Pond snail ID, please

[Jo Sara]

Hi,

I spotted this little one (he/she is about 2.5cm) in my pond today. I thought I'd be able to ID it myself, but I'm confused. I was using a site that took you through the shell size/shape/which way it spiralled, and when I got to the end of that the snail it ID'd was supposed to be black. Mine's grey. Help!

I know one of you lovely lot will be able to ID it straight away.

[tom00_uk]

looks like Great pond snail - Lymnaea stagnalis

[Red Robin]

They vary quite a lot in shell colour.

Does he-she (they're bi-sexual) have what looks like elephant ears?:

[tom00_uk]

Originally Posted by Red Robin

They vary quite a lot in shell colour.

Does he-she (they're bi-sexual) have what looks like elephant ears?:

not bisexual, they are intersex the modern term used to describe Hermaphrodites as that's no longer PC. since they exhibit both male and female genitals

the shell colour is open to a lot of variation, depending on the amount of calcium avalible to the snail as its laying down shell, the type of algae growing on the shell and if other snails have been grazing on the shell to gain food or calcium.

[Red Robin]

Originally Posted by tom00_uk

not bisexual, they are intersex the modern term used to describe Hermaphrodites as that's no longer PC. since they exhibit both male and female genitals.

the shell colour is open to a lot of variation, depending on the amount of calcium avalible to the snail as its laying down shell, the type of algae growing on the shell and if other snails have been grazing on the shell to gain food or calcium.

...."intersex"!? The word isn't even an adjective! To hell with what's 'PC'. They may be described as 'intersexual' perhaps, but you don't need a classical education like wot I had to understand the term 'hermaphrodite' - Is it too big a word for the average jo to grasp?

Interesting to learn about reasons for shell colour variation. All the Lymnaea stagnalis born in my pond of parents I introduced from another pond have different shell colour to their parents - I wondered about that. All the offspring's shell colouration is the same.

The original parents, who started 'mating' (is it alright to use that term without alerting the PC police? ) within only 2 hours of arrival!:





^ They remained in coitus for several hours.

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by Red Robin

...."intersex"!? The word isn't even an adjective! To hell with what's 'PC'. They may be described as 'intersexual' perhaps, but you don't need a classical education like wot I had to understand the term 'hermaphrodite' - Is it too big a word for the average jo to grasp?

Interesting to learn about reasons for shell colour variation. All the Lymnaea stagnalis born in my pond of parents I introduced from another pond have different shell colour to their parents - I wondered about that. All the offspring's shell colouration is the same.

The original parents, who started 'mating' (is it alright to use that term without alerting the PC police? ) within only 2 hours of arrival!:





^ They remained in coitus for several hours.

Quite agree..great shots...

[King Edward]

Originally Posted by tom00_uk

not bisexual, they are intersex the modern term used to describe Hermaphrodites as that's no longer PC. since they exhibit both male and female genitals

This is in relation to humans with mixed male/female genitals, not for animals such as snails in which this is the usual state and for which hermaphrodite remains the correct term. 'Intersex' when used in biology refers to animals with aberrant mixed male/female characteristics, and is often associated with environmental pollution.

[tom00_uk]

At university it was taught as described above, along side being used in ecotoxicology as a term used to describe forcing gender change either intentionality in say fish farming or unintentionality as with periwinkles exposed to tributyltin contaminated sediments

[Jo Sara]

Blimey. I only wanted to know what type of snail I had, not it's sexual history, and intimate personal details too.

Thanks for the replies.

Red Robin, I've looked at your photo and I think my snail has got those ears you mention (How clear is your pond water, by the way. Jealous.). My snail has got really distinctive colouring on it's shell which was partly why I was getting confused looking at other pics of great pond snails which had darker, plainer shells. But that's been explained too. Ta all.

[Red Robin]

Here's a pic showing the typical plainer colouration of the snails born in my pond: