Snails From Spongebob Guide

Latest posts by Arthur Monteclar (see all)

Of course, you’ve seen SpongeBob’s pet snail, Gary! He’s been one of the show’s most goofy characters. Sometimes, he acts like a cat, giving snide comments to SpongeBob and his peers. However, he also thinks like a dog, being over-excited and eager to a fault. 

In SpongeBob SquarePants, snails seem to be the character’s version of a pet. Some wonder whether these snails were inspired by cats, dogs, or catdogs. Aside from Gary the Snail, there are a lot of snails you need to get to know, especially if you call yourself a SpongeBob fanatic, or as I’d like to call SquarePantisans. 

My partner and I are avid SpongeBob fanatics, and we’ve since watched every episode. Among the hundreds of episodes we’ve watched, some of our favorites are the ones with Gary and the other snails! That’s why I’m more than excited to share this comprehensive guide about the snails in SpongeBob Squarepants! 

In this guide, I’ll share everything you need to know about snails, including their personalities, little quirks, appearance, and more. 

Bottomline Upfront

When it comes to snails on SpongeBob SquarePants, Gary certainly is the most famous snail. He’s become more than a background character and has gained the admiration of many SpongeBob fanatics. Interestingly, Gary is not my favorite snail; he might be the most popular, but I love Foofie. His personality is just like my real-life cat! 

It’s no secret that snails are the show’s underwater equivalent for cats. They purr, meow, and hiss. With more than 20 snail characters in the show, it’s challenging to pick the best pet snail. 

Sea Snails on SpongeBob SquarePants

Sure, it can easily get confusing and overwhelming to learn about the snails on SpongeBob SquarePants. Most of the snails appeared as background or minor characters that would be easy to forget. To help you out, I categorize the snails as pets of the characters, the rout, and the minor characters. 

Pets of the Characters in SpongeBob SquarePants: Gary the Snail

gary the snail

Information at a Glance

  • Full Name: Garold Wilson Jr. 
  • Birthday: November 27, 1989 
  • Home Location: 124 Conch Street, Bikini Bottom, Pacific Ocean
  • Nickname: Gary, Gary Bear
  • Favorite Episodes: Dumped, A Pal for Gary, Gary Takes a Bath
  • Most Memorable Moment: His dream self in the episode “Sleepy Time.”
  • Actors Who Played: Tom Kenny

Who is Gary?

Garold Wilson Jr. (aka Gary) is SpongeBob’s adopted pet, living under his pineapple house. He adopted Gary from an animal shelter, as seen in the episode Plankton’s Pet. Interestingly, they had their first meeting when SpongeBob was just ten years old in Kamp Koral. 

He started as a background character but eventually became one of the ten main characters of the show a year after the show premiered. 

Appearance

Gary’s look is inspired by a real-life snail called the “pink ramshorn snail.” He has a hard pink shell with indigo spots and red spiral accents. Interestingly, his pink shell turns purple in the dark. It’s also uncertain whether her eyes are scarlet or vermillion, but it’s a bright shade of red. They’re held by long, slender eye stalks. 

His shell might be his most notable feature, but he’s seen without it too. Underneath the pink shell is a thicc bum that could quickly form a big light blue heart. Episodes such as “To SquarePants or Not to SquarePants” and “Shell Shocked” were just a few instances we see him shell-naked. 

A few episodes also introduce Gary’s character to a different iteration. Here’s a list: 

Prehistoric Gary: SpongeGar’s Pet

prehistoric gary - spongegar’s pet

Prehistoric Gary appeared on the episode “Ugh” as SpongeGar’s pet. He looks rather identical to OG Gary but is significantly bigger. 

Among the most notable differences in their looks are Prehistoric Gary’s spikes; he has eight light green back spikes from his shell. The spikes look like a gigantspinosaurus’ spine. These spikes overextend to his tails, with three more varying lengths. 

Aside from his spikes, he also sports a large thick black unibrow similar to SpongeGar. He usually looks unimpressed since his eyelids are always half-open. 

