1/ Snail eggs can be eaten!
Highly sought-after by gourmets and gourmet chefs, snail eggs can be eaten with a spoon, accompanied by crème fraîche or lightly salted butter on toast.
2/ The rat: the greatest predator of the snail
Though other rodents also enjoy molluscs, the rat remains the most selective. It proceeds in a most unusual manner: after having broken the shell and its centre, it eats the liver and leaves the rest of the mollusc.
3/ The snail beats the slug in a race
This is the sort of information which you never thought you needed to know before. The snail actually moves 20 times faster than the slug. This fact gives one pause for thought knowing that the snail carries its home on its back.
4/ Decisive players as regards pollution
In polluted areas, a study of snail shells enabled the presence and the quantity of heavy metals to be determined. True “pollumeters” their salivary glands were studied to assess the toxicity of the environments.
5/ A rich and light food
The snail has a low energy value (81cal per 100g), as well as a being low in fat content, in saturated fats, sugars and salt.
It is a source of calcium, potassium, iron, vitamins C and B12. It is especially rich in proteins, phosphorus, magnesium and in vitamin B6.
This gives it particularly sought-after nutritional characteristics.
Source: Compilation A.G 2010 (according to SU.VI.MAX, INCA 2, SOUCI, CIQUAL 2008, FCEN 2010, NUBEL)
Some surprising figures
Finally, here is a small selection of figures:
SLEEP
Some desert snails can sleep for up to 3 years, waiting for climatic conditions to improve. Studies even suggest that they can remain dormant for up to 8 years.
long life
While the Burgundy Snail has a lifespan of around 3 years due to parasites, predators and pollution, in a protected environment they could reach 6 to 10 years with proper care.
SMELL
Snails have such a highly developed sense of smell that they can detect odors from a distance of 100 meters.
There’s more to come from snails than meets the eye.
To find out more about their abilities, discover their benefits!
