Slime is an external bodily secretion of mucus produced by gastropods, functioning as a a protective layer for the skin.
Mucus is produced by glands of a snail's foot, specifically a large gland located below the mouth.
The foot mucus has some of the qualities of an adhesive and some of the qualities of a lubricant, allowing land gastropods to crawl up vertical surfaces without falling off.
As well as being a crawling-aid, slime also allows a resting snail to passively adhere to a surface, making a temporary sealing structure called the epiphragm.
The mucus is also used to deter predators, to recognise other snails and to follow a trail to a known destination.
A snail releases different kinds of mucus depending upon the way it is stimulated. If a snail is disturbed continuously or violently, it will release clear, foamy secretions.
Snail slime contains approximately 91-98% water, depending upon the species, combined with a small proportion of high molecular weight glycoproteins.
Human uses for snail slime
Snail slime was traditionally used from Ancient Greek times to the Middle Ages as a remedy against a variety of ailments.
For example, a person suffering from gastrointestinal ulcers would have snails placed upon their upper chest and the slime would be spread around their rib cage.
(Perhaps Patricia Highsmith was trying out this ancient remedy when keeping snails in her bra! )
The Ancient Greeks are said to have used an ointment made from crushed snails to reduce skin inflammation.
Today, snail slime is used in the cosmetics industry.
The slime is claimed to stimulate the formation of collagen, elastin and dermal components that repair the signs of photoaging and is also claimed to minimise the damage generated by free radicals that are responsible for premature skin ageing.
It is believed to reduce inflammation and redness, stimulate skin regeneration, moisturise the skin, fade dark spots and improve acne.
The slime is usually commercially obtained from Helix aspersa, which produces a secretion rich in proteins of high and low molecular weight, hyaluronic acid and antioxidants.
In 2013, inspired by treatments in E. Asia, anyone wanting a face as youthful and as beautiful as that of a snail could pay to have snails crawl over their face at a spa in Northamptonshire...
Other salons offer facials where the skin is pricked with tiny needles before a serum containing snail secretions is applied.
Snail Farming
Reports suggest that snail farming, or heliciculture, in Italy has increased by more than 325% over two decades, with some 44,000 tonnes of snails produced every year, an industry now worth £180 million, according to agricultural association Coldiretti.
Coldiretti's president Roberto Moncalvo said, "We are seeing record numbers of new avante-garde snail-production businesses".
More than 4,000 producers are farming snails in Italy, mostly raising Helix aspersa.
Heliciculture involves raising snails for human use - their flesh as edible escargot, their eggs as gourmet caviar (a 50g pack of this caviar can cost as much as £86, apparently) and their slime for cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.
In early 2017, Simone Sampo, president of Italy's National Heliciculture Association, told The Telegraph, "In the last 10 months alone, we've seen a 46% increase in snail slime, due to the demand from the cosmetics industry."
Traditionally, snails were dunked in water containing salt, vinegar or other chemicals to make them secrete slime, but nowadays, Italian snail-breeders have developed more natural methods of slime extraction.
Slime quality depends heavily on environmental conditions and breeders regulate what the snails eat, how they are kept and how the slime is extracted, so that products can be certified in certain ways.
Italy recently patented a new machine, called the Muller One, which extracts snail slime by immersing the snails in a special steam bath.
"It is essentially a spa for snails," said Mr Sampo. "We raise them naturally, feed them only vegetable matter and then extract the slime with water that contains ozone, which kills all the bacteria. The snails are not harmed."
I have had the flu and so haven't been in work for a week, then had a bit of catching up to do when I returned.
I found out about an snail project called 'Marvellous Mud Snails' on the Buglife website.
The project aims to create a healthier population of the Pond Mud Snail (Omphiscola glabra) in Scotland.
The Pond Mud Snail is small at 12-20mm in length, with an elongated, conical brown shell.
In February, they lay egg masses of 10-30 eggs, which take up to 25 days to hatch.
The Pond Mud Snail is known from only 7 sites in Scotland, all in different local authority areas including Clackmannanshire, East Dunbartonshire, North Lanarkshire, West Lothian, Scottish Borders, Midlothian and Falkirk.
In the past, this snail was found all across lowland England and Wales and was recorded as far north as Perth.
The snail requires small, temporary, nutrient-poor pools, which are rarely protected and are seen as inferior habitats that are difficult to manage.
However, these habitats also support other scarce species, such as the Oxbow Diving Beetle (Hydroporus rufifrons). Like the Pond Mud Snail, this beetle is specially adapted to survive periodic drought by burying itself into the mud and becoming inactive until the habitat becomes wet again.
