How Long Do Snails Sleep? Up to 3 years!

Sleep. All living creatures big and small need it, even snails. Snails need to recuperate and reenergize just as humans and other mammals need to. But did you know that snails are quite particular creatures and have some pretty fascinating sleep habits? 

Many living organisms on the planet follow the daily sun cycle for their sleep cycles. But not snails!

Some serious research was done and the results provided some pretty unique and interesting facts about snail behavior, how long they sleep, and their sleep patterns.

Curious? Read on to find out more about snail sleep habits.

How Long Do Snails Sleep? / Snail Sleep Research

So, yes, a serious study was conducted to determine sleep habits and patterns of snails. What they found was quite interesting.

Snails are one of the living creatures on the planet that don’t follow the rotation of the sun for their sleep cycle. They follow a two or three-day-long pattern. They will go through about seven short cycles of sleep in thirteen hours and then be fully active for about thirty hours. 

They are sensitive to the environment and tend to be more active at night as the sun is not their friend and can dry and damage them. Being that they like to stay moist and live in humid climates. The ideal temperature is 16 ~ 30℃ and the ideal air humidity is 60% ~ 90%.

Snails can go into long periods of sleep, also called hibernation when weather conditions are not favorable or other extreme factors threaten their survival. And get this, they can sleep for up to three years!

They will slide into their spiral shells and lock it up with a layer of mucus in the winter or when facing a lack of food supply. They will emerge when the weather is warmer or conditions have improved. 

Fun Facts About Snails

• Snails are gastropods and come in thousands of shapes, sizes, and species. Snails are either classified as land snails or aquatic snails and can be found in almost every part of the world. They have been around for quite a long time and “There is fossil evidence of primitive gastropods dating back to the late Cambrian period; this means that they lived nearly 500 million years ago.”

• Most snail species are hermaphrodites meaning that they are both female and male. But they reproduce with a mate and lay eggs.

• Snails are slow! - Although snails do not have legs, they can move thanks to a “muscular foot” that, based on wave movements, allows the snail to go from one place to another. This action is smoother and safer for snails with the help of the “mucus” that the snail secretes to slide on all types of surfaces and maintain its moisture reduces friction and avoids harms to their body.”

• Snails, or escargot, are a delicacy in some countries like France and Spain. They are quite popular and usually served with a garlic butter sauce.

• They can become a nuisance in crops and cause a lot of damage by eating their way through crop production. “When snails multiply and damage crops or in some way affect the species of a region or the human being, they are considered pests. “

• Aquatic snails are a popular pet to have in aquariums for algae control and cleaning purposes. 

• Snails in aquariums tend to live longer and almost never go into hibernation if the tank is kept healthy and at a proper temperature.

Did you know: Have you ever wondered how long snails live?  “The life expectancy of snails in the wild is about 3 to 7 years, but in captivity, they can live up to 10-15 years or even more.”

Now You Know

Snails are quite fascinating creatures and have evolved to adapt to their surroundings very well. Their sleep patterns are all their own and have no link to the sun cycle and also to most other animals’ sleep patterns on the planet. 

Now you know snails can sleep for hours or even up to 3 years. Go ahead and amaze your friends at the next dinner party by mentioning that you know how long snails sleep.