No ... really ... I had never, ever spotted one before! Now I know many would react to the sight of a snail with utter disgust and start looking for a frypan and a dob of butter!!!! But I have to say that I was rather excited and delighted when I did spot one for the very first time leaving its glittery silver trail all over my kitchen window screen. Actually I stood and watched it for ages and ages marvelling in the sight! I thought then ... and still do think ... that they are simply amazing creatures.
Now that was, as I said, about ten years back and while I don't see them often, I do see them at least a few times a year ... mostly during a decent 'wet' season.
I don't know anything at all about the different types of snails, so there are no identifying captions on the photos that follow ... these are just photos of various snails spotted in the last few years.
We do tend to see mostly these darker coloured ones.
Every now and then we spot snails like this ...
I do also see snail shells lying around the property every so often. It seems that our resident kookaburra family enjoy a 'snail snack'. I've seen the kookaburras picking them up and smashing them on nearby rocks. This fellow was hopping around a garden bed searching for snails ... unfortunately my camera's batteries went dead just after this shot and that was when he had snatched one up with that fabulous beak.
I do hope I get to see many more slithery, slimy snails in the future ... but I guess I'll have to be lucky before they're spotted by very keen kookaburra eyes!
I'm one of those people looking for garlic butter and a frying pan, snails are delicious lol.
ReplyDeleteWe have small ones here, nothing big like the ones in your photos. :)
Hi Bernie, That was yukky to watch while I ate my breakfast. But was interested to learn you have snails. Do they do as much damage eating leaves as our slugs do? Have a great day and take care.
ReplyDeleteI could send you a big box of snails. They seem to thrive in my garden. But fascinating to watch when they are on the greenhouse glass and you can see the underside. Interesting to know you don’t get that many. We get all sizes but not giant ones. Some have pretty shells though.
ReplyDeleteKyna ... I've never actually tasted a dish of snails in garlic butter, but I've heard it's quite tasty!
ReplyDeleteSorry Garden Of Threads ... it's late night over here and I didn't think about interrupting someone's lovely breakfast!! The snails here do very little damage at all ... they are rather few and far between so perhaps I just don't notice what they've been up to!!!
ReplyDeleteHi Sue ... I could sit for ages and watch these lovely things. I suppose it's the novelty aspect of it all ... as they're definitely not a common sight here. I hadn't realised these were that big compared to most ... you wouldn't need that many to make a tasty entree!
ReplyDeleteHi Bernie - I couldn't help myself, I had to see if I could find out what the top snail was...it has such a pretty shell! I don't seem to be able to post the link to the Dept of Primary Industries Queensland, but it looks like it might be a Fraser's Ground Snail - does that look right to you?
ReplyDeleteI love the photo of the Kooka too - I could imagine them having great fun making snails go 'splat'!
Hello Bernie. Ha! I too could send you boxes of snails, although the frogs and thrushs leave a fair few empty shells around the garden. I do believe in biodiversity but can't say I like the snails very much. Interesting that your snails do resembles the one in our garden. I wonder if perhaps yours are much larger than ours?
ReplyDeleteHmmm...I presume you don't grow a lot of leafy green vegetables :P Actually, I don't dislike snails, providing they avoid my veggies. I tend to see more slugs here than snails. They're both actually very important creatures, helping to decompose plant matter in our woodlands. That kookaburra in your last shot looks awfully pleased with himself!
ReplyDeleteI don't have snails, just many, many slugs. I guess they are snails without shells. Personally, I think they look disgusting. I will soon start my nightly slug-hunting. I do sort of feel bad killing them, but it's them or my plants!
ReplyDeleteOh Bernie, here I am putting out slug bait and you are taking pictures of them. We have a terrible problem here with them eating our veggies and all of our plants. I don't think I have ever seen one with the shell.
ReplyDeleteFascinating pictures!
Eileen
Funny, isnt it, Bernie that we dont get more snails with the wet season? I havnt ever seen a snail here - didnt think you got them in Australia. Maybe the kookaburras get them before I see them!
ReplyDeleteI'm not very familiar with snails. Slugs are the pests in my gardens!
ReplyDeleteMy goodness those are some great shots of snails. One looks like it is going to try and take a chunk out of the wood.
ReplyDeleteAwww, and the kookaburra is so cool, especially your photo of it as it sits in the (is it a gum?) tree!