The Common Amphibians
Most amphibian eggs become much bigger after they are laid because the eggs absorb water and swell to several times their original volume.
Is a snail's shell its house?
The snail's shell offers some protection from predators and from drying out, but no, the shell isn't really the snail's house but part of its body. The snail seeks places to live that are moist and have food, often under old rotting logs, under stones, in the rotting leaves of the forest .
Do snails outgrow or leave their shells?
No. The shell is present from the snail's early development, is attached to it, and grows along with the snail in a spiral shape. A snail can't crawl out of its shell any easier than you can walk away from your fingernails! The very centre coil of a shell is where it began in life, and as the snail grows, the shell grows around that centre in a spiral form.
How do snails survive in the winter?
Snails burrow under the leaves and soil and hibernate. Their heart rate slows to where it hardly beats at all, and the snail's blood contains chemicals that prevent it from freezing, similar to many insects and other invertebrates, and even frogs and other animals. The snail seals the opening of its shell with a thick membrane of mucus for further protection before it takes a long winter nap.
How long do snails live?
It is generally thought that snails live 2-3 years in their natural habitat, but this depends upon the species, predation, human disturbances, and other factors. In captivity, they can live many more years.
What's an average lifespan of a lobster?
A lobster's lifespan averages 31 years for males and 54 years for females.
How to tell if a turtle has a healthy shell?
Turtles have a carapace (the top or dorsal shell) and a plastron (a bottom or ventral shell), both of which should always be hard and solid (unless it is a very young turtle or a species of turtle that always has a soft shell). A healthy turtle shell should be smooth and shiny without any visible signs of damage.
Do tortoises make good pets?
No . They are terrible pets. They stink. They eat feces. They don't react to anything. They don't recognize you at all. They are prone to malnourishment and diseases in captivity. Though they are illegal to keep, there is a huge mafia racket in smuggling out 50,000 or more star tortoises from India all of whom die within a year even though it can live for 80 years.
In any case , is there any point in keeping an animal that lives 80 years. Are you planning to leave him to your grandchildren ? Or do you want to kill him early with bad keeping ? Either way , it is ridiculous to keep tortoises as pets.
Why do amphibian eggs have to be in water?
Amphibian eggs do not have a hard protective shell like bird or reptile eggs. Frogs and toads lay eggs in jelly-like masses, and unless the eggs are covered with water, they will dry up and die. Most amphibian eggs become much bigger after they are laid because the eggs absorb water and swell to several times their original volume.
Why are frogs so sensitive to pollution?
Their skins are relatively thin and permeable to water, so frogs are exposed more directly to pollutants and environmental radiation. In addition, their eggs are laid in ponds and other water bodies, so they will absorb whatever chemical pollution may be present throughout their early developmental period.
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