SAN ANTONIO — With the recent wet weather, you may have noticed more slimy, slow-moving, slippery snails outside or inside your home.

With many families stuck at home and running out of ideas to keep the kids entertained, a snail hunt can be the perfect way to get the whole family outdoors.

Now is a good time for snail sightings because they only come out when conditions are just right. These slimy creatures are extremely susceptible to drying out since they're more than 80 percent water by weight. So you'll rarely find them on hot and dry days.

Urban wildlife biologist, Sam Kieschnick with Texas Parks and Wildlife told us a great place to find snails are under a fallen log.

These shy creatures spend most of their life buried within the landscape. They might come out on a cloudy and cool day. But when they finally emerge, especially after a heavy downpour, they’re on a mission to mate. Both females and males can get pregnant and lay eggs.

"Snails have a very important part in the ecosystem," said Kieschnick. "They will be feeding upon decaying material like this fallen log, they'll also be feeding upon some of the fungus. Some snails even eat other snails."

"We have quite a bit of snail diversity in Texas," said Kieschnick.

In fact there are about 230 terrestrial species in the state of Texas.

If you're looking to learn more about what kind of snails you’re finding, you can take a picture of the snail and upload it to Texas Parks and Wildlife's iNaturalist app. Then snail experts will give you a positive identification.

Stay dry and happy hunting!