Robo-Gary

robo-gary

Robo-Gary first appeared in the episode “Welcome to Binary Bottom.” The episode highlights an alternate reality where robots inhabited Bikini Bottom. Robo-Gary is obviously Gary’s robotic version. 

At first glance, it’s hard to see any resemblance from OG Gary. However, the longer you stare at Robo-Gary you’d see a couple of similarities. Despite having a square shell, he has spiral streaks like OG Gary; this indicates his fuel level. 

He also has a gray, chopping mouth with sharp teeth. He has tank-like wheels instead of a normal snail body. His eyes are similar to OG Gary, with reddish yet square pupils.

Personality

Gary is smarter than your average pet! He is expressive, and he knows it. He loves to communicate and is overly dramatic sometimes, meowing and bulging his eyes out. Though non-verbal, he can say words like “No” and screech or roar like a cat. 

When it comes to taking baths, Gary hates it too. He will mischievously plot plans to avoid his regular baths to the point of endangering SpongeBob’s well-being just to avoid it. 

Episodes about Gary 

Being SpongeBob’s pet, Gary appeared in almost every episode of the show. He stars as the major character in several episodes, exploring his character and personality. He is the main character in the following:

  • Dumped – Season 2, Episode 29b
  • A Pal for Gary – Season 7, Episode 131b
  • Have You Seen This Snail? – Season 4, Episode 63
  • Gary’s Got Legs – Season 12, 245a
  • Gary Takes a Bath – Season 2, Episode 33b
  • I was a Teenage Gary – Season 1, Episode 13b
  • The Great Snail Race – Season 3, 55a
  • Fungus Among Us – Season 5, 83c
  • Once Bitten – Season 4, Episode 73b
  • Gary in Love – Season 7, Episode 137b
  • Treats – Season 8, Episode 174b
  • Gary & Spot – Season 12, Episode 242b
  • Gary’s New Toy – Season 9, Episode 180b
  • Grooming Gary – Season 6, 110b
  • Shell Shocked – Season 6, 121b

I have personally ranked this list according to my favorites. I find “Dumped” one of the best Gary-centric episodes; it has a dose of fun while highlighting Gary’s unseen personality. 

Annette

annette

Information at a Glance

  • Full Name: Annette (Was supposed to be named Antoinette)
  • Birthday: Unknown
  • Home Location: Mrs. Puff’s house, Bikini Bottom, Pacific Ocean
  • Nickname: Anne
  • Favorite Episodes: “My Two Krabses”
  • Most Memorable Moment: Getting Stuck in a Tree on “The Sponge Who Could Fly”
  • Actors Who Played: N/A

Who is Annette? 

Annette is Mrs. Puff’s pet. She rarely speaks but has an exciting personality. As Mrs. Puff’s pet, she lives with her in the pink fish house. She was also her pet since she was young. She only appeared as a cameo in different episodes and didn’t have a specific episode about her. 

Appearance

Annette is one of the most beautiful snails in Bikini Bottom. She has light blue and neon green skin. I love her lavender shell with dark purple streaks, similar to Gary’s shell pattern. She looks charming wearing her pink bow on top of her shell. 

One thing I love about her physical features is her deep blue eyes. Many fans quickly confused her for Snellie, Squidward’s temporary pet, or Mary the Snail.

Personality

Little is known about Annette’s personality, but one thing is certain; she is a goofy and adventure-loving snail. She appears as the damsel in distress in the episode “The Sponge Who Could Fly”. Annette is stuck high in a tree and close to falling until SpongeBob rescues her. 

Episodes with Annette

Annette is simply a background character and often appears in picture frames hung on Mrs. Puff’s walls. She’s rarely seen in episodes that I could only think of three episodes where she has a relatively significant role. Here’s a list:

  • The Sponge Who Could Fly – Season 3, Episode 59
  • Spot Returns – Season 11, Episode 171a
  • My Two Krabses – Season 12, Episode 259b

Larry the Snail – Gary’s Replacement

larry the snail - gary’s replacement

Information at a Glance

  • Full Name: Larry the Snail 
  • Birthday: Unknown
  • Home Location: SpongeBob’s house, Bikini Bottom, Pacific Ocean (temporarily)
  • Nickname: Larry
  • Favorite Episodes: “Dumped”
  • Most Memorable Moment: Replacing Gary as Pet on “Dumped” 
  • Actors Who Played: Tom Kenny

Who is Larry the Snail? 

