Lab: An Animal in Its Environment

AP Environmental Science Name __________________________Per.______

Introduction / Purpose
Remember that environmental science is the study of the interactions and connections among living things,
the non-living environment and human beings. In this exercise you will make observations of the common
garden snail with the objective of learning how it reacts to environmental stimuli. Then you will be designing
and conducting a controlled experiment involving these variables. Given a little thought, you will not only
learn about the snail's responses, but perhaps about the relationships of animals in general to their
environment.

The Snail
The animal kingdom is divided into major groupings of related animals known as phyla. A phylum is
divided into classes, and classes may be sub-divided several times to reach the category known as genus. The
common garden snail, genus Helix , belongs to the class known as Gastropoda (stomach foot) which is a
division of the phylum Mollusca (soft body). Familiar examples of Mollusca are clams, oysters, squids, and
octopi as well as snails and slugs. Snails breathe air, have rather poor eyesight but a well-developed sense of
smell, and using their muscled foot, glide over a film of slime which they secrete. Their soft and moist bodies
require a humid environment and the shell not only helps to protect them from some predators, but provides
temporary relief from the threat of desiccation during the heat of the day. Helix tends to be most active at
night because of more favorable atmospheric conditions and because it is less handicapped by darkness than
its predators. The snail has a "toothed" tongue called a radula which is similar to a carpenter's rasp. Rapid
movement of the radula shreds leaves and other delicate plant parts so they may be swallowed.

External Snail Anatomy

Taxis
A body movement in which an organism achieves a specific orientation to a stimulus source is known as a
taxis. The snail responds to many of the same stimuli as humans: chemical, gravitational, and light. These
responses are respectively referred to as chemotaxis, geotaxis, and phototaxis. If the organism is attracted to
the stimulus it is a positive taxis. If the organism is repelled by the stimulus it is said to be an example of
negative taxis. Since even the simplest organisms respond in this manner, their responses are believed to be
reflexes, i.e., not requiring thought or training. Such reflexes favor the survival, or at least the well being, of
the organism.

The Scientific Method

The scientific method is a series of steps used to address a problem as outlined below:
• observing
• asking questions
• generating hypotheses
• testing a specific hypothesis through experimentation (controlled field and laboratory experiments or
monitoring experiments).
• evaluating the results
• modifying hypothesis and retesting as necessary
** Keep in mind that the results of an experiment may call for additional experimentation before a satisfactory
explanation of a natural phenomenon can be achieved. This exercise will provide opportunities to use this
technique.

Part 1 – Initial Observations / Experimentation

A. Examination of the Snail
Obtain a snail from the terrarium in the classroom, handling it gently so that its shell will not be damaged.
Allow the snail to crawl on your tub and see if you can identify its eyestalks and olfactory (sense of smell)
organs. If your snail tends to remain in its shell try dipping it in water for a few seconds. If this does not
stimulate it, return it to the terrarium and select another specimen. Place the snail on a plate of glass and hold
it horizontally over your head so you can observe the contractions of its foot as it glides over the glass. Next
place the snail on the side of a vertical razor blade whose cutting edge is upward and observe whether and
how the snail crosses over the edge to the other side. It will be necessary to keep your eyes level with the
upper edge of the razor blade in order to make this observation. Then place a bit of lettuce leaf in front of the
snail and try to observe its eating behavior.

B. Chemotaxis Observations
In separate trials, moisten one cotton tipped swab with dilute acetic acid and another with lettuce juice and
carefully bring them to within a few cm of the snails head. Do not actually touch the snail with these
solutions. Observe the snail's behavior including its eyestalk and olfactory organ responses.

