The snail is part of the phylum Mollusca; it has a very soft body with a hard, chalky shell. It also has a broad flat muscular foot. The snail moves by ripples of muscle contraction moving down its foot. They also have a gland behind the mouth which releases mucus to reduce friction and prevent damage to the foot. Their shell grows from the outer rim where it then joins and connects into the mantle and it is wound around a central support system called the columella