Cochlear teeth: how many and how are they located?

The question of whether snails have teeth will interest many nature lovers and these unusual creatures. Following the logic of things, they should still be present in one form or another, since the snail knows how to eat solid food and chew it. However, no one saw their teeth with their own eyes, and therefore many owners of snail carriages will be interested to learn not only about their existence, but also about the features of their structure.

Snails are the most abundant group in the gastropod class. Today, science knows more than 100 thousand varieties of gastropods, of which 1620 species are snails and slugs. If you carefully observe the gastropods, you will notice that they are all able to deftly deal with elastic green leaves, as well as pieces of vegetables and fruits. This indicates that they have an effective chewing system, which is simply impossible to distinguish with the naked eye. However, using special equipment, scientists were able not only to see the teeth, but also to determine their structure and exact location.

On the upper side of the membrane are chitinous outgrowths, which are nothing more than a modified form of teeth. Such organs for chewing food are found in all snails, including herbivorous and carnivorous species, as well as slugs.

In addition, predatory species are able to secrete a caustic liquid, which partially dissolves animal food and greatly facilitates its swallowing and further digestion. A characteristic feature of the radula is its ability to constantly renew itself, which makes it possible for snails to always have a complete set. The front teeth wear out quickly, and in the depths of the radula there is a continuous process of growing new teeth. So, every day the snail grows up to five rows of young chitinous teeth instead of worn ones.

Despite the fact that gastropods look quite peaceful, they surpass all carnivorous animal species in the number of teeth. The snail is one of the leaders among the "nibbles" and is second only to the naked slug, which has more than 30,000 teeth. Even sharks are noticeably inferior to them on this basis, having only 3 to 15 thousand razor-sharp teeth in their huge mouth. Most snails have about 25,000 teeth, and some species approach 30,000.

Thus, their total number reaches a little more than 14 thousand pieces, which is quite enough for this herbivorous gastropod to grind plant food. But the most "toothless" species is the African snail, which has no more than 10 thousand teeth in its arsenal. But this does not prevent her from easily nibbling on thick stems of tropical vegetation, effectively chopping leaves and grass, and also scraping off the top nutrient layer from them.

The strength of a snail's teeth can be judged by the type of food it eats. So, in carnivorous species, chitinous outgrowths are somewhat denser and stronger than in herbivores, which allows them to easily deal with living creatures. And some gastropods (for example, oyster gimbals) are capable of using the radula as a "drill" at all, opening the shells of their victims and sucking out all the contents through the resulting hole. Grass-eating snails don't need such powerful teeth - they are quite content with plastic and sharp bristles that scrape off small particles from plant food.

The bucket teeth scrape and scoop up the top layer of vegetation, after which it is transported into the esophagus. True, it is worth noting that, despite their small size, many snails cause significant harm to garden plantings. Onions and cabbage especially suffer from their sharp teeth. Snails literally attack these crops in numerous groups and leave gardeners without a crop.

This was proven in a scientific experiment, during which scientists found out that newly hatched babies feed on the shells of their eggs. Their young, but strong enough and numerous teeth are able to grind solid food and send it into the esophagus. The snails bury their eggs in the ground, therefore, after completely devouring the shell, the babies get out to the surface and begin to eat on a par with adults. By this time, the strength of the teeth already allows them to eat hard apples and tough grass.

Snails are unique creatures. They never cease to amaze others with their behavior and appearance.

Below are some interesting facts from the life of gastropods, which few people know about.

• The snail nervous system includes about 20 thousand neurons. In humans, their number reaches several hundred billion.But despite this, gastropods are very sensitive creatures, for which they have many fans around the globe.
• The snail's "nose" is its famous horns, which are equipped with olfactory receptors and allow the snail to search for food solely by smell.
• Vision in gastropods is very poorly developed, which is why they are able to distinguish only light and darkness. Therefore, there can be no question of any recognition of the owner by sight, since the pet simply does not see the person.
• Almost all species of snails are hermaphrodites and viviparous creatures.
• Many species are gourmet and highly prized by gourmets. For example, the meat of giant Achatina fulica, growing up to 20 cm, contains a huge amount of nutrients and is very useful. It is believed to be superior to a chicken's egg in terms of protein and is high in calcium, iron and fatty acids.
• Even the fastest snails can only accelerate up to 7 cm per minute. However, this value is the maximum, since usually these mollusks overcome no more than 3-5 cm during this period of time.
• The largest specimen in the entire history of observation is a giant snail weighing 16 kg and having a house 70 cm long.
• The shell of most snails is twisted clockwise relative to the inner end. Twisting in the opposite direction, although it occurs, however, it happens much less often.
• In the old days, using snails for medical purposes was limited to treating the gastrointestinal tract, eye diseases, and stopping bleeding.

What snail teeth look like, see below.