Rare Snails Lay Eggs During Car Journey

A rare type of snail laid eggs inside a car while traveling to a new home. Workers were moving 24 glutinous snails to a wildlife park in Kent. Glutinous snails are small water snails. They are no bigger than a human fingertip.

no bigger than= 「不比……大」或「只有……般大小」，用來強調某物體積非常小。

These snails used to live across the UK. Over time, environmental changes damaged their natural homes. Today, they live in only one lake in Wales. Because of this, wildlife workers are working to save the species.

used to= 「過去曾經……」，用來表示過去經常發生或曾經存在的狀態，但現在已經不再如此。

In July, a worker drove the snails on a six-hour journey from Wales to Kent. During the drive, the snails started laying eggs. The worker found about 12 egg pods in the travel containers by the end of the trip.

The wildlife park placed the snails into special ponds to breed. The snails have already produced hundreds of babies in just two months. Workers hope to release the new snails back into the wild in the future.

學習筆記

文法整理

句型	意思
no bigger than	「不比……大」或「只有……般大小」，用來強調某物體積非常小。
used to	「過去曾經……」，用來表示過去經常發生或曾經存在的狀態，但現在已經不再如此。

詞彙整理

單字	意思
rare	不常見的；因為少見而特別受到重視的
journey	從一個地方前往另一個地方的行程或旅途；也可指為了某個目的而進行的一段歷程。
breed	同一物種中，具有共同特徵、能穩定繁殖的家畜或寵物品種。
species	【生物】具有共同特徵，彼此能交配繁殖並產生具有生殖能力後代的生物分類單位；物種。

延伸學習

•黏螺（Glutinous snail）的名稱源於覆蓋在其半透明外殼上具有黏性的黏液（glutinous 意為黏性的）。
•瀕危物種的保育繁殖計畫經常需要運送物種，以便在安全的棲地建立備份族群。