Snail vs. Slug: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
A snail is a slow-moving mollusk with a coiled shell on its back, while a slug is similar but lacks a visible shell, making it more vulnerable but also more flexible.
Key Differences
Snails are known for their distinctive coiled shell, which serves as protection and a retreat from predators or environmental conditions, whereas slugs lack an external shell, having only a small internal shell or none at all.
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Snails are found both on land and in water, with the land varieties often inhabiting damp environments, while slugs are primarily terrestrial and are also commonly found in moist environments.
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The shell of a snail is not just a home, but also a storage of calcium and a place for muscle attachment, which is absent in slugs, giving them a more flexible but less protected body.
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Snails can retract into their shell for protection or during dry conditions, a survival strategy not available to slugs due to their lack of a substantial shell.
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Both snails and slugs are gastropods, but their adaptation to different environmental conditions has led to the snail's development of a shell, while the slug has evolved to survive without one.
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Comparison Chart
Physical Characteristic
Has a visible, coiled shell
Lacks a visible shell, often has a reduced internal shell
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Habitat
Both terrestrial and aquatic environments
Primarily terrestrial environments
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Protection
Can retract into shell for safety
Lacks the same level of physical protection
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Adaptation
Shell provides storage for calcium and muscle attachment
More flexible body due to lack of shell
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Survival Strategies
Uses shell for protection and to survive dry conditions
Relies on moisture and flexibility for survival
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Snail and Slug Definitions
Snail
Snail refers to a shelled gastropod, often found in damp environments.
She observed a snail slowly climbing the plant stem.
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Slug
A slug is a shell-less terrestrial mollusk.
The slug left a slimy trail across the sidewalk.
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Snail
Snails are creatures that carry their home on their back.
The snail retreated into its shell when touched.
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Slug
Slugs are known for their flexible bodies and lack of shell.
The slug was able to squeeze through a tiny opening in the garden fence.
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Snail
Snail, a common mollusk, plays an ecological role in gardens.
The snail was feeding on the leaves of the lettuce.
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Slug
Slugs often inhabit moist environments and have a distinctive slimy mucus.
After the rain, the garden was crawling with slugs.
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Snail
A snail is characterized by its spiral shell and slow pace.
A snail’s pace is synonymous with slowness.
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Slug
Slug, a common garden creature, is often considered a pest.
The slug had been eating holes in the leaves of the plants.
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Snail
A snail is a slow-moving mollusk with a coiled shell.
The garden was full of snails after the rain.
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Snail
Any of numerous aquatic or terrestrial gastropod mollusks that typically have a spirally coiled shell, retractile foot, and distinct head.
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Slug
An amount of liquid, especially liquor, that is swallowed in one gulp; a swig.
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Snail
Any of very many animals (either hermaphroditic or nonhermaphroditic), of the class Gastropoda, having a coiled shell.
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Slug
A small metal disk for use in a vending or gambling machine, especially one used illegally.
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Snail
(engineering) A spiral cam, or a flat piece of metal of spirally curved outline, used for giving motion to, or changing the position of, another part, as the hammer tail of a striking clock.
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Slug
A strip of type metal, less than type-high and thicker than a lead, used for spacing.
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Slug
A compositor's type line of identifying marks or instructions, inserted temporarily in copy.
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Snail
(railroading) A locomotive with a prime mover but no traction motors, used to provide extra electrical power to another locomotive.
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Slug
(Physics) The British unit of mass that accelerates at the rate of one foot per second per second when acted on by a force of one pound on the surface of the Earth.
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Slug
Any of various terrestrial gastropod mollusks having a slow-moving slimy elongated body with no shell or with a flat rudimentary shell on or under the skin, usually found in moist habitats.
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Snail
Any one of numerous species of terrestrial air-breathing gastropods belonging to the genus Helix and many allied genera of the family Helicidæ. They are abundant in nearly all parts of the world except the arctic regions, and feed almost entirely on vegetation; a land snail.
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Snail
A spiral cam, or a flat piece of metal of spirally curved outline, used for giving motion to, or changing the position of, another part, as the hammer tail of a striking clock.
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Slug
A slimy mass of aggregated amoeboid cells that develops into the spore-bearing fruiting body of a cellular slime mold.
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Snail
A tortoise; in ancient warfare, a movable roof or shed to protect besiegers; a testudo.
They had also all manner of gynes [engines] . . . that needful is [in] taking or sieging of castle or of city, as snails, that was naught else but hollow pavises and targets, under the which men, when they fought, were heled [protected], . . . as the snail is in his house; therefore they cleped them snails.
