Photo © Sándor Kárpisz / Shutterstock.
Diet
Terrestrial snails are herbivorous. They feed on plant material (such as leaves, stems, and soft bark), fruits, and algae.
Mouthparts
Snails have a rough tongue called a radula that they use to scrape bits of food into their mouths. They also have rows of tiny teeth made of chiton.
Calcium
Snails need calcium to build their shells. Snails obtain calcium from a variety of sources such as dirt and rocks (they use their radula to grind bits from soft stones such as limestone). The calcium snails ingest is absorbed during digestion and is used by the mantle to create the shell.
Sources
For a list of sources used in the creation of this visual guide, please see the Recommended Reading page.