Slow..Smelling...Slimy....SlipperySnails. I'm referring to those slimeeey invertebrates (back-boneless) with coiled shells and long antennas protruding out from their body. Many of us disgusted at the sight of these unglamorous slow-moving creatures endearing the earth. Likewise, I have an interest for them. I am amazed by it's ability to travel and its never-stop-moving personality.
It's the definitely the slowest moving-animal on Earth but are we able to cover more distance than what these wonderful snails can do in their entire life span?
As the saying goes " don't judge a book by its cover" , this ugly monster do have their strengths too; they are slow but strong because it can carry up to 50 times it's weight when gliding horizontally. Unbelievable. They are definitely helpful in a way, because they are workhorses that clean plant matter for free as they stumble upon new adventures.
We hereby come to "how do snails reproduce?". Since it doesn't really reveal it's physical features, we don't really know how it is able to exist in this world at all. Research has shown that they reproduce in an very unusual way different from many other animals. They are categorized as Hermaphrodites (having both female and male reproductive organs). It may so happen that the readiness to mate between two snails is very special, so that the copulation (mating) attempts may look more like a wrestling match.
Here is the entire process: Copulation of snails
Both penises are entwined and inserted into the mate's vagina. The union successfully completed, both snails stay as they are for hours.
A sperm packet, Spermatophore , is produced in either snail's body and afterward filled with sperm cells.
After Copulation, they separate and those sperm cells may then manage to fertilise egg cells.
Fertilization occurs when it is time to lay eggs, provided the environmental conditions are favorable and there is a place to store the eggs in the ground.
Biology structure of a snail:
Egg Development:
Snails start life as an egg buried in a nest a few centimeters below the surface of the ground. Snail eggs hatch after about two to four weeks depending on the weather and environmental conditions (most importantly, temperature and soil moisture). After hatching, the newborn snail sets out on an urgentsearch for food.
The young snails are so hungry, they feed on the leftover shell and any nearby eggs that have not yet hatched. As the snail grows, so does its shell. When the snail matures after a few years, the snail mates and lays eggs, thus completing the full life cycle of a snail.
-Summary-
Snails aren't like what we thought they were after all. Most of the time,they are identified as being vulnerable, once crushed, they will be on their way to heaven. However, they are strong and they are also effective cleaners.
One special thing about snails is that they are homosexual! Yes, they are female and male. WEIRDEST! They are also very unique as they have a different way of reproduction. So next time you want to pet a snail, you will have a difficult time naming the snail. Girl or Boy?
THE END, Done By TANJUNJIE Of 4E1's Biology Class.
Sunshine ; 6:14 AM
How Do Snails Reproduce?: -Most Snails are hermaphrodite -means that they possess both male and female reproductive organs -all hermaphrodite snails can lay eggs -although they are hermaphrodite, they still try to mate with another snail to reproduce as much as possible -mating is initiated by one snail piercing the skin of other snail -to stimulate the other snail into exchanging small packets of sperm -after mating is complete, the snail will produce eggs internally, which are fertilised by the sperm that has been exchanged -about a month after mating, the snails will then lays about hundred small white eggs in a nest underground in damp soil
Thoughts and Feelings: I always thought that snails are just disgusting slimy creatures who hide under their shells, but after learning how they reproduce, I felt that snails are great parent as they represent father and at the same time mother. I felt that it is amazing as such a small creature can reproduce hundreds of eggs in a month at one go. Wow! I also felt that snails have the best of both world as they can be female, male or both at anytime.
Here are some videos on snails laying eggs:
Done By: Tay Jun Sheng Jeffrey
Sunshine ; 1:41 AM
Monday, April 5, 2010
Snails......
Snail Facts
Most terrestrial snails are hermaphrodites which means that they possesses both male and female reproductive organs, especially consistent among land snails and most marine snails.
Trapdoor snails and some freshwater and marine species of snails (apple, golden Inca, four horned, periwinkles, etc.) are not hermaphrodites. They can only reproduce sexually.
Most snails like hermaphroditic snail lays eggs but some, like the trapdoor snail, give live birth.
How Do Snails Reproduce?
Snails need to find another snail to mate with.
Snails breed sexually as often as possible.
Snails reach sexual maturity by the time they are one to three years old.
Snails can "mate" with themselves and thus only one can reproduce in an aquarium or pond.
When two mature snails meet during the breeding season (late spring or early summer), mating is initiated by one snail piercing the skin of the other snail with a calcified 'love dart'.
