How to Identify and Classify Snails

1. What is the primary characteristic used to initially classify a snail?

A) Shell presence and type
B) Antennae length
C) Foot color
D) Diet

2. A snail with a single, spiraled shell is likely a...

A) Polychaete
B) Cephalopod
C) Bivalve
D) Gastropod

3. What does 'dextral' refer to in snail shells?

A) The shell's texture
B) A right-handed spiral
C) A left-handed spiral
D) A shell with no spiral

4. The opening of a snail shell is called the...

A) Apex
B) Whorl
C) Suture
D) Aperture

5. What is the operculum?

A) A 'door' that closes the aperture
B) A sensory organ
C) The snail's mouth
D) A layer of shell growth

6. Snail shells are primarily composed of...

A) Chitin
B) Silica
C) Calcium carbonate
D) Protein

7. The pointed top of the shell is called the...

A) Base
B) Apex
C) Columella
D) Lip

8. What is a keel on a snail shell?

A) A sharp ridge
B) A growth line
C) A deep groove
D) A smooth surface

9. What type of environment do terrestrial snails inhabit?

A) Brackish water
B) Saltwater
C) Freshwater
D) Land

10. What is a key difference between marine and freshwater snails?

A) Salinity tolerance
B) Diet
C) Shell shape
D) Size

11. How do you identify a snail at the family level?

A) Only shell color
B) Only size
C) By its location
D) Analyzing shell and soft body features

12. What are the spiral lines on a snail shell's surface called?

A) Varices
B) Growth rings
C) Axial ribs
D) Spiral cords

13. What is the umbilicus of a snail shell?

A) The shell's outer lip
B) The shell's inner layer
C) A hole at the shell's base
D) The shell's texture

14. What feature is important when classifying snails based on their habitat?

A) Foot size
B) Adaptations to water availability
C) Shell size
D) Shell color

15. How is the size of a snail shell typically measured?

A) By weight
B) Only width
C) Length and width
D) Only length

16. What does 'sinistral' refer to in snail shells?

A) A shell with no spiral
B) A left-handed spiral
C) A right-handed spiral
D) The shell's color

17. The whorls of the snail shell are separated by...

A) Apex
B) Columella
C) Sutures
D) Aperture

18. What is the columella of a snail shell?

A) The apex
B) The central axis
C) The outer lip
D) A sensory organ

19. What is a varix on a snail shell?

A) A sharp spine
B) A smooth area
C) A spiral groove
D) A raised, thickened growth line

20. What is a common food source for terrestrial snails?

A) Insects
B) Algae
C) Vegetation
D) Small fish

21. Which snail is most likely to be found in a deep ocean trench?

A) A tree snail
B) A deep-sea snail
C) A garden snail
D) A pond snail

22. What is the function of the snail's foot?

A) Locomotion
B) Shell creation
C) Respiration
D) Digestion

23. Why is shell ornamentation important for snail identification?

A) It affects taste
B) Distinct patterns can define species
C) It indicates age
D) It determines size

24. Which feature helps snails adhere to surfaces?

A) Strong muscles
B) Mucus secretion
C) Suction cups
D) Sharp claws

25. What is the mantle of a snail?

A) The muscular foot
B) The respiratory organ
C) The snail's brain
D) Tissue that secretes the shell

26. What is the radula of a snail?

A) An internal gill
B) A reproductive organ
C) A sensory tentacle
D) A rasping tongue-like organ

27. What type of diet is common for marine snails?

A) Exclusively herbivorous
B) Herbivorous, carnivorous, or detritivorous
C) Exclusively carnivorous
D) Only detritivorous

28. What feature distinguishes a pulmonate snail?

A) Absence of a shell
B) A lung-like cavity for breathing
C) External gills
D) A very long foot

29. What role do snails play in the ecosystem?

A) Decomposers and food source
B) Pollinators
C) Producers of oxygen
D) Top predators

30. How does pollution affect snail populations?

A) Attracts them to contaminated areas
B) Shell damage and reduced reproduction
C) Enhanced resistance to disease
D) Increased shell growth

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