Questions people actually ask
Short answers, each with its source. Longer ones live on the topic pages.
Is a slug just a snail without a shell?
A slug is a gastropod whose shell has shrunk to a small plate or a few grains inside its body, or has gone completely. Britannica: Slug A slug still has a shell, but it’s inside, under the thick ‘mantle’ on its back. Natural History Museum, London: For the love of snails and slugs
How many kinds of snail and slug live in the UK?
The Natural History Museum says the UK has 100 species of land snail and 46 species of land slug. Natural History Museum, London: For the love of snails and slugs · checked 30 Oct 2026 The RHS says there are over 44 species of slug and 90 species of snail in the UK. Royal Horticultural Society: Slugs and snails · checked 30 Oct 2026 The Wildlife Trusts say there are around 150 species of slugs and snails in the UK. The Wildlife Trusts, 14 March 2024: The Wildlife Trusts and RHS ask gardeners to make friends with molluscs · checked 30 Oct 2026
How many live on the Isle of Man?
About 66 kinds of land snail are known from the Isle of Man, compared with around 134 for the British Isles as a whole. Alexander & Dubbeldam 2013, A survey of ancient woodland indicator molluscs in selected sites on the Isle of Man, Journal of Conchology 41(3) · checked 30 Oct 2026
Do snails have eyes?
Snails and slugs usually have four tentacles that they can pull in, and the top two carry tiny eyes. Royal Horticultural Society: Slugs and snails Their eyesight is poor: they can only see differences in light and blurry outlines. Natural History Museum, London: For the love of snails and slugs
How fast is a snail?
Most snails in the group that includes many land, sea and freshwater snails move at less than 8 cm a minute. Britannica: How fast are snails? The fastest slug is the tramp slug, recorded at 17.6 metres an hour (29.4 cm a minute). Royal Horticultural Society: 10 fun facts about slugs (7 March 2024) · checked 30 Oct 2026
How long do snails live?
Most snail species only live for one to two years, but in a long wet season they can lay eggs almost all the time. Natural History Museum, London: For the love of snails and slugs
What do snails and slugs eat?
Most snails and slugs eat dead and rotting plants, not living ones, so they are important recyclers. Natural History Museum, London: For the love of snails and slugs Slugs and snails are nature’s clean-up crew: they eat rotting plants, fungi, dung and even dead animals, putting nutrients back into the soil. The Wildlife Trusts, 14 March 2024: The Wildlife Trusts and RHS ask gardeners to make friends with molluscs
Where do snails go in winter?
In winter, snails hibernate in a sheltered spot. Many seal their shell with a plug of mucus first, and they are often found clumped together. Natural History Museum, London: For the love of snails and slugs
What’s the UK’s biggest slug?
The ash-black slug is the UK’s biggest slug: it has been known to reach 30 cm long. Royal Horticultural Society: 10 fun facts about slugs (7 March 2024) · checked 30 Oct 2026
What’s the biggest land snail in the world?
The largest land snail, the African Achatina achatina, has a shell almost 20 cm long. Britannica: Gastropod
Are any snails protected?
In England, Roman snails are protected by law: it is illegal to kill, injure, collect or sell them. Natural History Museum, London: For the love of snails and slugs If you spot a Roman snail, don’t move or disturb it. Natural History Museum, London: Slime Search (with the Conchological Society)
When is the best time to look for them?
Snails and slugs need to stay wet, so you are most likely to see them when it’s raining. Natural History Museum, London: For the love of snails and slugs Slugs and snails are most active at night, so an evening walk with a torch is a good way to find them. The Wildlife Trusts, 14 March 2024: The Wildlife Trusts and RHS ask gardeners to make friends with molluscs