Snails, Squid and Octopuses
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Instructor: Jon Ablett
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Level: Beginner
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Number of chapters: 18
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Course length: 2 hours
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Course handbook included
Learn
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the snails, squid and octopuses behind ancient myths and uncover their hidden influence on human storytelling
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the core features of molluscs, from slimy slugs to giant squids, and their shared evolutionary traits
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how slugs once served as war heroes and are now shaping modern medicine
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the threats facing snails and slugs, from ancient extinction events to today’s environmental pressures
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the intelligence of squid, octopus and cuttlefish and the threats they face in our changing oceans
Course plan
Meet your scientist
Jon Ablett
Jon’s worked at London’s Natural History Museum for more than 20 years. He’s the Senior Curator in Charge of Molluscs and is responsible for the 8 million mollusc specimens housed at the Museum, from microscopic snails found on the top of mountains to weird and wonderful deep-sea squid and octopus.
In 2006 he was responsible for the preparation of Archie the giant squid, the largest spirit preserved specimen cared for by the Museum to date. His research has focused on terrestrial land snails and specifically the tropical biodiversity of snails in South and South East Asia as well across South America. Jon’s also interested in the history of collectors as well as collecting and tracing the historic spread and exchange of molluscan specimens. He’s also one of the coordinators of the Mollusca Types in Britain and Ireland website.
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