seasonal nectar sources. Mass-flowering eucalypts are particularly popular with these nomadic honeyeaters (e.g. Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Yellow-tufted Honeyeater, White-naped Honeyeater). Other species are sedentary (e.g. Little Wattlebird, Eastern Spinebill) and some species are strongly territorial Several different species of honeyeater often compete for plant resources in the same area, but the larger species tend to win the battles for access to flowers (e.g. Red Wattlebirds and Noisy Miners). However, some smaller species (e.g. Eastern Spinebills) can coexist with the large species because they don't need as much food and can 'sneak' into flowering plants if there is enough foliage cover for them to hide in. Because gardeners tend to grow plants with large and long-lasting floral displays, urban areas can provide plenty of food for honeyeaters. However, it is often the large honeyeaters that dominate gardens. This is probably because there is often not enough dense shrubbery in gardens to provide cover for small species

A large white heron with a long yellow bill, long dark legs and a very long neck. When breeding, the bill becomes grey-black and long filamentous plumes develop, mainly on the back. In flight, the white heron tucks its head back into its shoulders so that the length of its neck is hidden, giving it a hunched appearance. When walking, the white heron has an elegant upright stance showing the extreme length of its neck. When resting it is more hunched with its head tucked in, making the bird appear more bulky. Important identification characters when separating white herons from other white egret species in New Zealand include overall size, relative neck length, bill colour and shape, and how far the gape (i.e. the corner of the mouth) extends back in relation to the eye. The white heron is the largest, longest-necked of the egrets, and the gape extends well behind the eye. Similar species: the most similar species in New Zealand is the plumed egret, a vagrant species which is smaller (the size of a white-faced heron), has a shorter neck, never has a dark bill (cf. breeding white heron), and the gape extends to level with the eye, but not beyond. Plumed egrets show a strong preference for freshwater wetlands, and so rarely occur in estuaries, whereas white herons are equally at home in both freshwater and brackish habitats. The royal spoonbill is nearly as large as the white heron but, as its name suggests, it has a very large spoon-shaped (black) bill. This makes it easy to distinguish between the two species. Non-breeding cattle egrets have similar colouration but are a third the size of a white heron, with a much shorter neck. Cattle egrets are often seen as flocks in pasture, but beware of lone birds in estuarine habitat or wetland. The little egret is much smaller, with a rapier-thin black bill. White herons are most often seen in harbours and estuaries, but they also visit freshwater wetlands, including high country lakes, and are vagrant to several outlying island groups (Chatham, Snares, Auckland, Campbell and Macquarie Islands). The only New Zealand breeding colony is on the Waitangiroto River, just north of Okarito Lagoon, Westland. About 30 pairs of white herons breed here, mainly in the crowns of tree ferns overhanging the river, under tall kahikatea forest. A viewing hide at the site can be visited during the breeding season via a jetboat ride and a short walk, with access managed by an ecotourism operator licensed by the Department of Conservation. White herons are widespread and abundant throughout Asia and Australia, where they are generally known as eastern great egrets. The New Zealand population is small (150-200 birds) but apparently stable. The Okarito heronry has occupied essentially the same site since before its location was revealed by a surveyor in 1865. White herons have never been recorded attempting to breed anywhere else in New Zealand. Despite the risks of the entire population breeding at a single location, the colony has thrived throughout. It is well protected legally (as a nature reserve) and by predator trapping and carefully controlled visitation. The most common cause of white heron mortality in New Zealand is birds being hit by cars, as many roads pass close to coastal wetlands, and white herons fly low and slow when first getting airborne. Birds arrive at the breeding colony in August. Nests are built in trees and tree ferns up to 15 m high. Adjacent taller trees are used by royal spoonbills. The 3-5 eggs are laid in September-October and are incubated by both parents. Nestlings are fed by partial regurgitation by both parents. Leaving the nest begins with short flights, followed by final departure about 64 days after hatching. Males occupying a nest site will defend it against intruders. Courtship displays include shaking twigs gathered from near the nest, preening displays and fanning of the nuptial plumes. The breeding season at Okarito Lagoon coincides with the whitebait run, and these fish are the primary food during nesting. At other locations their diet includes small fish, frogs, skinks, invertebrates and even small birds, which can be caught if they fly too close to a foraging heron. Hunting is usually in daylight, with the bird waiting motionlessly for prey to pass, or walking slowly. White herons will sometimes steal fish from other birds such as shags. They usually feed alone, even when several birds are present at the same site.

