Snail Life

Snails are invertebrates with soft bodies that are covered with hard coiled shells. When the word snail is used in a general sense, it includes sea snails, land snails and freshwater snails.
Snails are sourced from the wild life bank and are used as food, source of revenue or feed, in any parts of the world. The two main areas of snail consumption in the World are Western Africa and Western Europe.
Snails belong to the phylum of animals known as mollusca which oyster is part of it. Many species of edible land snails are recognized but the popular species of economic interest is the Giant Africa Land Snails (GALS). achatina achatina, achatina fulica and achatina marganita.
All land snails are hermaphrodites, producing both spermatozoa and ova. Some freshwater snails, such as apple snails, and marine species, such as periwinkles, have separate sexes; they are male and female. The age of sexual maturity is variable depending on species of snail, ranging from as little as 6 weeks to 5 years. Adverse environmental conditions may delay the onset of sexual maturity in some snails.
Prior to reproduction, most land snails perform a ritual courtship before mating. This may last anywhere between two and twelve hours. Garden snails bury their eggs in shallow topsoil primarily while the weather is warm and damp, usually 5 to 10 cm down, digging with their foot. Egg sizes differ between species, from a 3 mm diameter in the grove snail to a 6 mm diameter in the Giant African Land Snail. After 2 to 4 weeks of favorable weather, these eggs hatch and the young emerge. Snails may lay eggs as often as once a month.

Snail meat is high in protein compare to other livestock like fish, poultry, swine, cattle and sheep. It has a good iron content, low in fat and contains almost all the amino acids needed for human nutrition. In addition to the nutritional value of snail meat, recent studies indicated that the glandular substances from edible snails cause agglutination of certain bacteria, which could be of value against a variety of ailments including whooping cough. The liquid obtained when the meat has been removed from the shell is believed to be good for infant's development. It is believed in some quarters that snail meat contains pharmacological properties of value in counteracting high blood pressure.
Snails range greatly in size. The largest land snail is the Giant African Snail, which can measure up to 30 cm. Pomacea maculata, or Giant Apple Snail is the largest freshwater snail, with a diameter of up to 15 cm and a mass of over 600 g. The biggest of all snails is Syrinx aruanus, an Australian marine species which can grow up to 77.2 cm (30 inches) in length and 18 kg (40lbs) in weight.
Snails move by crawling, swimming, or floating with currents. Land snails crawl on the ground, creeping along on their large, flat foot; a special gland in the foot secretes mucus (a slimy fluid) that helps the snail move. The common garden snail is the slowest moving animal; it can travel about 0.03 mph (0.05 kph).
Most snails bear one or two pairs of tentacles on their heads. In most land snails the eyes are carried on the first (upper) set of tentacles which are usually roughly 75% of the width of the eyes. The second (lower) set of tentacles act as olfactory organs. Both sets of tentacles are retractable in land snails. The eyes of most marine and freshwater snails are found at the base of the first set of tentacles.