Humbug Snail

Not Many People Know That (Number 11)

Helix Humbuggerus.

I found this small humbug snail ( Helix Humbuggerus) in the garden this morning.
They are quite common in parts of the UK, their preferred habitat being chalkland meadows, so we quite often find them here in the Chilterns.

The unusual thing about them is the noise they make when disturbed, which sounds like a gentle hum, hence the name.

Not many people know that if you pick one up when it's slithering along, and you have acute hearing you may just be able to hear the humming sound.

In fact, it is a protective mechanism caused by the rapid contraction of its muscular foot squeezing the air out of the shell. It is thought that specific pitch of the hum scares off predators.

Other blips in the Not Many People Know That series can be found here.
Tagged Notmany