The exact purpose of the 'love dart' is not fully understood but it seems to stimulate the other snail into exchanging small packets of sperm.
After mating is complete the snails will produce eggs internally, which are fertilized by the sperm that has been exchanged.
Up to about a month after mating both individuals lays about a hundred small white fertilized eggs in a nest underground in damp soil, where they stay until they are ready to hatch.
If the conditions remain suitable for the eggs, snails will begin to hatch after about 14 days.
Newly hatched snails have a small fragile shell. It takes two years for them to reach maturity.
Reflection: Before I found out how snails reproduce, I thought that snails are very slow moving and boring creatures. But now I think that they are amazing. I never knew that a living creature could have be both male and female. I found that they have a very special way of reproducing. This helps them to survive through many centuries. I felt that this research really helps me to explore even more interesting things like snails. I think that this is good and we should have this kind of research more often.
Snails are considered to be one of the slowest creatures on the entire Earth !
I am certain many know this !
Snails will die if they consume either salt or sugar !
Interesting ! How can I live without salt and sugar ???? Snails are fascinating !
Snails take about two years to be mature for reproduction ! That's fast !
Snail Structure !
In the light of the above picture, I could not believed that a slow small creature like the snail have so many different parts and organs. Very interesting. just look at the above diagram and you should know how mesmerized I was. It's organs and body parts are way different from other living creatures. Snails are slow, slimy and edible too. It is very delicious ! Well, these are the basics taht I knew. The question that Miss Nada gave us, has never stuck me before. I never thought about how snails reproduce. Here. I'm glad to be given this task because I finally knew how interesting snails are. Here we go !
HOW DO SNAILS REPRODUCE ?
Snails will be able to reproduce differently than almost any other type of creature because of their species and their make-up.
Snails are considered to be hermaphrodites.
Snail will have both male and female reproductive organs.This is especially consistent among land snails and most marine.
The only snails that have not adapted this attribute is some freshwater and marine species, specifically including Apple Snails and periwinkles. These two types of snails still have a separate male and female species.
(Snail Reproductive System)
So complicated !
All snails will be considered sexually mature by the time they are one year old. That's fast !
The make-up of the snails will include their reproductive organs on the side of their body.
This is close to the top of their body as well, allowing for easier abilities to mate and to grow the baby snails.
Growing Into Baby Snails
Have you imagined how snails reproduce ?
I only started to wonder how it is reproduce when I was given a task by Miss Nada to research about this topic. Interestingly, I found out that snails have a special and a very different way of reproducing compared to other living things. What I found out is that when two snails mate, each snail presses the front part of its foot against the foot of the other snail. The snails shoot a hard dart also known as the love dart into each other, which makes sperm pass between them. However, a single snail can do all this by itself! So cool ! The sperm will make the eggs each snail lays, grow into baby snails.About two weeks after mating, the snail scrapes a hole in the soil and lays its eggs there. A snail lays between 20 and 50 eggs at a time. Wow ! It is a large number eggs compared to the number of eggs human have.The eggs are covered up. Snails are protective too right ? Amazingly it only takes 4 weeks before it hatches.
I felt lucky that I was well taken care off when I was born a not being left alone to defend themselves just like the snails do. !
The mating procedures of snails is one that moves through a specific process that helps the species to grow and survive in their respectable areas. From the beginnings of sexual maturity to finding the rate mate to the hatching of the eggs, is a specific way in which the snails are able to move into a world of growing a larger snail family.
From what I have researched from the internet. What I can say is that I am extremely mesmerized about how snails reproduce. They are special creatures with special way of reproduction. Don't you think so ? We should also not see things just based on its appearance. Instead we should learn to explore and find out more about it in order to get intersting facts. Just like what I have found out about snails!Snails looks simple in its outside but when you look again at the diagram I have found,it is totally the opposite. Interesting and complicated.Snails are also patient creatures. It took them about 20 hours or even a day for mating. They stay to reproduce and their instinct to mutipli is very strong.Basically from here, I can say that we should not give up no matter how slow we are because we know that every living things are special on its own.
It is said that in the year 1822 the founder of Singapore, Sir Stamford Raffles established the first botanical garden on Government Hill ar Fort Canning. This botanical garden of Singapore is indeed the living monument of this founding father. The Garden's main task was to evaluate for cultivation, crops which were of potential economic importance, including those yielding fruits, vegetables, spices and other raw materials. This first Garden closed in 1829.
