Aquarium snail on a leaf

A water snail rests on a wide leaf, carrying its tightly coiled shell on its back. Its head reaches past the right edge of the leaf, with two long stalks pointing upward and a shorter pair of tentacles below. Two round pebbles lie under the leaf.

What is on the page?

The shell forms a clear spiral that winds from the outside toward the middle. The leaf below has a strong central vein and thin side veins that fan out toward the edges. A curved stalk swings off to the lower right, and the two smooth stones sit close together on the left, one larger and one smaller. A gently curved line on the head marks the mouth, so the snail looks like it is smiling.

Ways to color it

• Try a warm brown for the shell and a soft grey for the body.
• Blend the leaf from a deeper green at the rim to a lighter green near the vein.
• Give each pebble its own shade so they stand apart.
• Color the spiral ring by ring, switching between light and dark.

Who is it for?

The big leaf area and the round shell make this a good fit from around age five. The spiral and the leaf veins ask for a calmer hand, while the leaf and stones fill in quickly. Aquarium snails graze algae from plants and glass with a rough, file-like tongue, which helps keep a tank clean. They glide along on a single muscular foot and leave a thin trail of slime behind them. Many kinds also lay small clutches of jelly-like eggs on leaves and tank glass, and the shell grows wider at its opening as the snail gets bigger.

Count along: how many feelers can you find on the snail's head, and which one is the longest?