Some Snails Are Special

[Baccus]

A while ago at work I happened to find an unusual snail shell on the bank a fresh water section of river, near a boat ramp. While the shell was unusual and I was interested in it, and I had a bit of a look around for any live snails, I didn't think too much more about it at the time. However the snail shell niggled at me and I was determined to track down a live snail of the type of the shell I had happened to find.
 
The section of river I would be investigating has quite an amount of water traffic, with rowing boats, jet skis and powered boats using the river on an almost daily basis. The real danger in this section of river is salt water crocodiles, which one had been recently sighted just prior to my forays into more indepth searches for the snail. Never let the name Salt water or Saltie as they are "affectionately" called fool you into thinking that freshwater creeks, lagoons, rivers are free of them.
 
So with much careful water scanning and sticking to very shallow parts of the water I began scooping my net through any likely places such as around structure like submerged timber, sand or soft mud beds and weed beds. Initially all I found was more dead shells, but it was a start and showed me that where there are dead ones there has to be live ones.

The first dead shells I found






Another week later I went back to the river and tried some more searching. This time I found 3 live ones


These first 3 live ones where all roughly the same size, but I knew there where bigger ones to be found because I had found their dead shells.




Because of their shell structure and pretty body colouration I thought these snails where most likely a species of Notopala.

So then I began searching online for any information about Australian notopala species. I already knew about Notopala waterhousei and Notopala essingtonensis but these are found in the Northern Territory and a long way away from me. Then I found out about Notopala sublineata hanleyi and Notopala sublineata alisoni. Since N. sublinaeata hanleyi is a southern species and recorded as being in New South Wales and Victoria I am pretty sure the species I have found is N. sublineata alsoni since they are recored as being in my general area. Also N. sublineata hanleyi is critically endangered, and restricted to a few very limited areas.

 

[TallTree01]

Wow, those look cool Baccus. Nice find.

 

[Baccus]

They are really great and not plant eaters so perfect for planted tanks.

 

[NickAu]

Wow nice snails.

 

[AmtotheBurr]

Love this. Don't trade one of your limbs for snails though.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Nice to find these lovely snails loaclly
 
These pics are great
 
As Amb mentions, do be careful with these salties, not worth losing a limb for these snails

 

[Baccus]

That's why I always take someone else with me

, and we have  a good scan of the water before going anywhere near it. I also have a good look in the mud at what footprints are about. Thankfully one of the spots I have been looking also has some fallen trees and tangled branches just infront of where I am in the water, which I figure should slow down any croc attacks.
The other "safety" measure I have been taking is staying in water only about ankle deep with the same depth a 2-3meters before dropping down to deeper water.
 
I have some other hunting expeditions to go on yet but this time for fish, I will be looking for the elusive Pacific Blue Eye and even rarer/ harder to find Rhadinocentrus.

 

[Baccus]

I am extremely happy and excited. This afternoon I happened to be looking in my native tank and spied a tiny little baby snail which didn't look like the usual Ramshorn or MTS. Upon looking more closely I found another baby that looked the same and both warranted closer inspection. So of I went and got my camera and did battle with it to zoom in on such tiny creatures and be in focus.
Turns out my suspicions where correct and my Notopala snails have successfully had a couple of babies

First baby spied


First baby zoomed in on showing its distinct notopalaness


Second baby spied


Later I went back out to the tanks to have another look at the babies and my excitement knew no bounds upon discovering another two babies

And this little one getting payback on a Ramshorn snail


 
I have no idea how old these babies are, if they are newborn or actually a couple of weeks old, nor do I know how many babies the notopala snails give birth to at anyone time. I know I should have 7 adults, but no real idea on the sex ratios.
But ultimately I am just so happy to have actually found some babies in my tank, considering how hard the parents where to find in the first place.

 

[Asteria]

Wow this is awesome! Wish I could go out hunting for some cool looking snails.
I used to do this in our garden when I was little.
Snails are so cool and now I want some again.

 

[Baccus]

I am regularly seeing still 4 baby snails, always around the same area of the tank. I don't know if that means they were born in that general area, hence their preference for it, or if they have just found enough suitable food to not bother disappearing into the rest of the tank.
I wish it was easier to see if there are any more in the tank, but the tank is dedicated to some shrimp which can be delicate, spotted blue eyes that hate intrusions into their tank by hands and is a tad over grown.
Either way I am really chuffed to have some of these baby snails.

 

[Baccus]

So update on these amazing snails.
The ones I had in my native spotted blue eye and native shrimp tank, seem to all have gone into hiding in the substrate and lost track of how many I still had. But we recently had some minor flooding in the local river that I have found these snails and literally 100's got left behind in the water hyacinth,cabbage weed and sticky sludgy mud as the water levels returned to normal. I rescued what I could and have now added these wonderful non-plant eating snails to all put two of my tanks since those tanks house loaches. A group have also gone into my pond.
 

 

[HarpyFishLover]

I want those! Those guys are cool!

 

[Baccus]

Overseas I think the closest relative would be Chinese or Japanese Trapdoor Snails, I just don't know if they have the same amazing patterns on the body and foot.

 

[Baccus]

Well it looks as though we are due for another flood, which means there may be more snails left high and dry to die when the water recedes again. I can not believe the sheer numbers of snails that got left behind after the last flood.

 

[Baccus]

Since adding the rescued snails to my tanks I have now found quite a few babies getting about. They certainly are sweet little things and just another reason that I love these snails.


And the colours of the parents really are striking




 
And finally one last baby