What's the hurry?

By Aaron Horrell

I photographed this little land snail crawling along on a fallen elm tree leaf on the wet, warm afternoon of Nov. 5. This land snail is one of several similar-looking small snails commonly known as garden snails.

The snail slides along on its "foot" leaving a slimy trail behind. Each of the two long upper "stalks" on the garden snail's head has an eye at the end.

The two shorter lower stalks are used to smell.

Some small birds and a variety of carnivorous insects prey on garden snails.

Most garden snails live no more than a year or two.