Some manage to do it without their attacker noticing. They can move swiftly if another snail is on top of them. Some snails prefer to escape from a direct attack. The shell of most snails is brown or light brown, which sometimes makes them hard to see on the ground or in the trunks of trees. Some dwell in places difficult to access like cracks or crevices or in the ceilings of some structures. – Live in areas with places to hide like rocks and plants. It is always effective to disappear from the sight of your predator. So far, it is not confirmed if the secretions of land snails contain toxic substances. When an animal attacks a snail, it releases large amounts of mucus, perhaps to confuse or stifle the attacker. To do this, they can use strategies such as the following:Īs we know, they are not fast Then, when they feel danger nearby, they lock themselves into their shell and cover the opening with a layer of mucus called epiphragm. They may not look the most ferocious, but they are not completely defenseless against their predators either.
Species of the genus Powelliphanta (native of New Zealand), although they are carnivorous and can eat other snails, must take care of opossums, rats, weasels, pigs, wekas ( Gallirallus australis), song thrushes ( Turdus philomelos), hedgehogs and weasels. Some snails have more predators than others, either because of their physical characteristics or the habitat in which they live. Some may eat them, but others simply kill them or just play with them. They may not need to consume them as food, but they are often curious as well as territorial. In residential areas, pets can be predators for snails as well. This black rat has been key to the decline of the population of this species of snail. Look at what has happened to the snail species Pseudocharopa whiteleggei, highly vulnerable to the black rat ( Rattus rattus) introduced in Australia in the early twentieth century. In some cases, snails are victims of predators introduced into their habitat, that is, animals that do not belong to their natural environment which can be very dangerous for them. The bigger ones can crush them or make a hole in the shell to extract the soft body. For the smaller ones, like nematodes or larvae, it is relatively easy to enter by the opening of the shell and begin eating the snail. Predators attack snails according to their size and capabilities. Many of the smaller species of snails end up eaten by larger ones like the Decollate snail, which is a voracious predator that feeds on garden snails and slugs as well as their eggs. Haplotrema concavum is an American carnivorous predator snail that, in addition to worms, enjoys eating other snails that may be of the same species. Certain species such as the Rumina conch shell enjoy eating other relatives, usually garden snails ( Helix aspersa). Among the predators are flies, mites, nematodes, millipedes, centipedes, some caterpillars and fireflies, leeches, beetles and their larvae, rats, mice, weasels, squirrels, toads, salamanders, turtles, blackbirds, wild turkeys and other Birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae.Īnd they also eat each other.
They are not usually victims of large animals. The most common enemies of land snails are small vertebrates, invertebrates, birds, and mammals. From the ecological point of view, land snails are at the bottom of the food chain. For these reasons, they are the prey of other bigger, stronger and faster animals. They are small animals, slow, and lack agility or physical defense skills. Land snails have a large number of predators.
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