# Cipangopaludina

Cipangopaludina is a fascinating freshwater snail that glides gracefully through the water. With its beautiful shell, it’s like a little underwater treasure!

- **Category:** [Invertebrate](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/invertebrate)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger
- **Habitat:** Freshwater ponds, lakes, and rivers
- **Also known as:** Asian Green Snail, Cipangopaludina Snail, Green Snail

![Cipangopaludina](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Cipangopaludina_japonica_-_Osaka_Museum_of_Natural_History_-_DSC07741.JPG&width=800)

Photo: Daderot, CC0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cipangopaludina_japonica_-_Osaka_Museum_of_Natural_History_-_DSC07741.JPG)

## Appearance

The Cipangopaludina has a large, sturdy, conical shell that is typically dark olive-green to brown, sometimes with subtle bands. Its smooth, whorled surface ends in a rounded apex, and a dark, leathery operculum seals the opening.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Mollusca
- **Class:** Gastropoda
- **Order:** Mesogastropoda
- **Family:** Viviparidae
- **Genus:** Cipangopaludina

## Interesting facts

- A single snail can filter many gallons of water, keeping it clean!
- Female snails give birth to live baby snails, not eggs!
- These snails can survive being buried in mud during dry spells.
- They move across surfaces by rippling their large, muscular foot.

## Special abilities

- **Water & Air Breather:** Cipangopaludina can breathe both underwater using gills AND out of water with a special 'lung' that helps them survive drying conditions.
- **Shell Defender:** Cipangopaludina has a hard, trapdoor-like operculum that helps them seal their shell, protecting against predators and drought.
- **Live Baby Giver:** Cipangopaludina can give birth to live, miniature snails, skipping the egg stage, which helps their babies survive better.

## Measurements & details

- **Size:** 4 cm
- **Lifespan:** 5 years
- **Shell Height:** 6 cm

## Diet & Feeding

These snails munch on tiny plants and decaying bits in the water, helping to clean it!

- **Primary Foods:** algae, aquatic plants, detritus, bacteria
- **Foraging Method:** Grazing

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** [Bluegill](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bluegill) (*Lepomis macrochirus*) — Fish like the bluegill often eat young snails.
- **Eaten by:** Mallard Duck (*Anas platyrhynchos*) — Ducks forage for snails in shallow freshwater habitats.
- **Eaten by:** [Raccoon](https://www.snappit.app/explore/raccoon) (*Procyon lotor*) — Raccoons might pick snails from the water's edge.

## Traits

- [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Filter Feeder](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/filter-feeder): Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands.

## Collections

- [Invertebrates](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/invertebrates)

## Safety

**Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Cipangopaludina?

Compare body symmetry, shells, segments, legs, tentacles and how the animal moves. Invertebrates span many unrelated groups, so start with body structure. Invertebrate Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How big is Cipangopaludina?

4 cm

### How long does Cipangopaludina live?

5 years

### What does Cipangopaludina eat?

These snails munch on tiny plants and decaying bits in the water, helping to clean it!

### Where is Cipangopaludina usually found?

Freshwater ponds, lakes, and rivers

### How does Cipangopaludina hunt?

Grazing

### What is the shell Height of Cipangopaludina?

6 cm

## Where to spot

- [Poburn Woods Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/poburn-woods-park) — Virginia, US · Park

## More Invertebrate

- [Coral](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coral)
- [Crab Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/crab-spider) (*Mecaphesa asperata*)
- [Garden Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-spider) (*Araneus diadematus*)
- [Brown Recluse Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-recluse-spider) (*Loxosceles reclusa*)

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Source: [Cipangopaludina: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cipangopaludina)