Snails Invertebrates in Birkenhead, Merseyside

A snail is classified as a gastropod mollusk, characterised by a soft body usually enclosed within a coiled calcareous shell. It falls under the phylum Mollusca and class Gastropoda.

No, a snail cannot live without its shell as the shell provides essential protection from physical damage, dehydration, and predators. The snail's body is attached to the shell by muscles, and losing it compromises the snail's health and mobility, often leading to death.

Scientifically, it remains unclear if snails can feel pain as they do not have nervous systems like vertebrates. While they may experience discomfort or suffering, especially if muscles attached to the shell are injured, definitive evidence of pain perception in snails is lacking, so caution is advised in handling them.