Once upon a time, in a forest deep in the mountains, there lived a group of snails. These snails were very special, as they knew how to take care of themselves during the cold winter months.
As the leaves on the trees started to turn yellow and fall to the ground, the snails knew it was time to prepare for winter. They crawled deep into the forest, searching for the perfect spot to burrow underground. Once they found it, they began to dig.
It took a lot of work, but soon the snails had made themselves cozy underground homes. They crawled inside and withdrew into their shells. But before they fell into a deep winter sleep, they did one more important thing – they sealed their doors with a chalky, slimy excretion that hardened and locked in essential moisture. This was very clever, as it meant that the snails wouldn’t get too dry inside their shells during the long winter.
A small air hole was also left open to allow oxygen to enter, but still keeping predators out. The snails could now sleep soundly, without worrying about anything.
During this hibernation mode, they used almost no energy and required no food to live. They could stay like this for months, until the weather started to get warm again. And when the snow melted, and the sun started to shine, the snails woke up, and crawled out of their homes.
The snails in this forest were very lucky, as they had learned how to take care of themselves during the winter. They didn’t need to worry about finding food or staying warm, as they had everything they needed inside their shells. And this is how snails are built for self-contained hibernating and survive the winter.
