Slow and steady, a snail is going to work. It may look like it's heading nowhere fast, but it is actually making progress towards its goal. It's not easy being green – and few things in nature are as colorful as a snail!

Snails are amazing creatures. Not only do they have powerful shells, but they can also move at a speed that is almost impossible to follow. How do they do it? You can get the right answer at Snail World.

Snails use a secretion called shellac to build their shells. Shellac is made up of a liquid and a solid. The liquid part is made up of calcium carbonate and chitin. Chitin is a type of protein that is found in the cell walls of insects and other animals. The solid part is made up of collagen, which is a type of elastic protein. Collagen makes the shell tough and durable.

Shellac comes in two colors: white and black. White shellac contains less chitin than black shellac, so it takes less time for the snail to build its shell. Black shellac is more expensive, but it lasts longer because it has more chitin in it.

As strange as it might sound, Snailssnails actually create their own shells. The process begins with the snail gathering small pieces of rock and other materials to form a soft, spongy mass. This material is then squeezed into a round shape and hardened by the snail’s body heat. Once it has completely hardened, the shell can be ejected from the snail’s body – much like an egg!