What is it Wednesday: June 24, 2020

Can you identify what's in this photo?

 

 

Each Wednesday morning 

on Camp Lutherlyn's Facebook page

 the Lutherlyn Environmental Education Program posts a photo. 

 

 

Readers have all morning and afternoon 

to make their best guess about what the photo is. 

 

Around 6 pm LEEP provides the answer and a brief explanation.

 

 

Each week's What is it Wednesday post 

will also be posted on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

 after it is posted on Facebook,

sometimes with additional bonus information. 

 

In addition to bringing you current editions of What is it Wednesday 

on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

we will be reposting old editions,

creating a What is it Wednesday archive. 

 

This photo was posted as a What is it Wednesday on

June 24, 2020. 

 

 

 

And the answer is....

This is a land snail, also known as a terrestrial gastropod mollusk. 

At Lutherlyn we find lots of aquatic snails in the ponds, and occasionally some terrestrial snails on land. They are closely related to slugs – the only difference between snails and slugs is that snails have shells and slugs do not. “Gastropod” means “stomach foot,” which refers to the fact that the muscular foot of the snail is also its belly.

When tiny snails hatch from eggs deposited in the soil, they already have a small shell. The shell grows as the snail grows, as it secretes a calcium carbonate substance which hardens and enlarges the shell.

Snails are herbivores and use their raspy tongue to scrape food into its mouth. This action is what leaves behind snail tracks on leaves and wood where a snail has been feeding. Snails are hermaphroditic – individuals have both male and female reproductive organs. Keep an eye out and maybe you will spot one of these fascinating creatures! 

Like and follow Camp Lutherlyn on Facebook, to see What is it Wednesday posts when they come out and have the opportunity to share your guesses in the comments!