1. Is the acetic acid response positive or negative ?

2. Is the lettuce juice response positive or negative ?

3. Are the responses instantaneous or do they take a few seconds?

C. Geotaxis Observations
Place your snail on a glass plate which you then hold vertically. After a few seconds note the direction in
which the snail is moving. Rotate the plat so that, although still vertical, the snail is now moving in a different
direction. How does the snail respond to this? Now carefully tape a thread or light string to the snails shell.
Place the snail on the glass plate and again hold it vertically. Once the snail has established its direction pull
gently on the thread for about 10 seconds. In separate trials pull upward, downward, and to each side. Be
careful not to drag the snail, merely shift the weight of its shell. How does the snail respond to your tugging?
1. Original direction of movement ____________________
2. Response to rotation of the glass ___________________
3. Response to tugging on the shell ___________________
4. Does the snail demonstrate geotaxis? _______________
5. Is it positive or negative? _________________________

D. Rate Observations and Initial Experimentation

Measure the distance the snail travels over the test surface in a short period of time. Depending how fast the
snail moves, time it for 1/2 to 2 minutes. If it does not follow a straight line estimate the actual distance
covered by laying string over its slime train and then measuring the length of the extended string. Determine
its speed in cm per minute (cm traveled/time in minutes = rate). Repeat trial three times and calculate the
average speed. Record your data and calculations in the table which follows.

DataTable 1. The Effect of Surface Type on Snail Rate of Movement

TRIAL RATE (DISTANCE/ AVERAGE STANDARD
SURFACE DISTANCE TIME
# TIME) RATE DEVIATION
1
glass plate 2
3
sandpaper 1
 2
3
TRIAL RATE (DISTANCE/ AVERAGE STANDARD
SURFACE DISTANCE TIME
# TIME) RATE DEVIATION
1
aluminum
2
foil
3
1
waxed paper 2
3
1
paper towel 2
3
1
desk top 2
3

** Construct a graph to illustrate Data Table 1. Include Standard Deviation

E. Crossover Experimentation
Do you think the snail moved fastest on a surface it preferred or on a surface which produced an unpleasant
sensation? Place two different surfaces edge to edge and observe whether the snail crosses from one to the
other. Perform the reciprocal test, i.e., turn the snail around and observe whether it will cross back to the
original surface. Compare a series of "slow" and "fast" surfaces. Record your results below by writing YES for
successful crossover or NO for unsuccessful crossover.

Data: Crossover Experiment

glass to sandpaper _____________ foil to waxed paper ____________
sandpaper to glass _____________ waxed paper to foil ______________
sandpaper to foil ____________ sandpaper to waxed paper __________
foil to sandpaper _____________ waxed paper to sandpaper __________
other trials _________________ other trials _____________________

Part 2 - Group Experiment

Use the information you gathered through observation and preliminary experimentation, as well as your
knowledge of experimental design, to design and conduct a test aimed at answering a question about snail
behavior.

A. Research and Introduction

Conduct some background research to find out what information is already known about your group’s
question. Identify a “real world” application for testing this question and remember to cite your sources
appropriately. Use your researched information to compose an Introduction as described in the Laboratory
Report Format.

B. Experimental Design
Outline an experiment designed to answer an original question concerning snail movement and/or behavior.
Title/Purpose (Describe the experiment by using the format, “The effect of ___ on ___”):

Hypothesis (Make specific predictions about the experimental outcome using the format, “If…, then…”):

Independent Variable (I.V.) (what you will be testing):

Category of I.V. (Identify if the I.V. is continuous or discontinuous.) :

Levels of I.V. (Treatments)

(2 or more plus the control, which must be identified)

Number of Trials (# of times each level of I.V. is tested)

Dependent Variable (D.V.) (What you are measuring. Include all appropriate units):

Category of Data (Identify if the data is qualitative and/or quantitative):

Constants (List all conditions which are the same for each trial):
C. Procedures
Draft a set of detailed and thorough procedures based on the information in the Design Outline and the
materials available to you in the laboratory. These procedures should be written according to the descriptions
provided in the Experimental Design section of the Laboratory Report Format.

D. Data / Results
Construct data tables to record data for the experiment you have designed. Create one data table for collecting
quantitative data and another for collecting qualitative data.

Once data has been collected, perform the appropriate statistical calculations to summarize the results of your
experiment. Graph the results of the statistical calculations you have completed.

Laboratory Report
Organize the researched information, the design outline, experimental design and results for your experiment
into a laboratory report. Be sure to follow the format for each section as described in the Laboratory Report
Format. You will also need to compose a Discussion and Conclusion for the laboratory report, again refer to the
Laboratory Report Format for requirements for each of these sections.