How to determine the sex of snails

In recent years, snails have become popular Pets. In addition to the famous ampulyarii living have fascinated aquarists, now holding a giant African Achatina is a huge land snails. Of course, for successful breeding Pets you will need a male and a female, so it is important to know the sex of the snails.

Instruction

Most land snails are hermaphrodites. This means that they possess both male and female reproductive organs. However, to impregnate herself land snail can't. For mating you need two individuals who are "face to face" to each other, so that their genital openings are located opposite each other, and then there is the transfer of genetic material. During observations, it was found that older snails often take the female lead, at that time, as young individuals are male. So, if you want to get offspring from your Pets, but you are only adult snails sat down next to him a young individual, and will succeed.

Ampulyarii is one of the few dioecious snails. Known cases when snails of this species changed gender. Ampulyarii of the genus Pila hibernate before you turn into the opposite sex, and genus Pomacea this can happen at any time. Of course, the floor of the cochlea is possible to determine, on opening it, however, it is unlikely that this method will fit you. But there are a few simple and painless methods.

In order to understand the gender of a snail, pull it out of the water, put the lid up and wait till the lid open. Look in the sink, right at the top of the mantle the male will be visible to the sheath of the penis. Of course, the untrained eye may not recognize this difference, but if you put several ampulyarii and compare the structure of their reproductive system, you will understand the difference.

You can also wait for your snails start mating. Have ampulyarii it is the male creeps on the female.

Another way to determine the sex ampulyarii – measure the mouth of the snail shells. In males, the mouth sinks in the form closer to the circumference than the females. If you are the proud owner of an aquarium populated ampulyarii, you can measure the mouth of the snail shells in two directions, and to understand who is who.

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