Foraging behavior of snails is affected by competition and risk of predation, which can be detected by chemical cues in the water. Freshwater snails are able to detect and respond to kairomones, from predators, and chemical cues, such as alarm cues, from other snails. Invasive species, such as the Chinese mystery snail, are known to affect native species through processes such as competition an...

In the present study, Biomphalaria snails collected from five Egyptian governorates (Giza, Fayoum, Kafr El-Sheikh, Ismailia and Damietta), as well as reference control Biomphalaria alexandrina snails from the Schistosome Biological Supply Center (SBSC) (Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Egypt), were subjected to species-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays to identify the collected...

A population of Pseudosuccinea columella was raised under laboratory conditions and its life tables were determined in isolated and paired snails. Isolated snails were significantly larger in shell size than paired snails from five weeks of age onward. Also, statistically significant differences were found for the number of eggs per mass per individual from week 5 to 9, isolated snails exhibiti...

overall 10389 snails were collected from four study areas of punjab from november 2005 to october2006. the highest prevalence (38%) was found for indoplanorbis followed by physa (17%), bellamaya(10.3%), gyraulus (10%), lymnaea (9.2%), oncomelania (9%) and the lowest was found for bulinus (6.7%).only indoplanorbis snails were found to be positive for schistosoma bovis cercaria. correlation betwe...

In Egypt, Biomphalaria alexandrina is the intermediate host for Schistosoma mansoni. The fates of Schistosoma miracidia in the snails varies between different species of Biomphalaria. The internal defense system is one of the factors that influence the susceptibility pattern of the snails. The interaction between Biomphalaria snails and S. mansoni needs to be identified for each species, and ev...

BACKGROUND Schistosomiasis remains an important public health issue in China and worldwide. Oncomelania hupensis is the unique intermediate host of schistosoma japonicum, and its change influences the distribution of S. japonica. The Three Gorges Dam (TGD) has substantially changed the ecology and environment in the Dongting Lake region. This study investigated the impact of water level and ele...

The present work aimed at studying the effect of Ambrosia maritima (Damsissa) on the viability of Lymnaea snails. Lymnaea snails used in these trials were acclimatized to laboratory conditions before use in the toxicity test. The snails were exposed to various concentrations (100-3000 mg/l) of dry powdered Damsissa, Ambrosia maritima was lethal to Lymnaea snails at concentration of 3000 mg/L af...

The pond snail Lymnaea auricularia serves as an intermediate host for many digenian species. In West Azerbaijan province, northwestern Iran, the cercariae infection investigation was undertaken in L. auricularia from May to November 2010. Of 6759 collected Lymnaeid snails, 370(5.5%) L. auricularia snails were identified. Cercariae infection was found in a number of 276 (74.56 %) snails. The re...

Snails and slugs became a serious molluscan pests and damaging leaves of purple compacta, Cordyline fruticosa extensively grown for export at Green Farm Ltd, Sri Lanka. The export quality of leaves of C. fruticosa is lowered due to feeding of snails, Achantina fulica (Bowditch), Opeas pyrgula Schmacker and Boettgerx and Helix aspersa Muller and slugs incurring great loss to cut foliage industry...

Parasitism often influences the phenotype of individuals. Many of the resulting changes are due to changes in resource allocation that come with infection. Here we examine the effect of a trematode parasite on the shape and defence morphology of a New Zealand freshwater snail, Potamopyrgus antipodarum. The trematode Microphallus sp. asexually produces hundreds of metacercarial cysts in the snai...