![\"Invasive](\"https:\/\/taylorpond.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/Invasive-Mystery-Snails.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nTwo Mystery Snails with a smaller native species.<\/p>\n
This snail thrives at temperatures from 34-80 degrees, just the range we typically see in Taylor Pond.\u00a0 They tend to live in shallow water plowing shallow grooves as they burrow just below the surface of the mud.\u00a0 They migrate to deeper water to winter over.\u00a0 They are about the size of a large walnut and have a brownish greenish shell.\u00a0 When stressed they have a trapdoor (operculum) that they shut and can survive extreme heat, cold and most pesticides intended to kill them.\u00a0 They feed on algae and microorganisms found in the mud.\u00a0 Their toughness and willingness to eat rotting organic matter has yielded a large population in Taylor Pond.\u00a0 Fortunately crows and diving ducks enjoy eating them.\u00a0 On Sabattus Pond I have often observed ducks (Lesser Scaup) swallowing these snails in one large gulp.<\/p>\n
A single female snail can produce over a hundred babies, each of which can live up to 5 years.\u00a0 When they die they may wash up on shore where they produce a foul odor.\u00a0 According to the US Geological Service website this species \u201chas exerted no recorded impacts in the Great Lakes and is considered relatively benign.\u201d \u00a0So rest easy and enjoy some escargots fried with garlic and wine sauce.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Dana Little 4\/27\/2012 Large snails known as Chinese Mystery Snails have invaded Taylor Pond.\u00a0 Found normally in Southeast Asia, Japan and eastern Russia, people first brought these snails to San Francisco in 1892 for the Asian food market.\u00a0 They … Continue reading