It is commonly thought that clams have a muscular foot that they use to help them dig into the sand. The foot grasps deeper and deeper making its shell body move with it, and with this foot, they can almost completely bury themselves. However, this is not the case with all clams, especially since the foot, although muscular, does not have that much strength, judging by scientific measurements done on the strength of this muscle.
The razor clam, for example, actually creates quicksand around itself which helps it to burrow and sink down into the sand. It first creates an empty space in the sand below its foot, which it does by constricting valves within its shell. The water rushes into the empty space to fill it, making the sand softer. As the clam's muscular foot continues to churn the sand to dig down, it essentially creates a soft and slushy quicksand which is even easier for the clam to penetrate.
Burrowing in bivalves involves foot,shell and siphons. These which operate in sequence to bring about downward movement.
1. The foot first extends downwards in a probing motion and then expands to form an anchor.
2. The siphons close to prevent any water being ejected.
3. The adductor muscles close the valves rapidly, effectively expelling water from the ventral margin.
4. This is immediately followed by contraction of foot retractor muscles, pulling the bivalve downward towards the anchored foot.
5. Finally, the adductor muscles relax and the ligament opens the valves.
The clam sticks out its foot (its "tongue") and digs down into the sand with it. Then it holds on and pulls itself down.
to hide themslevs from predators. and because when clams get washed up on shore from water they have to stay wet to live so they burrow in the sand where there is a little moisture.
They are actually filter-feeders! Even though under sand, there is still water flowing through. They have special organs that extract microbial particles.
well it was actually made to defend its self remember that all of the soft tissues are in side the hard shell
There are a lot of reasons. Usually to protect itself from predators, but sometimes they bury themselves to look for food.
it likes the moist environment!
it wants to die
The clam has a tongue like 'appendage' that it slips through a lightly opened shell. Through the lightly opened shell, it pulls itself.
it is a alage eater, and it has a shell that protects itself from danger.
A couple minutes
There are several animals that bury themselves. Lizards, turtles, hedgehogs and the scarab beetle all bury themselves in dirt.
I actually think you should put the clam back into the sea you got it or in a random sea where it can feed itself. Cheeseman56: Actually, you HAVE to put the clam back into the ocean it came from, not a random water source. This is because the clam could effect the food chain of the ocean/lake, and cause other creatures to die.
They do not bury themselves but do live in underground burrows. They do so as they need a place to escape severe weather, predators and a place to have their babies.
A hedgehog will build its den where they feel it is safest; this depends on the species.
Arctic fox