Freshwater Pond Snail

Statistics

Taxonomic class: Gastropoda

Length: up to 4 cm

Average life span: 1 year

When To See

All year round.

Photo credit: molluscs.at

Habitat

Freshwater snails are molluscs found across  a range of aquatic environments from ponds to rivers.  Snails need calcium in their environment to assist in shell growth so will be absent in acidic waterbodies. They mostly eat vegetative material and detritus by rasping with their hardened tongue like organ, the radula.

How To Identify

Many separate species of freshwater snails occur in UK and are often describes conservatively as pond snails. They will have a turret or spire and can be tall or globular in shape. Further identification can be done by discerning if the snail’s shell twists to the right (dextral) or to the left (sinistral).

Seen It?

Been kicking about in your local river and come across one of these invertebrates? Not sure? Share it with us at trust@forthriverstrust.org, we enjoy chatting about inverts with you.