A Day in the Life of a Limpet At first glance, it looks like nothing more than a rough cone glued to a rock. But along the wave-battered shores of Britain, the limpet lives a life of timing, endurance and quiet precision. Morning: Clamped to the Rock As the tide retreats from a rocky stretch of coastline in Cornwall, a Common Limpet is left exposed to the open air. The sea has drained away, revealing barnacles, seaweed and scattered pools. But the limpet remains firmly attached to its chosen patch of rock. Limpets have a unique tongue known as a radula, and its tiny teeth literally scrapes algae from the rocks. This tongue is the strongest biological material known to man. Its muscular foot also forms a powerful suction seal. By contracting and expelling water from beneath its body, it creates a near-vacuum grip. Gulls patrol overhead and crabs scuttle between crevices. Still the limpet does not move. Stillness, in fact, is its defence. The tough shell, ridged and weat...
An Intimate Guide to British Wildlife