Reproduction

          For the reproduction of land snails, they can reproduce sexually, but have both male and female reproductive organs (ovaries and testes). The way that a snail attracts a mate is through touch and not by a mating call like many other animals. Snails eject slime onto their partners and receive and release sperm and then have the ability to both create 100 eggs. The eggs are then put into moist soil with a very low rate of survival (BioExpidtion. 2012). The survival rate is low do to predators, rain, and being a washed away with water used to water lawns. Those that do survive can take up to four weeks to develop and have a very weak shell that does not allow for very strong protection. Young snails often do not make it to sexual maturity because they are easy prey. Sexual maturity for a snail is not until it is at least two years old (Hebert, P. 2007). For this reason alone scientists are worried about how well snails will maintain their population as their environments change. Snails are not often times seen as important animals, so an outcry for protection is usually not heard from the general public (BioExpidtion. 2012).