What is an epiphragm?
An epiphragm is a temporary structure which can be created by many species of shelled, air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs. It can also be created by freshwater snails when temporary pools dry up.
In most species, the epiphragm is made of dried mucus, and although it is elastic, it is fairly easily torn when forcibly removing a snail from its substrate. In a few species, the epiphragm is thick and quite rigid, being reinforced with calcium carbonate. This kind of epiphragm is very strong and may be difficult to break.
More Info:
en.wikipedia.org
What are your thoughts on this subject?
7 Comments
Pat Salloum
An epiphragm is created by the slow moving and the epigram by the quick thinking.
skclary
Snail snot!
Katherine Lake
Also a covering created by some mosses.
Richard Rubright
Misread as Epigram. Oops.
Shirley Dutt
Learned something new. I don't know much about snails except escargot is like chewing rubber. But, the garlic is great.
earlepg
I didn't think that the epiphragm had anything to do with epigrams. I also didn't think that it had anything to do with the first three options so, having no other reason, I put my faith in the longest option even though I couldn't feature snails being able to build any thing like structures.
seane
Not sure that I quite know what it is even after reading the explanation butsounds like yuck!