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Post by Owlkids on Sept 18, 2006 20:48:34 GMT
Hi eveybody,
I am a production editor with chickaDEE Magazine for readers aged 6 to 9.
I'm currently fact-checking an article about Giant African Land Snails (and specifically the Giant Ghana Tiger Snail, Achatina achatina), but I'm having trouble finding any information about the slime produced by these snails. Our article states that their slime is sticky and dries quickly, just like superglue. Is this true? Also, is the slime used to aid the snail in sliding along the ground, and would you describe the texture of it as 'goopy'?
Many thanks for any help you can offer, Larissa
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Post by Tigs on Sept 18, 2006 20:56:22 GMT
www.owlkids.com/chickaDEE/I think i must be a child stuck in an adults bidy cos i thought the site was quite cool. Im a relative newbie but im sure the older members can give a more knowledgable answer Tigs
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Post by loops on Sept 18, 2006 21:02:29 GMT
Lol I liked the donut joke....yeah yeah I know but that's why my nickname is loops coz my whole family thinks I'm crazy and I've just confirmed their suspicions.
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Post by Paul on Sept 18, 2006 22:26:51 GMT
Normal smail slime isn't sticky until it starts to dry and can dry quite hard. The slime is used to keep the snail from drying out and to assist it moving, particularly to stop sharp objects piercing the body. As a consequence, snails can move over the edge of a razor without being hurt. There are pictures on the net of this somewhere.
The slime sometimes congeals into what can only be alikened to stringy bacon fat, the bits connecting the meat, not the rind. It's not goopy like honey is.
Slug slime is much stickier and slimier than snails and becomes more "snotty" when water is added, as it is a water based lubricant. This must be because they don't have a shell to stop them drying out. Their slime also contains an anti-freezing agent, which is why you'll find them out and about in winter.
When they are threatened they produce a much sticker, slimier type that is quite gooey. It sometimes bubbles as it is forced outwards. Both snails and slugs do this to deter predators; it no doubt makes them very tricky to eat and I know slugs can completely cover themselves in a very sticky slime that can actually trap predators like ants. This slime seems to fit your description much more accurately, particularly because they can produce it in significant quantities, enough to actually collect.
African snails aren't that slimey at all really, less so than that of the common garden snails in Britain (Helix aspersa). I'd suggest you locate one of these (not too difficult - they're everywhere) and see what you make of them. If they move over your hand, they don't really leave a noticable amount behind. You'll also find some aestivating (sealed up or against something) and if you gently remove them you'll see what the slime is like dry. Enough to stick them to walls so you could aliken it to glue I suppose. But that'll give you a picture of African snail slime, though African slime is thicker and less abundant. There's nothing better than first hand experience to help explain it.
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Post by (¯`·._.·[Samm]·._.·´¯) on Sept 18, 2006 22:33:52 GMT
Well - Paul just about rounded it all up there Need any more help? Feel free to ask.. Or just Search :-) -Samm
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Post by Owlkids on Sept 20, 2006 13:58:05 GMT
Thanks everyone!
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