by Maz Serena Rockers (116) (
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By mid 2012, I'll be finishing my economics and international relations degree. I love writing, art, music, hanging out with my friends & being a productive night owl. You can find me on twitter @Meowsha. PS Cats are the best! :)
It's one of those miserable rainy days, you've spent all your allocated funds for this weekend already and you just don't want to be indoors. Why not go hunting for some snails? Read on if you too think snails are adorable.
Take care to not squash any snails as you walk around outside because if you're anything like me, you'll likely feel very guilty at the prospect of hurting something so innocent and beautiful.
If you're having trouble finding snails, try getting up early in the morning and look at patches of pavement around your place, but more frequently I find them near shrubbery. It's most effective in damp periods, so after or during the rain is a good idea. If it's been raining in the night, there are likely to be snails in the morning.
You can even find snails by following their tracks. Sometimes, you might accidentally find a slug. I don't like slugs as much as snails but because of their close biological relationship, I don't discriminate too much. It's just a little bit disappointing.
Just remember the key indicators for your snail hunting mission. It's quite safe to look for snails near green leafy foliage as that's what their diet comprises of, especially near plants like lettuce. Rainy or damp weather is extremely favourable, and the mornings or evenings are great times. I don't usually see many snails out and about in the daytime, but that might also have something to do with living in a busy city.
Watch out for early birds, snails tend to hide from them in fear for their lives. I've also read that snails like beer, but I can't attest to the validity of this claim.
Snails are among the undervalued fauna in our environment. They're free to see and admire and I think they're extremely cute. I sometimes wonder whether they realise just how slowly they're moving, and ponder on the dilemma of whether they actually think they're moving quickly. Next time you're walking along and see one, perhaps stop and have a look.
