Why do snails carry their shells?
Snails carry their shells because the shell is their home and safe hiding place.
Pip’s answer
- Snails carry their shells because the shell is their home and safe hiding place.
- A snail's shell grows with it, so it never needs to move house.
- On hot, dry days, a snail tucks inside to stay cool and damp.
- Ooh, buddy, most snail shells curl around in a spiral, like a tiny swirl!
Try it together
Can you draw a swirly snail shell in the air?
For grown-ups
A snail's shell grows with it and protects its soft body from predators and drying out. Snails make their shells from calcium carbonate. When it is dry or dangerous, a snail can retreat inside and seal the opening with a layer of dried mucus.
Ask your child: Why do you think we see more snails after it rains?
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- 🐱Why do cats purr?
- 🐝Why do bees visit flowers?
- 🐦How do birds fly?
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