The snails are in decline due to loss or degradation of temporary ponds through infilling, conversion of pools into productive agricultural land, the improvement of sites visually for landscape purposes, pollution from agricultural run-off, encroachment of scrub and the enlargement of small ponds to make permanent water bodies.
Incomplete knowledge of the distrubution of the Pond Mud Snail has inhibited its conservation and this is partially due to living in under-recorded habitats.
The species is classified as Vulnerable in the UK Red Data Books and is on the Scottish Biodiversity List.
'Marvellous Mud Snails' aims to do three things to help the conservation of the species in Scotland:
Educate - raise the profile of the species through events with schools and community groups.
Pond Mud Snail Survey - Buglife aims to increase current knowledge of the species' distribution in Scotland by working with schools and volunteers to look for and record the species. They will be surveying old sites, potential new sites and areas that the snails were once found in.
Captive Breeding Programme - schools will have the chance to get involved with a captive breeding programme to help boost numbers of the snail.
It's been quite a while since I last posted anything on the Snail Lover's Society - you probably thought I'd gone into hibernation! It's been a busy couple of months and the poor old snails have had to take a temporary back seat!
😳
Interesting to see the all-new style of the forum.
Hope all SLS members are keeping well.
I found this picture of some unusual little snail ornaments, which I thought you might like to see: A SQUEEZE OF SNAIL ORNAMENTS.
Remember that after the 31st March, the collective noun for snails will be changing from 'squeeze' to 'slither', as decided by @philippa smith2 and @pansyface in last year's collective noun competition.
Since I have no dealings with snails at all, thanks to gardening on a balcony I find myself spending time photographing unusual snails on my walks. Clearly too much time on my hands. These taken last week after a night of rainfall.
Posts
Lucky you Philippa - it's thick of fog here and all damp, cold and miserable.
Nice weather for snails and slugs though I suppose...
Last edited: 10 January 2018 14:48:50
Hi all,
Today's topic is ... snail slime!
What is snail slime?
Slime is an external bodily secretion of mucus produced by gastropods, functioning as a a protective layer for the skin.
Mucus is produced by glands of a snail's foot, specifically a large gland located below the mouth.
The foot mucus has some of the qualities of an adhesive and some of the qualities of a lubricant, allowing land gastropods to crawl up vertical surfaces without falling off.
As well as being a crawling-aid, slime also allows a resting snail to passively adhere to a surface, making a temporary sealing structure called the epiphragm.
The mucus is also used to deter predators, to recognise other snails and to follow a trail to a known destination.
A snail releases different kinds of mucus depending upon the way it is stimulated. If a snail is disturbed continuously or violently, it will release clear, foamy secretions.
Snail slime contains approximately 91-98% water, depending upon the species, combined with a small proportion of high molecular weight glycoproteins.
Human uses for snail slime
Snail slime was traditionally used from Ancient Greek times to the Middle Ages as a remedy against a variety of ailments.
For example, a person suffering from gastrointestinal ulcers would have snails placed upon their upper chest and the slime would be spread around their rib cage.
(Perhaps Patricia Highsmith was trying out this ancient remedy when keeping snails in her bra!
)
The Ancient Greeks are said to have used an ointment made from crushed snails to reduce skin inflammation.
Today, snail slime is used in the cosmetics industry.
The slime is claimed to stimulate the formation of collagen, elastin and dermal components that repair the signs of photoaging and is also claimed to minimise the damage generated by free radicals that are responsible for premature skin ageing.
It is believed to reduce inflammation and redness, stimulate skin regeneration, moisturise the skin, fade dark spots and improve acne.
The slime is usually commercially obtained from Helix aspersa, which produces a secretion rich in proteins of high and low molecular weight, hyaluronic acid and antioxidants.
In 2013, inspired by treatments in E. Asia, anyone wanting a face as youthful and as beautiful as that of a snail could pay to have snails crawl over their face at a spa in Northamptonshire...
Other salons offer facials where the skin is pricked with tiny needles before a serum containing snail secretions is applied.
Snail Farming
Reports suggest that snail farming, or heliciculture, in Italy has increased by more than 325% over two decades, with some 44,000 tonnes of snails produced every year, an industry now worth £180 million, according to agricultural association Coldiretti.
Coldiretti's president Roberto Moncalvo said, "We are seeing record numbers of new avante-garde snail-production businesses".
More than 4,000 producers are farming snails in Italy, mostly raising Helix aspersa.
