Question: how slimy are worms,slugs and snails

Cassandra Raby answered on 9 Nov 2013:

Wooo I love this question…
Well the best way to find out is to go touch them and find out! Too yucky?
Slugs, snails and earthworms are all quite safe to handle, so if you want to see what they feel like just make sure you are gentle and don’t hurt them. And wash your hands after!

But want to know why they produce slime? Well this slime is actually called ‘mucus’, and it is useful for many reasons…
1. It helps slugs and snails climb up walls
2. It protects them from the hard ground
3. They are all mostly made of water (like us!) but they can dry out really easily (not like us), so the mucus acts like a seal to stop all the water in their bodies escaping
4. They also need the mucus to draw oxygen from the air so it can get into their bodies (that’s how they breathe!)

Did you know… in my picture I’m holding a slow worm… which isn’t a worm at all!! (What a silly name!) It’s actually a lizard without legs, so it isn’t slimy at all!