Effects of dormant duration, body size, self-burial and water condition on the long-term survival of the apple snail, Pomacea canaliculata (Gastropoda: Ampullariidae)

Abstract

We investigated factors influencing the survival of the apple snail, Pomacea canaliculata during dormancy in the laboratory at 20-26°C. We placed snails of three size classes in small pots with soil and water, drained the water to induce self-burial, and subsequently checked the snails' survival at intervals. The duration of the dormant period, body size and the success of self-burial all affected the survival of the snails. The effects of water conditions (dry or moist) affected the survival of the snails through interactions with body size and duration. The longest duration of survival under dry conditions was 11 months, and a small proportion of medium-sized and large snails survived the entire experimental period of 29 months under moist conditions.