Fun Jeremy Snail Facts For Kids

Jeremy the lefty snail, was a unique snail with distinctive left coiling shells that set him apart from other garden snails. Scientists studied Jeremy, a left-coiled snail.

Jeremy died on October 11, 2017, at the age of at least two. He will be sorely missed.

Jeremy rose to international prominence as a result of a genetic mutation that led his shell to coil left rather than right because of recessive genes. People spent years looking for another lefty snail that could be one of his potential mates.

She was discovered shortly before his death. His legacy will live on in the genetic information obtained from their lefty snail progeny.

A retired scientist from The Natural History Museum spotted Jeremy on a compost heap in South West London. He spotted Jeremy's uniqueness and contacted Dr. Angus Davison, a geneticist at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom.

The snail possessed a rare genetic mutation that led its shell to coil to the left(left coiling), as opposed to the right coiled shell in normal ones. Environmental influences may have produced the body asymmetry, although this has not been demonstrated and is deemed improbable.

Some findings show that the rare left-spiraling shell is usually a developmental accident, rather than an inherited condition. This possible mutation is exceedingly rare, occurring just once in a million.

Even Jeremy's offspring had right coiling shell genes. You might also want to read our facts about apple snail and dot snail.

Jeremy Snail Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a Jeremy snail?

Jeremy was a type of genetic lefty snail kept in the University of Nottingham, where Dr. Angus Davison studies his rare body genetics. He believed it was due to recessive genes.

What class of animal does a Jeremy snail belong to?

Jeremy belonged to the Gastropoda class and was left coiled. Because its genetics shell curled counterclockwise to the left instead of right, Jeremy was categorized as sinistral.

How many Jeremy snails are there in the world?

Jeremy, the lefty snail died on October 11, 2017. Jeremy was a garden snail and they are very normal to find. It was under the long-term care of Dr. Angus Davison.

Where does a Jeremy snail live?

Jeremy had a rare body (sinistral) that was studied by scientists, mostly Dr. Angus Davison at the University of Nottingham because it was a rare garden snail. Jeremy's shell coiled left instead of a normal genetics shell that coils to the right.

What is a Jeremy snail's habitat?

It is a Mediterranean rare body snail that has spread to many other parts of the world, making it a species with a global range and presence on all continents except Antarctica. However, they are now found in a number of locations where they are considered agricultural pests.

Who do Jeremy snail live with?

Jeremy had a sole life at the University of Nottingham where he was studied by Dr. Angus Davison and other scientists. Citizen scientists discovered 40 lefty snails for Jeremy to select from thanks to the international snail love initiative.

How long does a Jeremy snail live?

Jeremy had a short life of two years. However, the garden lefty snails are known to live up to five years. In captivity, scientists noticed that they may even have a life of 10-15 years.

How do they reproduce?

Copulation begins by mutually stabbing each other with 'love darts,' which are small calcium spears that transmit a hormone. Lefty snails are hermaphrodites, which means they are both male and female at the same time and could reciprocally fertilize each other' and eventually create children.

Being lefty snails (body asymmetry) makes mating challenging, said Angus Davison. The scientists tried very hard to find Jeremy's rare mate and also for other sinistral snails.

Citizen scientists discovered 40 lefty snails for Jeremy to select from as part of the international snail love initiative.

Jeremy, on the other hand, had a difficult time finding a partner among the array of lefty snails on offer. We have managed to learn from breeding the snails together that two asymmetry left coils could make right coiling animals.

What is their conservation status?

 Jeremy died on October 11, 2017.

Jeremy Snail Fun Facts

What do Jeremy snail look like?

Jeremy had a shell that twists in the opposite direction from most snails. It's an extremely unique trait.

How cute are they?

Lefty garden snails are, indeed, adorable just like glass snails! Despite their slimy appearance, these lefty snails are adorable since they are tiny and gentle.

How do they communicate?

