This week I have been listening with interest to Radio 4's Great Snail Swap, where listeners are being encouraged to participate in a nation-wide experiment investigating the gardeners' fable that snails have some sort of homing instinct.
You have to gather all the snails you can find in your garden, mark them with nail varnish or tippex and then swap them with a neighbour, in order to see if your own snails return to your garden. I couldn't resist joining in, so this evening I found myself delving around in foliage, for once cursing the fact that I couldn't find enough snails.
The house next door is currently empty as has recently been sold and the traditional terraced nature of our cottages means that we can freely access their garden. So, rather than burdening my other neighbours with asking them to root around hunting for snails too, I thought I would just mark my own snails and release them into the neighbouring garden and see if they come 'home'. Not having a partner probably means my results will be invalid for the sake of R4's experiment, but interesting none the less.
After I gathered up my participants, I dotted scarlet nail varnish on each shell and placed them in the middle of next door's lawn. They didn't look particularly bothered.
I now have to keep going back into my garden and try and see if I can find my snails every day for a week. I can't wait to see if the little guys make it home!
Well thats it then. Now I know why I blog. Not being a fan of either radio or TV when I'm at home, how would I ever have found out about this experiment. I cannot wait to see your results. Can't take part here as we have been searching for snails to photo for my grandson's mini beast project ...and couldn't find one!
ReplyDeleteThat is so funny......I can just imagine a generation of snails who are totally confused about what they are because of all the strange blobs and markings on them.
ReplyDeleteFlorrie x
That is so funny! glad I know about it. Will have to find some one to do a swap with now.
ReplyDeleteand I thought radio 2 was wierd! lol
ReplyDeleteI will now recognise the reason for any snails that look like they have had a makeover...you are so funny!
good luck !
x Alex
I am doing the same, my neighbours have their backyards all paved over, so I doubt there will be a lot of snails to be found there. I'll just drop 'my snails' in a vacant lot some 20 metres (60 ft) away and see if any return and also count how many of the original bunch return, because it could be that the snails just walk with no destination in their tiny snail brains, but just get attracted to my lush (read overgrown) backyard.
ReplyDelete