When we think of snails, we usually imagine small creatures with a shell, such as the grape snail. In comparison, gastropods such as Achatina seem like real giants – one such snail can take up the entire palm of a person. However, in reality, even Achatina seem very small compared to another representative of their species – the Australian trumpet snail (Syrinx aruanus), the largest snail in the world. In size, it is comparable, for example, to a border collie dog. This creature lives on the ocean floor and is a voracious predator.
The shell of this snail can reach more than 90 centimeters in length. Photo source: www.etsy.com
What does the largest snail in the world look like?
Mollusks can be called truly amazing creatures that amaze not only with their ability to adapt to a variety of habitats, but also with their diversity. Once upon a time, they all had one common ancestor – a small flat slug covered in spiky armor.
Since then, evolution has taken this ancestor's body type and created a huge variety of creatures, from tiny ones like Angustopila dominikae, which is 10 times smaller than the eye of a needle, to the largest snail in the world, the Australian trumpet snail. Some scientists believe that many mollusks have evolved so much that they have even acquired consciousness.
Syrinx aruanus is first of all surprising with its truly gigantic size. The shell can be up to 91 centimeters long, although most often the size is about 25-30 centimeters. The weight of the shell together with the mollusk can reach 18 kg. That is, the snail weighs about the same as a car wheel. But this is not the only interesting feature of this creature.
Shells of the Australian trumpeter at different stages of life. Photo source: nessziona.net
If you look closely at the shell of the Australian whelk, you will notice that it has a regular geometric spindle shape, as well as a rather unusual light apricot color. Over time, the shell can fade to a light yellow color. However, during the life of the mollusk, it is brown or gray, as it is covered with periostracum, that is, a certain outer layer.
The shell curls have a pronounced point, on which there are thickenings in the form of nodules. In young individuals, the shell consists of 5 curls, and in adult snails it may be completely absent.
Where does the Australian Trumpeter live and what does it eat
As you can easily guess from the name, Syrinx aruanus lives in Australia, namely in the north of the continent in the coastal area. This sea snail chooses sandy soils in the intertidal zone for life and hunting, as well as in the coastal zone at a depth of up to 30 meters.
The snail Syrinx aruanus lives at depths of up to 30 meters. Photo source: iflscience.com
On the ocean floor, the snail hunts for polychaete worms. Scientists have come to this conclusion based on field observations and analysis of the feces of the Australian trumpet snail. These snails were first noticed consuming their prey in 2000 on the silty sandbanks of Withnell Bay in Western Australia.
As the researchers themselves report, when they pulled the snails out of the sediment, they discovered that some individuals had their proboscis inserted into large tubes, that is, the outer shells of the worms. Other individuals were located above the large empty shells of the same worms. The maximum length of the worm shell that was discovered was 57 centimeters.
Apparently, the presence of a long, retractable proboscis is necessary for snails to feed on worms, since the latter are able to “retreat” into their shells. Some of the snails that scientists were able to observe in the field had narrow proboscises that could be extended at least 25 centimeters. This allows them to literally “pull” worms out of their shells.
The Australian trumpeter feeds on bristle worms. Photo source: ianimal.ru
Just imagine this picture – a giant snail, the size of a dog, eats a half-meter worm. Agree, this is worthy of science fiction films about alien creatures. By the way, there is a gastropod mollusk that is even larger than the Australian trumpeter – this is the giant sea hare slug. It grows up to one meter in length, but, like all slugs, it does not have a shell.
Why was the snail called “trumpeters”
Empty snail shells are a popular collectible. Previously, the local population used the shells as vessels for carrying water. But why were they called “trumpeters”? The thing is that if you blow into the shell, you can get a characteristic trumpet sound. The only thing is, you should not do this while the snail is alive, since such experiments can end badly.
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The Australian Aborigines who inhabited the environs of Queensland used shells not only as a musical instrument. They also made crescent-shaped nose pins from snail shells. Only men could wear such jewelry. The mollusk meat was not wasted either, since it is quite edible. By the way, giant snails were present in the human diet 170 thousand years ago. True, these were not sea snails, but land snails, which, obviously, subsequently became extinct.