Can snails bleed?
Matthew Cannon
Updated on January 10, 2026
Bleeding;haemolymph; snails; molluscs; Achatina spp. The blood of pulmonate snails [Mollusca: Gastropoda) is usually referred to as haemolymph: it contains the copper-based respiratory pigment haemocyanin (Morton 1958). Withdrawal of haemolymph from live snails may be necessary for a variety of reasons.