Larry the Snail became SpongeBob’s temporary pet in the episode “Dumped.” Being a stray sea snail, he seemed to be tough-skinned. His bad attitude gets in the way of having an amicable relationship with SpongeBob. 

I love how his name rhymes with Gary—a funny moniker since he replaced Gary as SpongeBob’s pet. 

Appearance

Larry’s look is quite like Prehistoric Gary’s because of his thick bushy eyebrows. His colors are duller than usual; he has an olive-brown shell with light brown dots and a purple streak on his shell, like Annette. 

His facial expressions tell you he is mad or irritated about anything. The scrunch on his brows and the yellow-red eye color combo give a menacing look.

Personality

It’s no secret that Larry is an aggressive snail. He hisses at SpongeBob whenever he does not like something. He also acts like a boss, as if he owns SpongeBob’s house. I’m fascinated by how he hates sleeping on newspapers because he has lived in the streets his whole life as a stray snail. 

Instead of sleeping on the floor, he steals SpongeBob’s bed and screeches at him. He also bullies SpongeBob and eventually leaves because he hates his goofy attitude.

Episodes with Larry the Snail

Larry first appeared in “Dumped,” and since then, I have looked forward to more episodes where he appears in. So far, there are only a few episodes, such as: 

  • Dumped – Season 2, Episode 29b
  • Missing Identity – Season 3, Episode 58a
  • The Clam Whisperer – Season 11, Episode 216b
  • Gary & Spot – Season 12, Episode 242b
  • A Place for Pets – Season 13, Episode 268a

Dr. Kelpington’s Snail

dr. kelpington’s snail

Who is Dr. Kelpington’s Snail? 

Dr. Kelpington’s snail doesn’t seem to have an actual name. Dr. Kelpington is exceptionally close to this old snail and carries him around most of the time. He seems aloof and tired, considering his eyes always look droopy. 

Appearance

Dr. Kelpington’s snail seems to look dissatisfied and unhappy. It’s unsure how old the snail is, but he’s definitely an old snail. His eyes look different from the other snails. His eye stalks bend halfway, and his eyelids are also half-close. 

Like Annette, he also has a purple shell but a lighter shade. He also has a purple stripe on his shell without the dots on his pink body. However, his appearance change in the episode “The Hankering.”

Personality

It’s unsure whether Dr. Kelpington has two snails since his snails looked different in every appearance. I noticed that the snail is rather lazy; he rarely makes a sound or moves around. Like Dr. Kelpington, he looks like a villain.  

Episodes with Dr. Kelpington’s Snail 

The snail only appeared in two episodes. It keeps me wondering if the character will be reprised in future episodes; for now, he appeared on: 

  • My Leg – Season 11, Episode 231a
  • The Hankering – Season 12, Episode 262b

Snellie

snellie

Who is Snellie? 

Snellie is Squidward Tentacles’s pet. She first appeared in the episode “The Great Snail Race.” She looks somewhat similar to Annette and Mary the Snail. Squidward bought Snellie for $1,700; this makes her one of the most expensive pets in SpongeBob SquarePants. 

Appearance

Snellie is definitely pretty, and her large pink bow tie suits her well; she has a lavender shell with a violet swirl. Like Annette, she also has pale yellow pupils, blue irises, and long black eyelashes.

Personality

Snellie is calm yet competitive; she joined The Great Snail Race with Gary the Snail and Rocky the Rock. However, she eventually forfeited her spot to check on Gary, who had been heavily injured due to SpongeBob pressuring him. She was swooned over by Gary’s personality and fell in love with him. 

Episodes with Snellie 

Squidward’s temporary pet only appeared in one episode, “The Great Snail Race.” In the episode, she became Gary’s love interest. They fell in love with each other and went off the track.  

