this post was submitted on 11 Jul 2025
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[–] thebestaquaman@lemmy.world 67 points 1 month ago (6 children)

So, a typical snail moves at around 0.0048 km/h, and are around 1 cm tall. The snail in the image appears to be more than 3-4 stories tall, let's say 15 m. If the speed scales linearly with size, this snail could move at around 7.2 km/h.

So yeah, a very brisk walk for your life should just about keep you out of reach if you're in decent shape.

[–] LadyButterfly@piefed.blahaj.zone 27 points 1 month ago (2 children)
[–] TheLeadenSea@sh.itjust.works 23 points 1 month ago (1 children)

They did the monster maths

[–] sbv@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

It was an asymptomatic smash!

[–] kryptonite@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

Or even asymptotic.

[–] DarkCloud@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Your linked source doesn't appear to list that number (It lists 8 cm a minute).

Perhaps you (or a large language model, if you're using one) has it mixed up with this:

"Snails have been measured at speeds of 0.048 kilometres per hour."

From this source.

Also, 1 cm tall would be a very small snail... Approximately the size of your smallest fingernail.

[–] thebestaquaman@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

8 cm/min * 60 min/h * 1e-5 km/cm = 0.0048 km/h

If I'm not completely mistaken.

I'll admit that the "1 cm tall" is guesstimated based on my memory of the snails in my garden.

The linked source also mentions that some snails can be up to ten times as fast as the typical 8 cm/min (0.0048 km/h), but those appear to be maritime snails, while the snail in the image seems to be terrestrial.

[–] DarkCloud@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago

Oh yeah you're right 👍

The source I found appears to list the wrong figure.

[–] Wilco@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 month ago

Yea, yea ... you have the math for a snail. Impressive. Could a bird carry it and drop it on people? How big would it have to be? Could you outrun it? What is the airspeed of an unladen swallow?

[–] TomMasz@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] ivanafterall@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

Saunter at your own peril.

[–] kemsat@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I was hoping someone had calculated how quickly a snail that size would move, and you did not disappoint!

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

the problem is snails harbor tons of parasites, the slime it leaves will just infect everyone in its wake.

[–] beastlykings@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 month ago

I was thinking this might be the case, but didn't want to do the math. Thank you.

[–] deadcream@sopuli.xyz 1 points 1 month ago

Unless it's a carnivorous snail

[–] brsrklf@jlai.lu 12 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] agent_nycto@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Glad to see medieval era humor still alive and well

[–] abbadon420@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 month ago

This reminds me of "day of the trifids" where the world is "invaded" by evil, aggressive,s walking plants. Not very frightening on its own, but at the same time a meteor flew over earth that blinded most of humanity leaving only a hand full sighted. That changes the premise quite a bit.

[–] umbraroze@slrpnk.net 4 points 1 month ago

People can survive a Snailpocalypse.

The Turtlegeddon, not so much, because turtles are actually surprisingly fast.

[–] SunshineJogger@feddit.org 4 points 1 month ago

A snail of that size would likely be much faster than the fastest human.

Source: my brain processing the thought in 3 seconds and spewing out this probability as "meh, speed scales with size in some ways"

[–] CustardFist@feddit.nl 3 points 1 month ago

At least I can stop by the store and get some groceries while I’m fleeing.

[–] pseudo@jlai.lu 3 points 1 month ago

Someone call a knight!

[–] kalpol@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 month ago (2 children)
[–] RushJet1@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

"I don't pay you to contradict me!"

"You don't... pay me at all."

[–] caseyweederman@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 month ago

"I put the fires out."
"You made them worse!"
"Worse?... Or better?"

[–] caseyweederman@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 month ago

Zimpsons did it

[–] Jankatarch@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

A world where all humans are immortal until they get touched by the giant genius snail who knows their location at all times.

[–] Mark12870@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago
[–] Sibbo@sopuli.xyz 1 points 1 month ago