#tiny snail

This morning before I left for work I took my dog for a walk and on the way back in saw this little friend. Who is that you ask?

Tis a snail!

Rarity is wearing a tiny snail.

(Hope I am not annoying with the multiple requests ^-^" also didn't know if I should request them all together or alone, thought each as one alone might be better for keeping track)

Animal of the day: Desmoulin's whorl snail !

Whorl snails are tiny terrestrial molluscs found in wetlands across Europe. The latin name of this species is Vertigo moulinsiana, named after the French naturalist Charles des Moulins. They are certainly very cute :)

Their shells grow up to 2.6mm long, made up of 4-5 curling structures known as whorls, hence why they are called whorl snails ! The shells are more pointy when they are young, but as they grow up they become more rounded. Like most snails they are hermaphrodites (they produce both types of gametes) and reproduce by exchanging gametes or self-fertilisation.

Their tiny size means they cannot travel far on their own, but research has found that they can float on water currents and attach themselves to larger animals which enables them to colonise larger ranges.

Due to draining of water sources and land use change, whorl snails are classified as a vulnerable or even endangered species on the IUCN Red List. We must protect wetland habitats to keep these little guys safe :(