Unusually Large Pomacea paludosa From The Lake (3/15/2006)

    This 65 mm. specimen is the 2nd largest Florida Applesnail that this reporter has thus far collected in Duval County, Florida - the largest being a 68 mm. survivor collected at nearby Lake Oneida on the campus of the University of North Florida. The illustrated specimen was found dead, operculum in place, floating in the water on the downwind side of the lake. Even in death the snail was useful in the overall scheme of things and served as a source of shelter (if not sustenance) for four Planorbella duryi (Wetherby, 1879) [Seminole Rams-horn] and several Melanoides tuberculata (Müller, 1774) [Red-rim Melania] that were found inside.