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Gastropods, Pacific Northwest
Common Pond Snail, Photo By Bud Logan
Snails can be found in many places, like gardens, ponds, forests, and even the ocean. They belong to a group of animals called mollusks, which are related to oysters, clams & other shellfish. They have soft bodies that are protected by a hard shell. The common pond snail is found in ponds.
This species feeds on both plant and animal matter with its rasping tongue, which can leave distinctive feeding marks on its victims. It can even attack newts, small fishes, and water beetle larvae and may occasionally other common pond snails. It lays its egg masses on weeds in the pond. These egg masses measure between 5 and 6 cm in length, and can contain up to 100 or more eggs. The size to which a specimen will grow is dependent upon the volume of water in the pond.
Young specimens are slender and have more translucent shells than mature snails. Common pond snails often come to the surface to take in air into a respiratory cavity. When the pond becomes covered in ice, or when the snails move to deeper water in winter, they are able to take in oxygen from the water through the skin.