HRAP Online Encyclopedia

Snails

Snails are mollusks related to limpets, clams, mussels, chitins, and many others. They are an important food source within the tide pool ecosystem, especially for shore birds. The marine snails as Haystack Rock cover rocks across the entire marine garden. Even when the tide is not particularly low, it is possible to find dogwinkles and periwinkles amongst in the higher tidal zone. These adaptable little animals are able to survive out of water for extended periods of time due to the protection that their shell provides. After the snails have died, their shells are still used in the tidepools as homes for hermit crabs! Look closely at snail shells you find - if it has little legs sticking out, it may be a hermit crab. Even if nobody is home, it may be the perfect home for a hermit crab that’s outgrowing its current shell. This is another reason why we don’t collect shells from Haystack Rock.