Most snails do not have a single set number of teeth; instead, they typically have thousands of tiny teeth arranged on a tongue-like structure called a radula.

Typical tooth counts

• Many snail species have between about 1,000 and 12,000 teeth on the radula.

• Common garden snails are often reported to have around 14,000 teeth.

• Some species can reach up to roughly 20,000 or even more teeth, depending on the species.

How the teeth are arranged

• Snail teeth are microscopic and are arranged in many rows on the radula, which works like a file to scrape food.

• A typical example is about 120 rows of around 100 teeth each, giving around 12,000 teeth in total.

Simple table

Snail type / description| Approx. number of teeth
---|---
Many common species| ~1,000–12,000 teeth 16
Garden snail| ~14,000 teeth 17
Some other species| Up to ~20,000+ teeth 137