A tiny Garden Snail ~ Helix aspersa I found last night munching away at the new growth on the Box plant at my front door. With their messy trails and taste for greens, garden snails are often considered to be pests whose strong homing instinct makes human control difficult. They are often seen after rain, and leave a tell-tale trail of mucus. Being hermaphrodites, garden snails each have both male and female reproductive organs, but although they can mate with themselves, it's more usual to find a partner. When conditions are dry, snails retreat into their shell and seal the entrance. They can then survive in a state of suspended animation for several months. A single garden snail can have 430 babies in a year. Susan