Which taxonomic class includes snails and slugs?

• A. Echinodermata
• B. Echinoidea
• C. Gill Membranes
• D. Gastropoda

Answer: (D)

Taxonomic classification is about placing organisms into hierarchical groups based on shared features. Snails and slugs are mollusks that belong to the class Gastropoda, a group whose members typically move with a broad, muscular foot and often have a single shell (snails) or no shell at all (slugs). The name Gastropoda reflects their “stomach-foot” form of locomotion, a hallmark of this class. Echinodermata is a different phylum that includes animals like starfish and sea urchins, with Echinoidea being one of its classes—so they don’t include snails or slugs. Gill membranes aren’t a taxonomic category at all, so they don’t apply here.