Dragonfly species (Anisoptera) are characterized by long bodies with two narrow pairs of intricately veined, membranous wings that, while generally transparent, may have coloured markings. Unlike damselflies, the front and rear wing pairs are shaped differently. In addition, dragonflies rest with their wings spread horizontally, rather than held vertically against each other (with the exception of one very small family, Epiophlebiidae). Dragonflies have a more powerful build and are generally much stronger fliers than damselflies. The globe skimmer (or wandering glider, Pantala flavescens), a migratory dragonfly, for example, makes an annual multigenerational journey of some 18,000 km (about 11,200 miles); to complete the migration, individual globe skimmers fly more than 6,000 km (3,730 miles)—one of the farthest known migrations of all insect species. Dragonflies also have huge bulging eyes that occupy most of the head, giving some a field of vision approaching 360 degrees. The winged adults are diversely coloured in a variety of shades ranging from metallic to pastel. Compared with other insects, they are large, with some having wingspans of up to 16 cm (about 6 inches). Even the smallest species are about 20 mm (0.8 inch) across. As well as being extremely agile fliers, they are also among the fastest insects. Dragonfly wing muscles must be warm to function optimally, and so, if cool, the insect often engages in wing-whirring and basking in the sun to generate heat before taking flight. The dragonfly’s speed and agility contribute to its being one of the most effective aerial predators. Small flying insects are the usual fare, but some dragonflies regularly consume prey that is 60 percent of their own weight. Young dragonflies, called larvae or sometimes nymphs or naiads, are aquatic and are as dedicated predators under water as the adults are in the air. The functionally wingless larvae are usually mottled or dull in colour, matching the sediments or water plants among which they live. They have bulging eyes somewhat similar to the adults, but possess a formidable anatomical structure not present in the adult. Called the “mask,” it is a fusion of the larva’s third pair of mouthparts. Disproportionately large, the mask folds beneath both the head and thorax when it is not in use. At the end of the mask is a set of fanglike pincers used to seize prey such as worms, crustaceans, tadpoles, and small fish. Different species of dragonfly larvae can be described as sprawlers, burrowers, hiders, or claspers. Their shape, metabolism, and respiration differ concordantly with the microhabitat they occupy.

The Boone Area is nothing less than one of the best equestrian travel destinations in the South-with diverse area stables, riding programs, and miles of nationally significant bridle trails on the spectacular Blue Ridge Parkway, the nation's most visited unit of the National Park System. For 100 years, the Blowing Rock Charity Horse Show has attracted horse enthusiasts from around the United States and the world. With hunter/jumper and saddlebred divisions, and events from June into early August, this classic annual destination event revels in the cool summer climate of the Boone Area. It also reflects the more than century-long tradition of upscale summer travel to the High Country. Part of the appeal is the Broyhill Equestrian Preserve, a full service facility for visiting riders and their mounts. Whether you visit and board your horse for a week, a season, or trailer in for the day, mile-after-mile of scenic carriage and equestrian trails wander through the the Blue Ridge Parkway's Moses Cone Park, one of the East's top recreational riding experiences. These gradual trails wind through the whispering cool of towering forests to quiet lakes and distant vistas from lofty meadows. For the most casual or vacation riders, there are also a number of stables in the area that provide rental mounts and offer guided rides. Check out the options below and get ready to ride...

Garden Snails , How To Crawl On Branches , The most striking physical feature of snails is their spiral shell that they load on the back. It is a hard structure composed of calcium carbonate, which protects their soft body and internal organs. Among these organs is their lung because land snails breathe air from the atmosphere that then passes into a lung to get the oxygen; this is one of the main differences with aquatic snails, that only a few species of water snails breathe air. You will find snails everywhere around the world. In fact, Gastropods range second, only behind insects when it comes to the number of named species. As an obvious result of this, they are found in many locations, living in a very diverse type of habitats and even having particular feeding habits. The Earth offers a vast diversity of habitats for snails. Surely you have found tiny snails under a stone, but also climbing some stem or leaf of a plant. They can survive in natural environments or places frequented by humans, such as public parks and gardens. Their quantity and diversity are vast. There are anything between 85,000 and 150,000 mollusks of which 80-85 percent are gastropods. Therefore, the world is home to more than 60,000 species of them. Land snails range greatly in size. While some of them are only a few inches long and often weigh only a few ounces, there are land snails that reach almost 12 inches, like the Giant African Land Snail, a species endemic to Africa. Although snails do not have legs, they can move thanks to a “muscular foot” that, based on wave movements, allows the snail to go from one place to another. This action is smoother and safer for snails with the help of the “mucus” that the snail secretes to slide on all types of surfaces and maintain its moisture reduces friction and avoids harms to their body. When snails multiply and damage crops or in some way affect the species of a region or the human being, they are considered pests. Certain species grow up to the size of an adult hand, and of course, their feeding needs also increase. That is why it is important to pay attention to the recommendations about the handling and care of snails. In conclusion, snails are much more than a shell. On this site, we talk about land snails. Therefore we implicitly exclude freshwater and sea snails and refer only to the terrestrial gastropod mollusks that have shells.

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