In recent years, it has become fashionable to keep at home not only cats, dogs and hamsters, but also exotic animals that can amaze guests. So, from snails, not only ampullia and melania, which have long been known to aquarists, have become popular, but also the giant African Achatina snails. Of course, in order to reproduce successfully, you need to know the sex of your snails.
Instructions
Step 1
The vast majority of land snails, including Achatina, are hermaphrodites. This does not mean that you do not need a second individual to produce offspring, it is just that these snails have both male and female genital organs. During copulation, two snails become "facing" each other. Thus, the female genital organs of one individual are opposite the male genital organs of another, and at this moment the transfer of genetic material occurs. If you keep several snails, but they have not had offspring for a long time, calculate the age of your pets. Usually, larger snails take on the female role, while the younger ones act as males. Therefore, if you want to get a clutch of eggs, put a young snail in the terrarium, and you will soon succeed.
Step 2
Ampularia are one of the few dioecious snails. Which, however, are still capable of changing gender. Ampularia of the genus Pila hibernate before this, while in the genus Pomacea this can occur at any time without prior preparation.
Step 3
Of course, the most reliable way to determine the sex of the ampulla is by opening it. It is unlikely that you will be satisfied with this method, so there are several simple techniques that any snail lover can do.
Step 4
Take your snails out of the water and measure their mouths. In males of the ampulla, the mouth is more round, in females, in turn, it is elongated. By comparing several individuals, you can easily understand who is who.
Step 5
You can also wait for the snails to open the shell lids and examine them carefully. To the right of the top of the mantle, males will have a visible shell of the penis. In a comparative analysis, such a difference between males and females is easy to notice.
Step 6
If you planted a melania snail in the aquarium, then you do not need to determine its gender. They are also capable of reproducing parthenogenetically, that is, they do not need a mating partner. And soon you will get a brood of snails from one individual.
