Snails Save Energy by Re-Using Mucus Trails

In order to conserve valuable energy, snails essentially play a game of follow-the-leader, a new study finds.

Snails create trails of mucus to that help them glide across the ground, mainly in search of food or a partner, but making all that mucus uses up a lot of energy.

"Snails expend a lot of energy, probably a third, creating mucus," said Mark Davies of the University of Sunderland, lead author of the study published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. "This process is very taxing indeed--much more so than walking, swimming or flying."