Friday, 5 August 2011

The Amazing Snail/Slug Observations


This week we collected snails and slugs (Molluscs) and looked at how much they ate. We worked in pairs. We put our snails into containers with holes in top so they could breath. Then we went and picked one lettuce leaf per pair. Before we put the leaf in the container we traced it onto grid paper to see how big it was. Then we put the leaf in the container with our snail. We made a hypothesis about what would happen to the leaf.

Our hypothesis: During the week the leaves would get smaller and smaller.

The next day we traced our leaves again. And on Friday we traced them again. The leaf got smaller each time we traced it.












Things we observed:

*Snail poo is dark green.

*Baby snail shells are very delicate.

*Slugs eat less than snails.

*Slugs and snails both have eyes on stalks that retract whenever they touch something.

*One slug chased its tail.

*For Gareth and Aiden's snail, the leaf went from 18 to 12 to 7 grid squares.

*Snails and slugs sleep alot.

*Big snails tend to eat more than little snails (they need more energy).





*Snails leave a sparkly trail of mucus. Some snail mucus is also green.

*Snails wake up when they get sprayed with water. They like to move around in the wet.

*Snails make bubbles when they get a fright.