LOL, aren't they supposed to EAT the algae?

[kyryah]

As opposed to wearing it?

LOL, that is one of the three big vivaparous snails that I have for my pond. They are pretty neat, and they give live birth, one tiny snail at a time.

Here looking a bit better after a toothbrushing...

One of the babies, about the size of a small pea.

Kristina

 

[FastFly67]

how pretty

 

[erinw621]

Oh my gosh! haha, just covered in algae...

 

[kyryah]

LOL, good thing is there is none anywhere else

Kristina

 

[Lupin]

Cute!:hearts: Second pic indicates female.

 

[pik01]

hehe it's like that spot on your back that you just can't quite reach. Don't the vivs ever clean each other? You know how it goes: "You eat the algae off my back, I'll eat the algae..." wait.

 

[kyryah]

LOL, you know, my other snails groom each other, I guess the vivs are just more solitary. They are neat, though, and I love 'em

Kristina

 

[johnt]

Looked pretty cool the way it was. Would it have done any harm to leave it ?

 

[Wycco]

That was probably the good stuff... he was saving that for a special occasion. Kids' birthday, anniversary- etc...

Seriously though... what a fantastic natural camoflage. You're a snail eating bird in a lake- you look at that and you see an algae covered rock... not a snail.

I don't know anything about that kind of snail- or how common that is to be covered in algae- but it would be a fantastic defence mechanism in a population if they learnt to not eat algae off each other.

"DON'T eat my back I WON'T eat yours"

It's like how cadis fly larvae will build whatever sticks and stones the can find into their shells- and those crabs that decorate themselves in debris they find. Great natural disguise.

 

[kyryah]

Looked pretty cool the way it was. Would it have done any harm to leave it ?

In all honesty, I don't think so. Mainly it is just cosmetic. Sometimes I let them go for a good long while without a cleaning. I keep them indoors during the winter, so they are usually kept algae free then, but I don't care so much when they are in the pond.

Kristina