Well, a few times I've been asked, mainly for school projects, if I have a movie of a snail moving, or a snail doing this or that. Until now the answer was 'no', but, thanks to Demon Internet doing a special offer on cheap webcams, here now are a couple avis!
These aren't exactly professional quality, mainly because a) I've only just got the camera, and have no idea how to use it yet! ;-) and b) have you ever tried to get a snail to perform?!! So yes, I WILL one day sort out the lighting and focus .. until then, you'll have to make do with these!
Anyway, what's listed below is my effort to-date. If there's something (within reason, you know how much space these things take up!) you think ought to go here, let me know, and I'll do my best to get my snails to perform! I hope these all download and run OK - let me know if not!
(thanks to Herc for posing! ;-)
1. Snail retracting eyes (1012kb)- this is a side view of a snail pulling it's eyes in.
2. Snail retracting eyes (706kb)- this is a front view of a snail pulling it's eyes in.
3. Snail Movement (1189kb)- Look closely. This little movie shows the muscle waves on the underside of the snail's foot as he moves.
4. Snail getting ready to mate (1343kb)- this is a side view of a snail showing the genital opening (the white dot on the side of it's head, by the eye). This is the movement it'd make on meeting a suitable mate.
5. Side view of snail munching lettuce (1867kb)- this is a side view of a snail eating some lettuce, here you can see the mouth movement.
6. Snail munching lettuce (1852kb)- front view of snail eating lettuce.
7. Snail eating lettuce again! (1670kb)- though on this one you can really see the way the snail uses it's mouth to grate away at the food.
Updated 6 February 2000
Text and photos © copyright Annette K Goodman, 1998/9/00/01/02/03. Any part of this information may be printed off and used by individuals for non-profit purposes only, as long as the appropriate acknowledgement of authorship is noted.