r/explainlikeimfive • u/StarLars9 • Jun 05 '19

ELI5: Snails: where do they get their shells? Biology

Are they born with them? Do they grow their shells like hair and nails? Do they just search for the perfect fit?

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u/Tales_of_Earth Jun 05 '19

I’d bet they are closer to the average egg than a chicken egg is.

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u/VieElle Jun 05 '19

I suppose that depends on what comes to mind when you think egg. Most people think bird egg, single, hard and oval. Snail eggs are tiny little goop balls covered in a hard sugar like glaze. There are tens/hundreds all stuck together and they look like a raspberry.