Snails and slugs are known to move slowly, with speeds of about 1 meter per hour (3 feet per hour). They achieve this slow movement using long, mucus-covered, muscular legs called abdominal legs on the underside of their bodies.
These legs, or muscles, work by undulating to move the animal through its own mucus. This method of movement is very slow, as it is limited by the rate at which mucus is produced.
However, this slow movement is not a disadvantage for snails and slugs. They rely on stationary food sources, such as plants and dead things, and have other strategies to escape predators, such as camouflaging themselves with dull colors or retreating into their shells.
This article is a response to the question “Why do snails move so slowly? Is there an evolutionary advantage to snails moving slowly?” by Lewis Casey of Portsmouth.
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Source: www.sciencefocus.com
