a very long life, which is why females release such enormous amounts (up to 11 pounds) of eggs to ensure the continuation of their species. Squids usually spawn in groups. While most squid lay their eggs in masses on the sea bed, some squid carry a clutch of eggs to guard them. The adult squid does not live long after mating. Baby squid hatch as larvae and grow into maturity in about 3-5 years.
Squids have many predators, including humans. Other predators are: sharks, some fish, whales, and other squids. The squid has defense mechanisms like the octopus.
Squids live in oceans. Giant squids lurk in deep depths of 660 to 2300 feet under the sea, while other species like to swim about and call the middle layer of the ocean home.
What is a snail?
Snails belong to a group of animals with a soft body, called mollusks. Snails
are also known as gastropods (literally translated as stomach foot, the name
implies the structure of their body. The snail stomach lies above it’s feet.).
They have soft, unsegmented bodies which are protected by a hard shell. The body
of the snail is long, moist and slimy. The snail moves by gliding along on mucus
that it secretes.
What is a slug? A slug is very similar to a snail, the only difference is that slugs do not have shells. It is also a mollusk and is known as a gastropod. Slugs also use mucus to slide across surfaces.
The common snail favors moist environments and search for a moist home that is well shaded. You may find them under logs, leaf debris in the forest or bricks. They can be seen out and about shortly after a rain, or during high humidity.
Most gastropods are herbivores and eat fungi, dead animal material and plant matter, such as bulbs, leaves and stems.
Gastropod predators include: ground beetles, snakes, frogs, toads, turtles, birds, chickens, ducks and geese.
Slugs and snails love moist environments. You are most likely to find a slug or snail after a nice warm rain has finished! Just look by the shrubs or in the garden and you will find a few!
Slugs are considered pests by most gardeners because they feast on the crops. Gardeners are likely to use salt as a line of defense against the slug, pouring a line of salt all the way around the perimeter of the garden. Salt can harm slugs, it literally looks like they melt in front of your eyes, so they will not cross the line. Slugs are creatures of habit, following the same paths, so the salt line needs to be repeated for at least a week.
Learn tons about snails- Snail Animal Study & Lapbook
I Spy - Mollusk Observations
I Spy Octopi and Squids
Take a trip to your local aquarium, be sure to take a pencil and notepad with you. Spend a great deal of time observing the octopuses. Here are some questions to help you on your way:
1. What are they doing?
2. Did you see them eat?
3. How many are in the tank together?
4. Do you see how
long the webbing is? If you did see the octopus eat, did you notice how the
webbing helped it catch food?
local aquarium have squids? If so, follow steps 1-4 listed under octopus. If
not, then feel free to let your student be artistic and draw/color a squid from
I Spy Slugs & Snails
This is backyard nature at its best! Go outside after a cool rain for the best chances of finding slugs! You can also look under leaf debris, rocks and logs. I let my girls use tabbed index cards detailing the exploration (What did I do? What did I find? Where did I find it? Also, any other information the want to include. Maybe, a simple sketch of the slug/snail in it’s environment!) and add them to the lapbook.
NF indicates non-fiction; F indicates fiction.
Octopus by Lynn M. Stone. F. ISBN- 9781595154408
Gentle Giant Octopus by Karen Wallace. F. ISBN- 9780763617301
by Patricia Lauber. F. ISBN- 9780064451574
Squirting Squids by Natalie Lunis. F. ISBN- 9781597165136
Octopuses and Squids by Mary Jo Rhodes. NF. ISBN- 9780516253503
The Snail and The Whale by Julia Donaldson. F. ISBN- 9780803729223
Snails by Peter Murray. NF. ISBN- 9781592966509
The Adventures of Snail at School by John Stadler. F. ISBN- 9780064442022
Some Smug Slug by