# Florida Apple Snail (*pomacea paludosa*) The Florida Apple Snail is a big, colorful snail that loves to glide through the water! Kids can spot them in swamps and ponds as they munch on aquatic plants. - **Category:** [Invertebrate](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/invertebrate) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Freshwater lakes, ponds, and swamps in Florida. - **Also known as:** Florida Snail ![Florida Apple Snail](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Pomacea_paludosa_drawing.jpg&width=800) Photo: drawn by Helen Lawson († 1854), engraved by the Alexander Lawson firm, colored by Helen Lawson., Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pomacea_paludosa_drawing.jpg) ## Appearance The Florida Apple Snail has a large, globular, spiral shell, typically olive-green to yellow-brown, often with darker bands. Its shell opening is wide and rounded, sealed by a horny lid called an operculum. Unlike many pond snails, its shell coils to the right. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Mollusca - **Class:** Gastropoda - **Order:** Architaenioglossa - **Family:** Ampullariidae - **Genus:** Pomacea ## Interesting facts - Florida Apple Snails are a favorite snack for the endangered Snail Kite, a bird with a hooked beak! - Their bright pink eggs, laid above water, are actually toxic to many predators! - These snails can "hibernate" buried in mud for months during dry seasons to survive. - They use a special tongue covered in tiny, sharp teeth, called a radula, to scrape up food. ## Special abilities - **Dual Respiration:** Florida Apple Snails can breathe both underwater with a gill and air using a lung, allowing them to survive varying water conditions. - **Above-Water Nursery:** This snail lays its bright pink egg clutches on emergent vegetation, keeping them safe from most aquatic predators. - **Protective Door:** It has a hard operculum that completely seals its shell, providing protection from predators and preventing drying out during droughts. ## Measurements & details - **Size:** 5 cm - **Lifespan:** 2 years - **Clutch Size:** 500 ## Diet & Feeding These snails are plant-eaters, grazing on various aquatic vegetation and algae in their watery homes. - **Primary Foods:** algae, submerged aquatic plants, decaying plant matter, detritus - **Foraging Method:** Grazing ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** Snail Kite (*Rostrhamus sociabilis*) — A specialized bird that relies almost solely on these snails. - **Eaten by:** [American Alligator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-alligator) (*Alligator mississippiensis*) — A common predator in their wetland habitats. - **Eaten by:** Florida Redbelly Cooter (*Pseudemys nelsoni*) — Freshwater turtles sometimes consume snails. - **Eats:** Fragrant Water Lily (*Nymphaea odorata*) — Feeds on the leaves and stems of aquatic plants. ## 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. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [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:** 1/5 · Very low No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Florida Apple Snail? 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 Florida Apple Snail? 5 cm ### How long does Florida Apple Snail live? 2 years ### What does Florida Apple Snail eat? These snails are plant-eaters, grazing on various aquatic vegetation and algae in their watery homes. ### Where is Florida Apple Snail usually found? Freshwater lakes, ponds, and swamps in Florida. ### How does Florida Apple Snail hunt? Grazing ### How many eggs does Florida Apple Snail lay? 500 ## Where to spot - [George Barker Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/george-barker-park) — Florida, 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*) --- Source: [Florida Apple Snail: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/florida-apple-snail)