That’s what I think, yeah. They move a little bit, then munch the ground sweeping left and right, then move a bit more. Their little mouths are like sandpaper, so they just rub away the green growth (I think, I’m not a snailologist, I just like snails and have been bit by them).
This link isn’t gonna be suuuuper accurate because it’s marine mollusks that they’re looking at, but you can see the similarity in the marks. The radula would be the commonality between them, which is why I think snail/slug.
Yes! I loved snails so much as a kid, so I would collect them from the road when I walked to school and put them in the bushes outside of school grounds before the bell (I didn’t like the idea of them getting squished by traffic). I never really had a way to carry them so I’d just stick them on my arms or really wherever. Sometimes when I was putting them in the bushes, I’d notice just a teensy bit of blood on my arms where they were crawling around. I thought it was from the snails at first, but one time I kept a particularly fat snail on my hand and kinda watched him while I walked. He did the little chewing thing on the back of my hand for a bit and afterward, there was just a teensy bit of blood where he bit. The sensation was barely even noticeable, to be honest. A bit like a very tiny cat tongue—not really painful, just a bit scratchy.
That’s what I think, yeah. They move a little bit, then munch the ground sweeping left and right, then move a bit more. Their little mouths are like sandpaper, so they just rub away the green growth (I think, I’m not a snailologist, I just like snails and have been bit by them).
Edit: https://themarinedetective.com/2020/10/26/who-goes-there-scraping-marks-on-the-rocks/
This link isn’t gonna be suuuuper accurate because it’s marine mollusks that they’re looking at, but you can see the similarity in the marks. The radula would be the commonality between them, which is why I think snail/slug.
“I’m not a snailologist”
I recently learned they are called malacologists.
I’m not one of those either! (But thank you for the fun, new info!)
Neat!
Wait. You have been “bit” by them? Can you describe the feeling/sensation?
Yes! I loved snails so much as a kid, so I would collect them from the road when I walked to school and put them in the bushes outside of school grounds before the bell (I didn’t like the idea of them getting squished by traffic). I never really had a way to carry them so I’d just stick them on my arms or really wherever. Sometimes when I was putting them in the bushes, I’d notice just a teensy bit of blood on my arms where they were crawling around. I thought it was from the snails at first, but one time I kept a particularly fat snail on my hand and kinda watched him while I walked. He did the little chewing thing on the back of my hand for a bit and afterward, there was just a teensy bit of blood where he bit. The sensation was barely even noticeable, to be honest. A bit like a very tiny cat tongue—not really painful, just a bit scratchy.
Thank you for describing it so accurately. I am honestly surprised and didn’t know!
this is one of the best comments I’ve ever read on fediverse
thank you