Snails Move Quicker Than Thought - BBC News

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Snails can travel at a relatively speedy one metre per hour, researchers have discovered..

A team from the University of Exeter attached small LED lights to the backs of 450 snails and tracked their activity over a 72 hour period.

Using UV paint and time-lapse photography, the scientists were able to estimate the speed of the snails and the distance travelled in a garden setting.

They were also able to see how many of them followed the slime trails of other snails, saving energy in the process.

The discovery was part of a study into how snails spread parasites that can be fatal to dogs.

  • SubsectionScience & Environment
  • Published23 August 2013
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