Snails move quicker than thought

Snails can travel at a relatively speedy one metre per hour, researchers have discovered..

A team from the University of Exeter attached small LED lights to the backs of 450 snails and tracked their activity over a 72 hour period.

Using UV paint and time-lapse photography, the scientists were able to estimate the speed of the snails and the distance travelled in a garden setting.

They were also able to see how many of them followed the slime trails of other snails, saving energy in the process.

The discovery was part of a study into how snails spread parasites that can be fatal to dogs.