Heliciculture involves raising snails for human use - their flesh as edible escargot, their eggs as gourmet caviar (a 50g pack of this caviar can cost as much as £86, apparently) and their slime for cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.
In early 2017, Simone Sampo, president of Italy's National Heliciculture Association, told The Telegraph, "In the last 10 months alone, we've seen a 46% increase in snail slime, due to the demand from the cosmetics industry."
Last edited: 13 January 2018 14:10:43
Cont.
Traditionally, snails were dunked in water containing salt, vinegar or other chemicals to make them secrete slime, but nowadays, Italian snail-breeders have developed more natural methods of slime extraction.
Slime quality depends heavily on environmental conditions and breeders regulate what the snails eat, how they are kept and how the slime is extracted, so that products can be certified in certain ways.
Italy recently patented a new machine, called the Muller One, which extracts snail slime by immersing the snails in a special steam bath.
"It is essentially a spa for snails," said Mr Sampo. "We raise them naturally, feed them only vegetable matter and then extract the slime with water that contains ozone, which kills all the bacteria. The snails are not harmed."
The Muller One
Snails in the Muller One
The slime extraction process in the Muller One
A snail slime cosmetic product
Last edited: 13 January 2018 14:21:43
Thanks Philippa.
All well with you, I hope?
Hi SLS Members,
Apologies for my extended absence.
I have had the flu and so haven't been in work for a week, then had a bit of catching up to do when I returned.
I found out about an snail project called 'Marvellous Mud Snails' on the Buglife website.
The project aims to create a healthier population of the Pond Mud Snail (Omphiscola glabra) in Scotland.
The Pond Mud Snail is small at 12-20mm in length, with an elongated, conical brown shell.
In February, they lay egg masses of 10-30 eggs, which take up to 25 days to hatch.
The Pond Mud Snail is known from only 7 sites in Scotland, all in different local authority areas including Clackmannanshire, East Dunbartonshire, North Lanarkshire, West Lothian, Scottish Borders, Midlothian and Falkirk.
In the past, this snail was found all across lowland England and Wales and was recorded as far north as Perth.
The snail requires small, temporary, nutrient-poor pools, which are rarely protected and are seen as inferior habitats that are difficult to manage.
However, these habitats also support other scarce species, such as the Oxbow Diving Beetle (Hydroporus rufifrons). Like the Pond Mud Snail, this beetle is specially adapted to survive periodic drought by burying itself into the mud and becoming inactive until the habitat becomes wet again.
The snails are in decline due to loss or degradation of temporary ponds through infilling, conversion of pools into productive agricultural land, the improvement of sites visually for landscape purposes, pollution from agricultural run-off, encroachment of scrub and the enlargement of small ponds to make permanent water bodies.
Incomplete knowledge of the distrubution of the Pond Mud Snail has inhibited its conservation and this is partially due to living in under-recorded habitats.
The species is classified as Vulnerable in the UK Red Data Books and is on the Scottish Biodiversity List.
'Marvellous Mud Snails' aims to do three things to help the conservation of the species in Scotland:
Educate - raise the profile of the species through events with schools and community groups.
Pond Mud Snail Survey - Buglife aims to increase current knowledge of the species' distribution in Scotland by working with schools and volunteers to look for and record the species. They will be surveying old sites, potential new sites and areas that the snails were once found in.
Captive Breeding Programme - schools will have the chance to get involved with a captive breeding programme to help boost numbers of the snail.
You can read the full article here: https://www.buglife.org.uk/local/marvellous-mud-snails
and more about Pond Mud Snails here https://www.buglife.org.uk/bugs-and-habitats/pond-mud-snail
Nice snails.
I hope you've recovered now pbff.
I wonder if there are more snails in my pond than those I've seen, maybe a delve when the weather warms up
In the sticks near Peterborough
I am much better now, thank you nutcutlet.
It's amazing what can be found in ponds and pools - they may look murky, but they're a whole new world!
Indeed, we have pond dipped and looked through the microscope, fascinating.
In the sticks near Peterborough
It's been quite a while since I last posted anything on the Snail Lover's Society - you probably thought I'd gone into hibernation!
It's been a busy couple of months and the poor old snails have had to take a temporary back seat!
😳
Interesting to see the all-new style of the forum.Hope all SLS members are keeping well.
I found this picture of some unusual little snail ornaments, which I thought you might like to see:
A SQUEEZE OF SNAIL ORNAMENTS.
Remember that after the 31st March, the collective noun for snails will be changing from 'squeeze' to 'slither', as decided by @philippa smith2 and @pansyface in last year's collective noun competition.
Catch up with you all soon!
pbff