Pond snails

Lymnaeidae · Aquatic life

Up close · Photo: Mathijs Zonneveld / CC BY

NativeMollusk (mussel, clam, snail)

Also called Lymnaeid snails, Great pond snail, Stagnicola

How to identify Pond snails

Thin, brown to tan shell with a pointed spire
Right handed: with the spire up and opening facing you, the opening is on the right
Flat, triangular tentacles with eyes at their base
No trapdoor (operculum)
Size ranges from about 1/4 inch to over 2 inches (great pond snail)

Similar species

Physid snails are left handed with the opening on the left. Chinese mystery snails are heavier, rounder and have a trapdoor. New Zealand mudsnails are tiny, dark and have a trapdoor.

Profile

Season	Active spring through fall; eggs laid in clear jelly masses on plants and hard surfaces.
Starts	Egg laying begins as water warms past about 50 F
Depth	Shallow water, usually under 6 feet
How it spreads or reproduces	Eggs and snails carried on plants, birds and equipment
Habitat	Plant beds, rocks and shallow edges of ponds, lakes, canals and marshes.

Why it matters in a lake

Graze algae and dead plant material and are fish food. They are main hosts for the flatworms that cause swimmer's itch and for liver flukes of livestock and wildlife.