Category: Invertebrates
“Snail” is a common name applied to most members of the class “Gastropoda” that have a coiled shell that is big enough for the animal to recoil into completely – this can include a vast number (thousands) of species of land snails, freshwater snails, and marine snails. Snail-like creatures that lack a shell or have only a small shell that they cannot retract into are known as slugs and semi-slugs, respectively. Although land snails are the most familiar to most people, marine snails constitute the majority of snail species and display much greater diversity. Slugs and snails, with their appetite for tender greens, can be agricultural pests, but some snail species are a highly valued food source and are farmed as a nutritious and even gourmet food source.
It’s an ant’s world. We’re just living in it.
Do humans truly dominate the world? The Argentine ant may have something to say about that. Many ants are known for their large colonies, but the Argentine ant, named for its South American origins takes this to a whole other level. Due to inadvertent introduction by humans, the Argentine ant has spread to all continents except Antarctica. There are now three known super-colonies of these ants: one in Europe (the largest, covering 3,700 miles), one in California (560 miles), and another on the west coast of Japan. Ants are often territorial, but amazingly, ants belonging to the super-colonies recognize one another: if you were to introduce a super colony ant from Japan to one from Europe or California, they will recognize each other as friends!
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Discover Animals is a web-based educational resource offered by the NAIA
