Snails questions

Malacology is the branch of invertebrate zoology that deals with the study of the Mollusca (mollusks or molluscs), the second-largest phylum of animals in terms of described species after the arthropods. Mollusks include snails and slugs, clams, octopus and squid, and numerous other kinds, many of which have shells.

The sea swallow, blue angel, is a species of small, blue sea slug. These sea slugs are pelagic: they float upside down by using the surface tension of the water to stay up, where they are carried along by the winds and ocean currents. Glaucus atlanticus feeds on other pelagic creatures, including the venomous siphonophore and the Portuguese man o' war.

Estivation is a state of animal dormancy, similar to hibernation, that is entered in response to high temperatures and arid conditions. Many air-breathing land snails commonly estivate during periods of heat. Animals that aestivate include North American desert tortoises, crocodiles, salamanders, African lung fish and dwarf lemurs.