Snail babies from outter space
- Thread starter EmmZ
- Start date
What did the snail say when it got a ride on the back of a tortoise?
Wheeeeeee!!!
(my 7 year old nephew told me that one)
Wheeeeeee!!!
(my 7 year old nephew told me that one)
Enmos
Valued Senior Member
Enmos
Valued Senior Member
Hmm ok, they can serf-fertilize.. although it's rare.
However, they lay eggs and the number averages around 200.
Also, it could have been fertilized in the pet store, since these snails can store sperm for up to two years.
So it may have self-fertilized or gotten fertilized at the pet store, but only laying the one egg is completely a-typical.
Weird.
"The Giant East African Snail is a simultaneous hermaphrodite, meaning each individual has both testes and ovaries. This means it is capable of producing both sperm and ova. Instances of self fertilisation are rare, and only occur in low populations. Although both snails in a mating pair can simultaneously transfer both gametes to each other (bilateral mating), this is dependent on the size difference between the partners. Snails of a similar size will reproduce in this way, however 2 of differing sizes will mate unilaterally (one way), with the larger individual acting as a female. This is due to the comparative resource investment associated with the different genders. Like other land snails, they have intriguing mating behavior, including petting their heads and front parts against each other. Courtship can last up to half an hour, and the actual transfer of gametes can last for 2 hours. A female can store sperm within her body for up to 2 years. The number of eggs per clutch averages around 200. A snail would lay 5-6 clutches per year with a hatching viability of about 90%."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achatina_fulica
However, they lay eggs and the number averages around 200.
Also, it could have been fertilized in the pet store, since these snails can store sperm for up to two years.
So it may have self-fertilized or gotten fertilized at the pet store, but only laying the one egg is completely a-typical.
Weird.
"The Giant East African Snail is a simultaneous hermaphrodite, meaning each individual has both testes and ovaries. This means it is capable of producing both sperm and ova. Instances of self fertilisation are rare, and only occur in low populations. Although both snails in a mating pair can simultaneously transfer both gametes to each other (bilateral mating), this is dependent on the size difference between the partners. Snails of a similar size will reproduce in this way, however 2 of differing sizes will mate unilaterally (one way), with the larger individual acting as a female. This is due to the comparative resource investment associated with the different genders. Like other land snails, they have intriguing mating behavior, including petting their heads and front parts against each other. Courtship can last up to half an hour, and the actual transfer of gametes can last for 2 hours. A female can store sperm within her body for up to 2 years. The number of eggs per clutch averages around 200. A snail would lay 5-6 clutches per year with a hatching viability of about 90%."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achatina_fulica
Sciencelovah
Registered Senior Member
LOOK!!!
Wow, that is just so cute, EmmZ!
Sciencelovah
Registered Senior Member
No, that is actually a suspicious icon
Let see if I can find something else. Maybe something related with this hot summer
Eh, I'll do it a bit later, my bf just called me, we're going to meet out for lunch first.
Ciao, Enmos!
I wish my sea snails were hemphrodites. i keep having to buy new ones every time the hermit crabs need a new shell
can you not just pick up empty shells from the beach? or if you don't live near the sea find someone who will send you some.
It's tremendous fun when you put some new shells in a tank with hermies and watch them do battle over the choicest one.
Purely in the name of science of course (ahem.....)
acually its rather hard to get gradually increasing shells for them. Most of my hermit crabs die when they outgrow there shell because i cant get enough slightly bigger ones
These arnt the land hermit crabs rember (which are quite large and the shells are easerly bought) they are much smaller
These arnt the land hermit crabs rember (which are quite large and the shells are easerly bought) they are much smaller
Shame - a couple of hours beachcombing here and I could get a sackfull of all different shapes and sizes.
Is this a known problem for aquarium keepers?
Do they have to suffer the buden of regularly replacing hermit crabs due to the poor availability of shells?
If so I see a business opportunity
synthesizer-patel its reasonably common from what my pet store friend tells me. As for collecting shells i could go to the beach and collect 1000's of shells but they are all flat shells. Hermit crabs need snail shells (or cone shells i would guess) ect because they use the shells to hide there bodies in. They just dont wash up here