Billy the Snail

billy the snail

Who is Billy the Snail? 

Billy the Snail is owned by Incidental Judge 3 (aka Brad, he also goes by the name Ted.) He is a hip snail who loves to sweet-talk girls. Billy is an obvious swagger. You’ll notice how he acts cool around everyone else with one look at him. He first appeared in the episode “Gary in Love.” 

Appearance

Billy is the most handsome snail in SpongeBob SquarePants. He has a light pink-colored shell, just like Gary’s. I love how glossy and neat he looks with just a thin swirly line without any dots on his body. 

His green skin with a blue underside is opposite to Gary’s skin. He is the only snail with thick locks of black hair. He looks extremely put together, wearing gel on his hair. 

Personality

Billy is a smooth talker! He knows how to get what he wants. It’s as if he is a better communicator than most characters. Because he only made one appearance, it’s difficult to explore his personality. His meow sounds like an adult male human. 

Episodes with Billy the Snail 

“Gary in Love” is the only episode where Billy the Snail appeared. He meets Mary the Snail and eventually becomes his boyfriend. This made Gary and Mary’s ex-boyfriend extraordinarily jealous and sad. 

Foofie

foofie

Foofie is a lesser-known pet snail in SpongeBob SquarePants. He is Charles’ (aka Fancy guy) pet. That explains why he looks wealthy and loaded. He won the most prestigious pet show in Bikini Bottom not only once but five times in a row.

Appearance

Foofie is genuinely a unique snail in terms of looks. He wears different accessories, including a medallion and a bejeweled monocle—flaunting his owner’s wealth. Like Billy, he also has a thick head of hair resembling Elvis Presley’s hairstyle.

He also has a black mustache, a faded gold shell with dark purple streaks with spots. His skin is a combination of pink and light purples; it perfectly suits the color of his shell. 

Personality

Many would easily think Foofie is spoiled, but he hates Charles for over-pampering him. He seems a bit snobbish and aloof; I think he’s quite desensitized to winning the Bikini Bottom Pet Show after winning it five times in a row. In “Grooming Gary,” he is seen to boss over Charles as if he is superior to him. 

Episodes with Foofie

Despite appearing in only two episodes, Foofie is one of the most well-known snails in the franchise. His personality is truly unforgettable, as shown on: 

  • Grooming Gary – Season 6, Episode 110b
  • Shellback Shenanigans – Season 7, Episode 147b 

Rout: A Group of Snail Characters  

I have shared a thorough run of the snails who were the characters’ pets, including main stars or recurring roles. It’s time to talk about the rout or escargatoire of snails in SpongeBob SquarePants. These snails always appear in groups and are dubbed by a specific group name. 

Alley Snails

alley snails

The Alley Snails look like some old gangsta group on a sketchy alley. These elderly dudes look tough, and they’re really mean too. Their dull colors might be a sign that the streets suck the life out of them. I dig their getup; one of them is a gray snail with a monochromatic body, just a shade lighter than his shell.

He wears a dark blue eye patch with yellow spots on his left eye. Nothing screams street cred more than the sword-heart tattoo on his shell and the ring piercing on his upper lip. 

The second snail is pink with a light purple body with a darker shell. He looks meaner than the rest of the group because of his bulging and veiny eyes. The bandage on his shell is a giveaway of his rough life as a stray. 

The last snail doesn’t look mean like the first and second ones. He has an olive green color with a navy green shell. His eyelids are not fully open, wincing at the sight of anything. The Alley Snails appeared in two episodes: “Have You Seen This Snail?” and “Where’s Gary?”

Baby Snails

baby snails

They’re the cutest snails in Bikini Bottom! I love their vibrant colors, consisting of lavender, teal, light green, and orange. The Baby Snails only appeared in the episode “Sanctuary”; Patrick found them under a bridge and took them home. SpongeBob and Patrick cared for them until they were found by the mama snail. 