Remember how lefty garden snails have two sets of antennae? The top pair are eyestalks, while the bottom pair sense substances in the same way as insect antennae or human noses do. To attract other snails, snails deposit pheromones along their slime trail. When they get near enough, they can exchange pheromones directly.

How big is a Jeremy snail?

This information is not available but this lefty garden snails shell is around 0.9-1.3 in (2.2-3.3 cm) tall and 0.9-1.5 in (2.2-3.8 cm) wide. Jeremy's shell rare coiling happened during early developmental, rather than an inherited condition.

How fast can a Jeremy snail move?

Snails move slowly because they employ muscular pedal waves to move, and they leave a foul-smelling trail of mucus behind them. Their sluggish mobility is also owing to the fact that they are protected by hefty shells. Snails travel at a speed of around 1 mph (1.6 kph).

How much does a Jeremy snail weigh?

The exact weight of Jeremy left coiling snails (shell coiled to left) is 0.05-0.1 lb (22.6-45.3 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

The majority of garden snails are hermaphrodites, which means they have both male and female sexual organs. So there are no sex-specific names for them. The shell coiled to left is generally an accident rather than an inherited condition.

What would you call a baby Jeremy snail?

A baby snail is called a baby snail. Each species of snail has a unique scientific name. Consider the brown garden snail, technically known as Cornu aspersum. Baby Cornu aspersum is the scientific name for baby brown garden snails. So, no, baby snails do not have a specific name. They're simply referred to as baby snails.

What do they eat?

Add some eggshells or natural chalk to your pet's tank as snails need calcium to form their shells. Apples, pears, peaches, plums, blackberries, raspberries, kiwis, and strawberries are among their favorite fruits. Cucumber, tomato, carrot, lettuce, cabbage, kale, worms such as earthworms or dandelion leaves are other options.

Are they poisonous?

Garden snails are hosts for the parasite Angiostrongylus vasorum, which has been linked to lungworm infections in dogs. Snails can also carry a parasite called Aerlurostrongylus abstrusus, which infests the lungs of cats.

Adult dogs and cats will not eat snails, but pups and kittens may eat uncooked snails out of curiosity. The Rat Lungworm (Angiostrongylus costaricensis) parasite can be transmitted to humans via snails and rats. While this parasite affects rats' lungs, it may also infect the human brain and cause damage.

Would they make a good pet?

Snails are excellent pets since they are simple to care for and do not require exercise. Their meals might be leftovers from your refrigerator. Also, snails keep to themselves.

They don't need a lot of effort. They require a basic setup that is relatively affordable. Aside from that, they are quite intriguing to watch, which is why a terrarium with snails may be highly stimulating to a school classroom.

Did you know...

A left-handed gastropod shell is known as a sinistral shell. The species' regular right-handed variety is fairly abundant in India and Sri Lanka, but sinistral specimens are highly uncommon and treasured by Hindus. A specimen might cost much more than $1000 USD. A sinistral specimen of Tudivasum armigera is even uncommon in the Vasidae family.

What is the most rare snail?

Cerion nanus is the world's rarest snail. That's a huge claim for a snail that's just a centimeter long.

Cerion is a genus of air-breathing land snails that is abundant in the West Indies and the Florida Keys. Different species within the genus have no common name or are referred to as 'peanut snails' due to their overall form. The world's rarest snail is similarly uncommon in institutions as only four museums hold specimens.

Do snails die of old age?

You can count growth rings on the edge of their shell as they age. Some of the snails are at least six years old, and most are probably eight or nine.

The elder snails have thick shells and are frequently seen out and about. This might be because as the snails become older and larger, fewer birds and other predators are able to shatter their thick shells, and they feel comfortable enough not to hide away all the time.

So, it appears that if a snail survives long enough to become large, it may have a decent chance of living to be 15 years old. It depends on the type of snail.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these sea slug facts and nudibranch facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Jeremy snails coloring pages.

Main image by Angus Davison.