Founded in 1859 with a mission to cultivate plants of economic potential, the 52-hectare Singapore Botanic Gardens made a historic milestone in 1877 with the cultivation of Malaysia's and Indonesia's first rubber plantations. Today, with more than 600,000 plant specimens, it is clearly one the world's largest botanical reserves. The park provides a comprehensive introduction to plants in a variety of settings, from rolling lawns and orchid gardens to a tropical jungle. Other attractions include the National Orchid Garden , Visitors Centre, tea room, spice and herb gardens, and the eco-lake. A SGD35-million redevelopment plan is currently underway to make the park's plant collections more accessible to the public. Main Attractions :
>National Orchid Garden
-Burkill Hall & VIP Orchid Garden:. -Orchidarium: -Tan Hoon Siang Misthouse -Lady Yuen-Peng McNeice Bromeliad House
Rainforest The Singapore Botanic Gardens has a small tropical rainforest, of around six hectares in size, which is older than the gardens itself. Evolution Garden 1.5-hectare (3.7 acre) ( Evolution Garden, located within the Central Core. The Evolution Garden tells the evolution story of plant life on Earth throughout the ages. Ginger Garden One hectare garden lumps together the collection of members of the family Zingiberaceae. The garden houses a restaurant (Halia Restaurant). There is also a drop-off point along Tyersall Avenue as well as a waterfall. The garden was officially opened in 2003 and it took over the spot vacated by the previous Orchid Enclosure. Botany Centre and Tanglin Gate The Tnaglin gate is now sports a more modern sliver colour with a leaf motif as its main design. The 2 new blocks of offices and classroom in the upgraded Tanglin Core were known as the Botany Centre. It houses the: Library of Botany & Horticulture (including the Public Reference Centre) The Singapore Herbarium Orchid Breeding & Micropagation Education Outreach/ Workshop classrooms The corridors and walkways of the Botany Centre were covered by leaf imprint. And there are also a number of wooden craving that littered the ground. There are also fern covered vertical walls. The Green Pavilion is the first "green roof" in Singapore. Weed-like or grass-like plants fully covered the pitched roof. It houses the visitor services desk as well as the foodcourt (Inside Green) at its basement.
Jacob Ballas Children's Garden Built at a cost of S$7 million (of which S$3 million was donated by the Jacob Ballas Trust and sponsors), it is located at the quiter Northern end of the botanic gardens. It has its own Visitor Centre with a cafe. It was opened on 1 October 2007 (Children's Day). NParks claimed it is Asia's first children's garden. There are play areas like the Water Play area, a small playground, tree-houses with slides, maze...etc. There are also interactive exhibits areas like teaching how photosynthesis work in a fun way, mini-garden that showcase different uses of plants like in making dyes, beverages or as herbs.
Other Attractions Saraca Stream walk is another new attraction, tropical plants line the bank of the stream as it meanders its way down a small hill. The main highlights of the stream walk are the Yellow Saraca trees (saraca cauliflora) and Red Saraca (Saraca declinata). Botanic Gardens has three lakes, namely Symphony Lake, Eco-Lake and Swan Lake.
• Palm Valley • , Bandstand area • , Sun Garden • Sundial Garden
Flower Structure and Function
Flowering plants are the dominant type of plants on the earth today (there are about 250000 species). Flowers are therefore the most common plant organs for sexual reproduction.
-Flowers produce gametes (sex cells).
-Flowers play a key role in pollination. Pollination is the transfer of pollen (containing the male gametes), from the anther of a flower, to the stigma (receptive surface of the female part of the flower) of the same or a different flower.
Parts of the Flower:
-Peduncle Flower stalk. -Receptacle Part of flower stalk bearing the floral organs, at base of flower. -Sepal Leaf-like structures at flower base, protects young flower bud. -Calyx All the sepals together form the calyx. -Petal Located in and above the sepals, often large and colourful, sometimes scented, sometimes producing nectar. Often serve to attract pollinators to the plant. -Corolla All the petals together form the corolla. -Stamen Male part of the flower, consisting of the anther and filament, makes pollen grains. -Filament The stalk of the stamen which bears the anther. -Anther The pollen bearing portion of a stamen. -Pollen Grains containing the male gametes. Immature male gametophyte with a protective outer covering. C-arpel\Pistil Female part of the flower. Consisting of the stigma, style and ovary. -Stigma Often sticky top of carpel, serves as a receptive surface for pollen grains. -Style The stalk of a carpel, between the stigma and the ovary, through which the pollen tube grows. -Ovary Enlarged base of the carpel containing the ovule or ovules. The ovary matures to become a fruit. -Ovule Located in the ovaries. Carries female gametes. Ovules become seeds on fertilization.
