Need help from snail feeder breeders

Kuamata · 01-12-15, 05:41 PM

I got some Black Mystery Snails in, also known as Apple Snails. I believe they are wild-type(coloration) Diffusa variety.

My problem is I need help sexing them. I've tried going snail specific forums but they all seem to require staff approval before I can even log in, and they're fairly inactive, so... I'm hoping maybe some feeder breeders can maybe help me out.

I believe I have one female, for sure... Couldn't get a real good view on the others, may need to take a second look later... I heard that sometimes they can be too small to sex? So, I dunno if mine are too small right now or not, but one looks female to me. She was the must cooperative, the others were a bit stubborn. I'll be picking up a few more later. I figure the chances of getting 10 of the same gender isn't very likely, so...

I know it's unlikely someone will be here to help sex 'em, but I figured it doesn't hurt to try.

Edit: Whoops, forgot the photos.

**Minkness** · 01-12-15, 06:34 PM

I understood that snails were actually hermaphrodites and only require another snail to procreate. They usually insiminate eachother at the same time.

I don't know if that's all snails though, or just the ones I was researching at the time (common garden snails)

Kuamata · 01-12-15, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Minkness

I understood that snails were actually hermaphrodites and only require another snail to procreate. They usually insiminate eachother at the same time.

I don't know if that's all snails though, or just the ones I was researching at the time (common garden snails)

I thought the same thing but apparently not the apple snails. The males, if you can get a good view up under the shell, have a larger bulge to your left side than the female does, known as a p--is sheath. I'm not really experienced with sexing them, so I'm trying to see if anyone else is around that may be able to tell better than me.

How to Sex Your Apple Snails: Pomacea bridgesii & canaliculata

Edit: Apparently some Pomacea(Apple Snail) species can change sex at random, though... I'm not sure if P. Diffusa is one of those species, though... I'll have to look around.

**Minkness** · 01-12-15, 07:57 PM

So much to learn! Lol.

You got the snails before the lizard? That's kind of awesome!

Kuamata · 01-12-15, 08:04 PM

Yeah, wanna get them good and going before the lil' fella arrived. Sure, I could continue to feed canned, but I would rather him eat fresh. Always good to get your food supply goin' before you get your new scaley.

**Minkness** · 01-12-15, 08:21 PM

Yeah, I waited 2 years to start my dubia colony lol. I just spent loooots of money on store bought worms lol.

Good luck with yours!

Kuamata · 01-12-15, 08:32 PM

Thanks! All of the males in my dubia colony died

They lived the one year they were supposed to, though. Now I just got a bunch of females and nymphs.

From what I've read, they're just about big enough to be mature, so hopefully my weird slimey water friends should be copulating soon. I'm keeping the water at about 28C. The warmer water makes them more active, grow faster, and promotes breeding behavior so long as they have abundant food.

I'm so thankful to live in Kentucky right now. Where our rivers have a lot of limestone, our water is naturally hard with calcium. Just dechlorinate the tap and you got yourself some calcium rich water fit for snails.

**Minkness** · 01-12-15, 08:36 PM

Awesome! I like to regularly buy small breeding groups of new dubias once a year to promote different genetics lol. About 5 new females and 3 new males, and then mostbpwople want to sell me nypmhs so I'll get about 100 different sized nymphs, though I don't keep track of them so I probably feed them to my geckos lol.