# What type of snail do I have and can they get off their backs?



## yum (Feb 11, 2008)

By phive5, shot with u710,S710 at 2008-04-17

Silly me. I forgot what the breeder at the swap meet said this type of snail is. It's a red banded something. Sorry for the blurry pic. I don't have a macro lens. What type is it?

It's just about ping pong ball size and he said it doesn't grow much bigger and has a life span of about 3 years. It lays eggs outside of the water and breeds seasonally.

Sadly, it's mate died the day after. I found it on it's back on some java moss. Can this type of snail right itself if it falls on it's back? Is that how it died? I wasn't sure if it was sick or what? They both looked really healthy and the seller specialized in snails so I was thinking they should be strong.


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## cs_gardener (Apr 28, 2006)

For a snail that size it's probably an apple snail. There are different species and many different color varieties. Check out www.applesnail.net for more information. Pomacea bridgesii have a lohttp://t of different color variations though I haven't heard of one called red-banded.

As for righting itself, my brigs (Pomacea bridgesii) have always managed to right themselves if they fall on their backs. They can stretch surprisingly far out of their shells when needed. Your snail might have been too stressed by the change in environment and couldn't make it, it's hard to tell sometimes.


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