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Time-lapse shows snails demolishing lettuce

Time-lapse shows snails demolishing lettuce. (Screengrab/YouTube)

Some of nature's simplest events, such as the methodical busy-bodying of ants or beavers building a dam, contain a strange sense of beauty with a touch of comedy when observed up close.

A new video uploaded to YouTube shows one of those events: a cluster of snails chewing their way through lettuce in a time-lapse that makes these slimy critters seem ravenous. The snails each choose a leaf, sometimes sharing with a friend, and throughout the 42-second clip they nibble their way through every last green shred. No waste here.

Others have taken the time to record snails undergoing the plodding work of filling up their bellies over many, many hours and then sped it up, such as the uploader of this video showing how they carve a trail through one leaf.

[ Related: Surreal time-lapse shows the effects of aging ]

To witness a slow-moving animal enjoying a true feast, watch this time-lapse video from last year in which a tortoise appears to stage a vicious attack on a pile of berries, grapes and lettuce. This tortoise won the eating contest.