Snails and slugs are extremely susceptible to drying out since they are made up of more than 80 per cent water by weight. So you will rarely find them out on hot and dry days.

Land snails breathe through their skin, and water triggers osmosis which allows them to take in oxygen.

They will die if sun exposure dries their skin out. On sunny days they will hide underground or in other shady habitats (e.g. under rocks or leaf litter).

Typically, slugs are active and feed at night when temperatures are lower, there is less wind and relative humidity is higher.

Heavy cloud cover and cool temperatures, for example, will entice a snail into the daylight.

Rain often has the same effect. Snails that burrow underground to avoid light and heat usually emerge as soon as it begins to rain, burying themselves again once the sun comes out or the humidity level drops.