Snails can crawl along the edge of a razor blade without cutting themselves! Snails produce a colourless, slimy mucus, which in addition to helping them move and stick to surfaces, forms a protective layer under them to protect them as they move along.
Snails produce slime, which is a kind of mucus, via a special gland on the front of the snail’s foot. Scientists initially thought that the purpose of the slime was to enable snails to move. Over the years, however, researchers have learned that snail slime is a special substance with unique properties and several purposes.
Snail slime has the consistency of a liquid gel. At rest, it’s solid and sticky. Under pressure, though, it liquefies and acts as a lubricant.
Although their slime definitely helps them to move along more efficiently, snails don’t need it to move. They have muscles on the underside of their feet that generate pulses that propel them forward.
As they travel on the slime they produce, the slime helps them to stick to whatever surface they’re on while their muscles are at rest. As their muscles contract and push down to propel them forward, however, the slime becomes more liquid and makes movement easier.
Credit : Wonderopolis
Picture Credit : Google
