10 Fantastic Ways In Which Snails Use Physics

Nowadays, courtesy of early monsoon in Delhi, snails big and small, fast and slow, greeted the lawns of India Habitat Center one evening. In some cultures, observation of snails in abundance represents slow but steady progress and good luck. Furthermore, snails are also bio monitors and indicate the quality of environment - temperature, pollution, etc.

What I was more fascinated by was the physics of a snail. How snail was defying gravity and climbing up the wall without second thoughts. How the mucus left behind by Snail's muscular foot must have helped it reduce friction, but also slowed it down and so on.

It was a magical day to say the least and more than a dozen snails showing up was no less than a happy serendipity. Snails might seem simple, but they rely on a surprising range of physical principles in their everyday life. Following are 10 ways in which a snail uses physics for its survival:

1. Surface tension: Snails secrete a mucus to create a slimy track. Because of surface tension, the mucus acts like elastic membrane. The snails use wave like muscle movements to glide forward efficiently.

2. Friction control: The mucus is a non Newtonian fluid. Its viscosity or thickness changes depending on the stress applied to it. This allows snails to control friction on surfaces as per their wish.

3. Adhesion: Snails can also move vertically and upside down, like a spider. This is possible due to adhesive force between their mucus and and surfaces.

4. Stress distribution: Shells of snails are logarithmic spirals. The shell closely resembles Fibonacci sequence and is a thing of mathematical beauty. The structure distributes stress and protects snail's life.

5. Thermal regulation: Snails also use their skin and shells for heat transfer. Surface of the shell and skin is highly reflective and shiny and reduces absorption of heat, keeping snails cool.

6. Moisture retention: In dry conditions, the mucus of snail is useful in controlling evaporation of water. Snails drink water by absorbing it through their slimy skin.

7. Vibration sensitivity: Snails do not have ears but respond to vibrations quickly. Snails detect external threat by vibrations as they are firmly attached to the surfaces.

8. Optics: Snails do not have very sharp eyes. Snails can only distinguish between bright and dark. Snails cannot see colors and only use elementary optics for movement.

9. Torsion: Snail's shell is coiled in such a way that it helps the snail stay balanced while moving. Some shells can grow very large and heavy over time, but the center of mass is shifted gradually keeping the snail perfectly healthy.

10. Viscoelasticity: Snail mucus is not just slippery, it is viscoelastic. Thus, the mucus can be used both as liquid and solid. This allows snails to hold on to surfaces, and defend itself against attack.