|
Pomacea maculata Perry, 1810 At Johns Creek Community Lake |
|
|
And Country Club Lakes Apartments Lake Nearby |
|
|
While out for a walk on May 9, 2012, Bridgett Boyarovsky, a resident of the Johns Creek community in southeastern
Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida, discovered that her community lake
was "filled" with snails. She subsequently sent this reporter
digital images of the snails that she collected as well as
their eggs. Bridgett's images indicated that the snails in question were Channeled Apple Snails so this reporter visited the lake the next day and confirmed that snails in question were in fact Pomacea maculata. Although public access to the lake was somewhat restricted, both the east and west ends of the lake were surveyed and the snails (both live specimens and empty shells) were present at both locations. Several mating pairs were also seen as well as a very modest number of egg clutches. While the snails were not uncommon, by Channeled Apple Snail standards the population appeared to be quite small. This may be due to several reasons to include the general lack of vegetation in the lake, the lack of suitable structure on the shoreline to deposit eggs, and/or the snails are a recent addition to the fauna of the lake. The only other aquatic mollusks seen in the lake were Corbicula fluminea (Müller, 1774) Asian Clam. After studying satellite imagery of the Johns Creek area, this reporter revisited the area on May 12th and discovered a second Pomacea maculata popution in a somewhat smaller, but apparently not interconnected, lake at County Club Lakes Apartments located nearby (see page two). |
|
|
|
|
|
West end of the lake where Pomacea maculata were found |
East end of the lake looking west |
|
|
|
|
Live Pomacea from the west end of the lake |
Mating pair of Pomacea in the west end of the lake |
|
|
|
|
Live Pomacea maculata from the lake |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