The sex of a flower can be described in three ways:
-Staminate flowers: Flowers bearing only male sex parts. These are sometime referred to as "male flowers".
-Carpellate\Pistillate Flowers: Flowers bearing only female sex parts. These are sometimes referred to as "female flowers".
-Hermaphhrodite\Complete flowers: Flowers bearing both male and female sex parts
Carphalea kirondron (Flaming Beauty) Family: Family Rubiaceae Origin: MadagascarFeatures: Large shrub with large heads of brilliant red bracts tipped with small white flowers, spring, summer, autumn. It is a very showy evergreen bush with lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate rich-green leaves that are mostly opposite with 2cm long petioles. Covering the bush are large bunches (10-20cm across) of strikingly bright red calyx lobes. These calyxes are enlarged and unequal (1 is more enlarged than the others) and amongst them many tiny 4-petaled white flowers appear on filament-like reddish corolla tubes (1.5-2.5 cm long). The species is heterodistylous in long-styled and short-styled forms. The leaves are simple and usually entire, and are opposite or sometimes whorled; stipules are present and interpetiolar. The flowers are nearly always bisexual and actinomorphic, often heterostylous, and usually are in cymose inflorescences. The calyx is mostly somewhat reduced and 4-5-lobed or sometimes the lobes are obsolete or rarely one of them greatly expanded and brightly colored. The sympetalous corolla is mostly 4-5-lobed, occasionally with 3 or up to 10 lobes. The androecium consists of as many stamens as corolla lobes and is adnate to the corolla tube or epigynous zone, alternate with the lobes. The gynoecium consists of a single compound pistil of 2 or seldom more carpels, a single style, and a nearly always inferior ovary with the number of locules equaling the number of carpels, each with 1-many axile ovules. An epigynous nectary disk is usually present. The fruit is variable, sometimes forming multiples.
Golden Thryallis, Gold Shower Scientific Name: Galphimia glauca Common Names: Slender goldshower, Rain of Gold, Spray of Gold, Golden Thryallis, Shower of Gold,
Thryallis is a small evergreen tropical shrub that grows to a maximum height of about 6 ft (0.6 m) and about as wide. It grows moderately fast into a neat rounded shape with many slender stems that are reddish when young. This shrub forms a dense and twiggy mass covered in light green oblong leaves. These are arranged oppositely and are 1-2 in (2.5-5 cm) long and take on bronze tones during cooler periods. The yellow flowers are about 3/4 in (2 cm) in diameter and are held in 4-6 in (10-15 cm) clusters at the stem tips. Flowers are followed by interesting three part seed capsules.
The leaves are simple, usually opposite, and frequently have paired glands on the petiole or base of the blade; stipules are usually present. The flowers are mostly bisexual and are actinomorphic or weakly zygomorphic. The perianth typically consists of two whorls with 5 distinct segments in each. One or more of the sepals usually have one or more conspicuous glands. The petals are usually clawed and the limb is typically fringed or toothed. The androecium consists of usually 10 distinct or basally connate stamens in two whorls but some or half of them are commonly reduced to staminodes. The gynoecium consists of a single compound pistil of almost always 3 carpels, 3 distinct styles, and a superior ovary with 3 locules, each containing a single pendulous, axile ovule. The fruit is variable.
Common name: Bunga Tayi ayam, Wild sage, Lantana, Tick bery. Features:
Lantana camara is a low erect or subscandent, vigorous shrub with stout recurved prickles and a strong odour of black currents; it grows to 1.2-2.4 metres (or even more); its root system is very strong, and it gives out a new flush of shoots even after repeated cuttings; Leaf ovate or ovate-oblong, acute or sub acute, crenate-serrate, rugose above, scabrid on both sides; Flower small, usually orange, sometimes varying from white to red in various shades and having a yellow throat, in axillary heads, almost throughout the year; Fruit small, greenish-blue black, blackish, drupaceous, shining, with two nutlets, almost throughout the year, dispersed by birds. Seeds germinate very easily.
It is an artificial hybrid species. Flower color has been the primary feature for distinguishing between different forms.