Snail Babies

snail babies

Not to be confused with Baby Snails, the snail babies are five of Lighthouse Louie’s babies. Three of them are male with pink, yellow, and blue bellies. The two female snails are purple and violet in color, with brown eyelashes. 

It’s fascinating to know that Lighthouse Louie is actually a female, giving birth to these cute babies in the episode “Lighthouse Louie.”

Party Snails

party snails

As the name suggests, these snails love to party! They wreck SpongeBob’s house and host crazy parties even when he is not there. Gary seems to enjoy their company, joining them in having full-blast house parties and even wearing party hats. 

Some of them look slightly different from the other snails in Bikini Bottom because of their sharp and irregularly shaped shells. Their colors are incredibly bright, ranging from neon green, cyan, and light purple, to yellow. They only appeared in the episode “Atlantis SquarePantis.” 

Picture-framed Snails

picture-framed snails

Are you wondering why I still include this group? Well, they’re part of interesting lore! The picture-framed snails are among Bikini Bottom’s darkest secrets. These groups of snails look quite like Gary. All 14 snails have pink shells and red streaks; eight of them have green skin, while six have light blue ones.

Apparently, Granny in the picture loves overfeeding the snails to fatten them up and eventually eat them. In the episode “Have You Seen This Snail?” Gary enters Granny’s house and notices dozens of broken snail shells in her closet.

Granny also overfeeds Gary. This made Gary think and immediately link the broken shells to the dead snails. Granny is overfeeding them to have a more scrumptious meal. 

Sea Whelks

sea whelks

I’m not really certain if they belong in this category. However, given that the Sea Whelks are from the shell family, they deserve the last spot in the group category. Sea Whelks resemble nothing like any other sea snail in Bikini Bottom. 

They have cone-like shells with orange spikes, and their bodies are purple in color. They don’t have any eye stalks like most snails; it’s even unsure if they have a sense of sight. Their big gaping mouth can easily sputter slime bubbles. Sea whelks are excellent predators catching their prey using their long, grasping tongues.

This predatory group of snails only appeared on “Whelk Attack” They have eaten dozens of characters, including Eugene H. Krabs, Squidward Tentacles, Sandy Cheeks, Patrick Star, and even SpongeBob SquarePants—all of which survived the disaster. 

Other Snail Characters

Bully Snail

bully snail

The bully snail appears in the episode “Gary in Love.” Like other bully snails, he looks menacing and villainous. He has a grayish-black shell with silver spikes on it. His dull purple skin and yellow eyeballs give him a grim appearance. His thin white swirl and the bandage on his shell add a layer of personality to his character. 

Dani (snail) – Human

dani (snail) - human

Resembling Dani Michaelli’s facial features, Dani is an orange snail with an aqua-blue shell. I love the orange mandala-like pattern on his shell. Despite having a realistic human face, he has eye stalks connecting his light yellow eyeballs to his body. 

Elderly Snail

elderly snail

The Elderly snail appeared in the episodes “Gary in Love” and “Plankton’s Pet.” She doesn’t have any other nickname besides just that. She looks distraught and ugly. When you think about it, she’d probably look good when she was younger. 

She has dark olive green-colored skin, which is extremely wrinkly. Her muted pink shell has a blue swirl on its shell, but it looks really deformed. The purple bow on her shell looks pristine. 

Elephant Snail

elephant snail

Like the sea whelks, the Elephant Snail looks peculiar. It looks more like an elephant seal rather than a snail. It has a huge nose and small ivory tusks. The only thing that makes it look like a snail is its ragged dark pink shell. 

His weird looks actually serve a purpose as one of the performing animals in the circus on the episode “Don’t Feed the Clowns.” 

“Lightning” Larry Luciano

“lightning” larry luciano

There’s another snail named Larry. Unlike Larry the Snail, he is calm and cheery despite his old age. He was once the winner of Bikini Bottom’s first annual snail race. Everyone considered him the living legend in the episode “The Great Snail Race.”

Currently, he’s nowhere near his former glory. He looks frail, having white eyebrows and a mustache. He also slouches; his eyelids barely open, and his eyestalks bend downwards. He has a dark mauve and olive green shell, which look deformed. 

