caudal mucous pit

File:Ovachlamys fulgens 3.jpg (family Helicarionidae) with caudal horn on the tail end of the foot.]]

File:Geomalacus maculosus 5.jpg showing supra-pedal grooves and triangular caudal mucous pit.]]

File:Ariophanta interrupta.jpg shows the large caudal mucous pit on its tail end.]]

File:Arion lusitanicus, Adultform.jpg shows caudal mucous pit on its tail end.]]

File:Rød skogsnegl.JPG shows caudal mucous pit on its tail end.]]

The caudal mucous pit, or caudal mucous horn, is an anatomical structure on the tail end of the foot of various land snails and slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks.

The function of this pit is the resorption of mucus when the gastropod is moving (see also Muratov 1999).

An incorrect and yet often-used term for this structure is the "caudal gland".Barker G. M. (2001) "Gastropods on Land: Phylogeny, Diversity and Adaptive Morphology." in Barker G. M. (ed.): "[https://books.google.com/books?id=WlvX-9Wt0toC&hl The biology of terrestrial molluscs]". CABI Publishing, Oxon, UK, {{ISBN|0-85199-318-4}}. 1-146, cited pages: page 90 and pages 140-143.

This area also used to be referred to by the term "caudal pore".