Volunteers from the Nature Coast Marine Group have been helping at marine excursions for local schools. The outings were organized by Sham Eichmann, the Marine Park education officer, and Bernadette Davis from Council. Children get to explore a rock shelf, learn about shells and sea weeds and get to know and hold animals in a touch tank.

The stars of the touch tanks have been the Elephant Snails (Scutus antipodes). These harmless grazers are shiny black and big, growing to over 10cm. Probably what makes them so popular with the children is that they are much bigger than their shell so they cannot hide from inquisitive eyes.

The shell is white, oval and shield-shaped - a reason for two of the snail’s other common names, Shield Shell and Duck Bill Shell. Although the snail is in the slit limpet family its shell does not have a slit at the front and often the shallow notch is too indistinct to see.

Their head has two large sensory tentacles which the snail waves about like an elephant’s trunk. The animal moves relatively quickly for a snail but, like limpets, can hold on tight to rocks and other surfaces with the suction action of its large foot.

The children delighted in feeling the foot’s suction on their fingers and squealed at the slimy feel of the snail’s black skin. Part of this black tissue is a flap called the mantle which is usually extended to cover the shell when the tide is in. It is thought to contain nasty tasting chemicals since fish have been seen spitting out any bites they have taken. However, the taste does not deter the Eleven-armed Seastar (Coscinasterias muricata) which is known to prey on Elephant Snails.

Although Elephant Snails are very common along our shores they are usually hidden during the day under rocks or in water filled crevices. At night they move out to graze on algae, catching drift seaweeds under their foot.