Lighthouse Louie 

lighthouse louie 

At first glance, Lighthouse Louie looks like a male snail. Interestingly, she isn’t! Lighthouse Louie (also known as Louise) is a female snail who gave birth to five baby snails in the episode “Lighthouse Louie.” 

She has a triangular greenish-gray shell with dull spikes and barnacles on it. Her orange body and white belly complement well with her colors. It’s fascinating that she’s one of a few snails with prominent sharp teeth. 

Mary the Snail

mary the snail

Some fans can hardly distinguish the difference between Snellie, Annette, and Mary, but I digress. While Snellie and Annette look entirely similar, Mary the Snail has apparent distinguishing features. 

Mary the Snail appeared in only one episode, “Gary in Love.” She’s one of the poshest snails in Bikini Bottom. Monica, her owner, looks really fancy too. I love Mary’s lavender shell with a dark purple swirl. Her cute red bow with white polka dots makes her look even more attractive.

Mary’s Ex-boyfriend

mary’s ex-boyfriend

It’s pretty confusing how Mary chose this snail to be his boyfriend. He’s clearly not Mary’s equal in terms of looks and personality. Mary’s ex-boyfriend is ugly, and that’s not an understatement. He has a purple shell with dark teal streaks and dots. I wonder what happened and why he got the scar on top of his shell too. 

Weirdly, he doesn’t go by any name, just Mary’s ex-boyfriend. He speaks eloquently with an Italian-American accent. He seems to be inspired by Italian fashion, considering his ivy cap. He’s also loud and dangerous, having his own gang of bully snails. 

Esmerelda

esmerelda

Given his manly physical features, Esmeralda was mistaken for a female. She has unique physical characteristics, looking different from any other snail in Bikini Bottom. Her shell is slightly deformed with a noticeable dent on the right side; it has about ten blue dots surrounding the red-orange spiral swirl. 

Esmeralda has a light sage green body and a bright yellow underside. As a stray snail, she looks like she’s seen better days. Her visible ribs and withered eyestalks could attest. She only appeared in the episode “Sanctuary.”

Jerry

jerry

Jerry is the only snail who looks precisely like an actual real-life snail. He is a tiny snail, about the size of SpongeBob’s palm. It has an olive-green shell and a dark brown body, just like a land snail. 

Frequently Asked Questions about Snails in SpongeBob SquarePants 

Question: How many Snails are in SpongeBob SquarePants? 

Answer: There are definitely hundreds of snails in Bikini Bottom. However, they’re only 28 named character snails in the show, including the rout and the minor characters. 

Questions: Are Snails in Bikini Bottom Considered Cats? 

Answer: While the show creators haven’t confirmed this theory, snails are the underwater equivalent of cats. That’s why snails meow and purr like a cat. On the other hand, worms bark like dogs. 

Question: Is Squidward Allergic to Snails?

Answer: Yes! Squidward is actually allergic to snails, as shown in the episode “Sanctuary.” However, his allergies aren’t triggered with just a few snails. That’s probably the reason why he can stand Gary and Snellie’s presence. 

Question: Did Patrick Turn Into a Snail? 

Answer: Yes! Patrick became a snail in the episode “Sanctuary.” He turns into a snail to spend more time with SpongeBob but ultimately regrets the decision. Patrick also has an uncle, Sluggo Star, who has “somewhat” a snail. 

Wrapping Up: Who’s Your Favorite Snails? 

Snails in SpongeBob SquarePants definitely played a significant role in the show. I love how they incorporate these snails as pets, giving them unique personalities and character designs.

While most snails don’t come with a clear backstory, I love the range shown! Every character makes sense, and the rout of snails is also just fun to watch! 

I’m hoping to see more of the snail character in the future; maybe reprise Mary the Snail and let Gary live his own happily ever after. Future episodes could give a sneak peek of the snail babies and baby snails. Lastly, they should host another snail-related event and show Gary’s lack of competitiveness and drive. 

Want to read more interesting blogs about the characters and lore in the show? Here’s a list to start with: 

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