In Australia, these are Red, Pink, White/Pale Pink and Orange. In almost all color forms, the flower opens yellow and changes to pink, white or red depending on the variety. In the forms where this does not occur, a yellow ring is present around the opening to the corollary tube. The yellow coloration is known to be a visual cue to pollinating insects, and the act of pollination may stimulate color change
L. camara flowers prolifically and the seeds are dispersed by birds.
Common name: Sabi Star, Kudu or Desert-rose. Features:
A member of the same botanical family as Frangipani, Adenium is sometimes also called Japanese Frangipani. A small treelet, mostly grown in pots, Adenium can reach the height of about 1 meter.
Growing to 1–3 m in height, with pachycaul stems and a stout, swollen basal caudex. The leaves are spirally arranged, clustered toward the tips of the shoots, simple entire, leathery in texture, 5–15 cm long and 1–8 cm broad. The flowers are tubular, 2–5 cm long, with the outer portion 4–6 cm diameter with five petals, resembling those of other related genera such as Plumeria and Nerium. The flowers tend to red and pink; often with a whitish blush outward of the throat. It will be an indoor bonsai in all but the warmest climates.
REFLECTIONS!
The Singapore Botanic Garden is a beautiful place to visit as there were many trees, plants and flowers around. In my opinion, it acts as a so called "green lung" for the city area. I saw butterflies and birds sucking nectar from the flowers. There were a lot of people jogging there early in the morning to enjoy the fresh air of the garden and i enjoyed the free air too as it was hard to find a place with such fresh air to breathe. I enjoyed being with my group members : Nisa, Jun Jie and James. I found out that flowers have different flower structures from one and another. I hope to visit the Singapore Botanic Garden again whenever i have the time to enjoy such greenery views. ( Jeffery )
Feelings
The Botanic Gardens had been an eye-opener for me. Flowers never seemed so beautiful and magnificent unlike those from the bio textbook. The morning never felt so refreshing until we reached the green lungs of our country, the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Each particular type of flower is very unique and individual, with different fascinating colors and natural fragrant scents emitted from themselves. However, the main purpose of this trip is not only to appreciate these flowers, but also to gather information about it. I believed everyone had a relaxing time in the Botanic Gardens looking at different species of trees and flowers breathing a whiff of fresh air.
Findings
I managed to have a look on some exotic flowers, with very different flower structures. Each flowers have different flower structures, some of them are not easily seen however majority are obvious. We collated about 15 different type of flowers through out the entire trip. They have very interesting names corresponding to their appearance. I could assure you that all these different flowers are located around different parts of the world. We are fortunate to see interesting flowers from different countries. Each of them is very intriguing.
Facts
The Singapore Botanic Gardens offer a variety of flowers and trees up to 6800 type specimens. Formed a group with Nisa, James and Jeffrey. We didn't had enough time to view every single one of them. The main focus was on the flower parts, Pedicel, Receptacle, Sepals, Petals, Stamens and Carpels. Identifying the gender of the flower was a difficult task as some have both female and male structures on the flower itself. Eventually, we could manage to find 15 handsome and pretty flowers as time was limited.
Future
I would use to my knowledge about what i know about flowers and to never forgot the beauty of flowers. If there is any chance of going to the Botanic Gardens again, i would definitely support the idea. I can never see all the flowers in one day, so i will continue to have a look at other different types of flowers another day.
( Jun Jie )
Findings : The botanic garden was one of the most interestig adn adventurous place for us to research and admire the beautiful sceneries as well as the refreshing air. It was an eye-opener for me. I colud see the magnificent view of the plant and flower species there. I was able to explore many different things that I could see in textbooks.
Feelings : I was delighted to be given a chance to attend this field trip to Botanic Gerdens. I relished myself there and is grateful that I was able to explore and find out many diffrenet things that I could not learn from the textbooks. It was cooling and relaxing there. I enjoyed myself with my team mates and was glad to observed many diffrenet plants and flower species there.
Facts : I could honestly say that the Botanic Gardens is a very huge area of attraction. We almost lost our way there. It have many diffrent type of plant and flowers species that are unique of its kind. Besides that, Botanic Gardens have many other places of attractions which are useful for researd or even leisure purposes.
Future : I will want to vist Botanic Gerdens more often and explore as many more other informations and to capture more photographs of the attractive living things there.
( Nisa )
The Botanic Gardens trip was a fun and exciting one. Iwas acle to observed the diiferent kind of plant species there. I enjoyed myself exploring and taking pictures with my groupmates. I learnt that flowers have different kinds of arrangemens and structures and they are unique of its kind.
Snail Facts
Simple Facts about Snails !
(Snail Reproductive System) 
Growing Into Baby Snails