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Snail
Freshwater or marine or terrestrial gastropod mollusk usually having an external enclosing spiral shell
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Snail
Edible terrestrial snail usually served in the shell with a sauce of melted butter and garlic
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Slug
(Informal) To drink rapidly or in large gulps
Slugged down a can of pop.
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Slug
To wait for or obtain a ride to work by standing at a roadside hoping to be picked up by a driver who needs another passenger to use the HOV lanes of a highway.
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Slug
Any of many terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks, having no (or only a rudimentary) shell.
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Slug
A bullet or other projectile fired from a firearm; in modern usage, generally refers to a shotgun slug.
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Slug
A counterfeit coin, especially one used to steal from vending machines.
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Slug
(journalism) A title, name or header, a catchline, a short phrase or title to indicate the content of a newspaper or magazine story for editing use.
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Slug
The imperial (English) unit of mass that accelerates by 1 foot per second squared (1 ft/s²) when a force of one pound-force (lbf) is exerted on it.
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Slug
A discrete mass of a material that moves as a unit, usually through another material.
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Slug
(railroading) An accessory to a diesel-electric locomotive, used to increase adhesive weight and allow full power to be applied at a lower speed. It has trucks with traction motors, but lacks a prime mover, being powered by electricity from the mother locomotive, and may or may not have a control cab.
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Slug
(metal typesetting) A piece of type metal imprinted by a linotype machine; also a black mark placed in the margin to indicate an error; also said in application to typewriters; type slug.
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Slug
(regional) A stranger picked up as a passenger to enable legal use of high occupancy vehicle lanes.
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Slug
(web design) The last part of a clean URL, the displayed resource name, similar to a filename.
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Slug
To take part in casual carpooling; to form ad hoc, informal carpools for commuting, essentially a variation of ride-share commuting and hitchhiking.
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Slug
To become reduced in diameter, or changed in shape, by passing from a larger to a smaller part of the bore of the barrel.
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Slug
(transitive) To hit very hard, usually with the fist.
He insulted my mother, so I slugged him.
The fighter slugged his opponent into unconsciousness.
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Slug
Any one of numerous species of terrestrial pulmonate mollusks belonging to Limax and several related genera, in which the shell is either small and concealed in the mantle, or altogether wanting. They are closely allied to the land snails.
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Slug
Any smooth, soft larva of a sawfly or moth which creeps like a mollusk; as, the pear slug; rose slug.
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Slug
A ship that sails slowly.
His rendezvous for his fleet, and for all slugs to come to, should be between Calais and Dover.
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Slug
A thick strip of metal less than type high, and as long as the width of a column or a page, - used in spacing out pages and to separate display lines, etc.
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Slug
To become reduced in diameter, or changed in shape, by passing from a larger to a smaller part of the bore of the barrel; - said of a bullet when fired from a gun, pistol, or other firearm.
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Slug
Any of various terrestrial gastropods having an elongated slimy body and no external shell
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Slug
Strike heavily, especially with the fist or a bat;
He slugged me so hard that I passed out
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Slug
Be idle; exist in a changeless situation;
The old man sat and stagnated on his porch
He slugged in bed all morning
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Slug
Slug refers to a soft-bodied gastropod without a visible shell.
She found a slug under the damp log in the garden.
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Repeatedly Asked Queries
Can snails live both in water and on land?
Yes, there are both aquatic and terrestrial snails.
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Do all snails have shells?
Yes, all snails have shells, though the size and shape can vary.
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How do snails protect themselves?
Snails retract into their shells for protection.
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Are slugs faster than snails?
Slugs and snails have similar speeds, both moving quite slowly.
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How do slugs survive without a shell?
Slugs rely on their flexibility and moist habitats for survival.
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What is a slug?
A slug is a mollusk similar to a snail but without a visible shell.
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Do slugs have any predators?
Yes, slugs have predators like birds, toads, and beetles.
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Are slugs poisonous?
Most slugs are not poisonous, but some species can be harmful if ingested.
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Can slugs regenerate body parts?
Slugs can regenerate some body parts, like their antennae.
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How long do snails live?
The lifespan of snails varies, but some can live for several years.
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What is the purpose of the slime in slugs?
The slime helps slugs move and protects their bodies from drying out.
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Are there different species of snails?
Yes, there are many different species of snails worldwide.
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Are slugs harmful to gardens?
Slugs can be garden pests, eating plants and vegetables.
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Can snails repair their shells?
Snails can repair minor damage to their shells over time.
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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