The mystery snail is a type of snail that lives in fresh water, as opposed to the more common land snails. Its eyes -- located at the ends of stalks that protrude from the head -- are complex body parts that mystery snails can regenerate. If the eyestalk is somehow severed mid-length, the snail can actually grow a new portion of it, complete with a brand-new eye. It takes approximately 14 days for a mystery snail to regenerate its eyestalk and about 25 days for the eye to regenerate and be outwardly visible. Eyes that are regrown after amputation tend to be smaller than the originals.
More about snails:
- The limpet, a type of aquatic snail, possesses the strongest teeth of any animal.
- Some types of snails hibernate during seasons of extreme temperature by covering themselves with mucus so they won't dry out. They sustain themselves through stored body fat.
- The largest known snail was a Giant African land snail that measured 12 inches (0.3 m) long and weighed approximately 2 pounds (0.91 kg).
