Paula Recks,age 8 1/2, of Worden, I11., for her question:

How many different snails are there?

There are about 40,000 different snails in the world. If you went snail hunting, you could not find them all in awbole lifetime. Suppose you found one different snail every day. At this rate it would take you more than 100 years to find them all. If you were lucky enough to find two different snails every day, you might be able to find them all in 50 years.

The big job would take you around the world on land and sea. Many snails live in damp shady woods and gardens. Others live in fresh water streams, lakes and ponds. Many live in the sea and though they are really snails, some of them are called shellfish. Periwinkles, whelks and abalone are actually seagoing snails. The smallest snail you will find is about as big as the head of a pin. And one giant snail can stretch his body two feet long.