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A clutch of snail eggs: 2: Hatchlings feeding

on 16th February 2019

1. Hatchlings LINK.

The earlier post showed that these small snails were nocturnal, hiding in the soil during the day and emerging at night to feed LINK.

Snail hatchlings trying to move to the underside of the leaf, away from the light.

In trying to document them feeding, the snails had to be subjected to lighting. This, inturn forced them to move under the leaf to avoid the light (above, below). As a result, only a few snails were documented feeding on the leaf of the Chinese Kale (Brassica alboglabra).

Snail hatchlings trying to move to the underside of the leaf, away from the light.

The video below shows the week-old snails grazing on the leaf, using their radula or rasping tongue to scrape or cut their food before channeling the bits and pieces through its digestive system LINK.

This tongue is also used to clean its shell of dried mucous.

Few snail hatchlings remained on the leaf to be videoed.

During its feeding, small fragments of its food pass through its digestive system and are excreted. This was seen in the morning. The inner surface of the cover of the plastic box was always littered with bits of dark wastes left by the snails moving about inside the box during the night (below).

Droppings of snail hatchilngs after feeding.

YC Wee
Singapore
11th January 2019

If you like this post please tap on the Like button at the left bottom of page. Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors/contributors, and are not endorsed by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM, NUS) or its affiliated institutions. Readers are encouraged to use their discretion before making any decisions or judgements based on the information presented.

YC Wee

Dr Wee played a significant role as a green advocate in Singapore through his extensive involvement in various organizations and committees: as Secretary and Chairman for the Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch), and with the Nature Society (Singapore) as founding President (1978-1995). He has also served in the Nature Reserve Board (1987-1989), Nature Reserves Committee (1990-1996), National Council on the Environment/Singapore Environment Council (1992-1996), Work-Group on Nature Conservation (1992) and Inter-Varsity Council on the Environment (1995-1997). He is Patron of the Singapore Gardening Society and was appointed Honorary Museum Associate of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) in 2012. In 2005, Dr Wee started the Bird Ecology Study Group. With more than 6,000 entries, the website has become a valuable resource consulted by students, birdwatchers and researchers locally and internationally. The views and opinions expressed in this article are his own, and do not represent those of LKCNHM, the National University of Singapore or its affiliated institutions.

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