A Snail’s Pace
How can we apply the umwelt of a snail to our own lived experiences?
The Species
In the Aquarium Trade
For this project, I decided to study the umwelt of a mystery snail or Pomacea bridgesii. Mystery snails are one of the most popular snail choices for aquarium hobbyists. They are desired for their large size, growing up to 2 inches in length, as well as having a large variety of colors including golden, blue, black, purple, white, and albino.
Diet
A mystery snail's diet consists of algae, biofilm, plant material, as well as most vegetables. Surprisingly, they also have an amazing sense of smell that allows them to pinpoint a food source.
Natural Habitat
Mystery snails are native to tropical environments in South America, specifically, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, and Bolivia. A mystery snail's natural habitat would be a swamp, pond, or slow-moving waterway with thick vegetation. Their natural predators mostly consist of larger fish, crustaceans, and birds. They tend to be a very active snail species and will only retract fully into their shell when threatened.
Bodily Functions
Brain function
Scientists have found that snails use just two brain cells to make a series of complex decisions. One brain cell would alert the snail to hunger while to other would be able to sense if food is present. Their neural system also manages how much energy to use once a decision is made. Studies revealed just how powerful these two neurons are in the ability to make complex decisions.
Vision
Snails can see but have very poor vision. The snails are able to discern different light intensities to help them reach the darker areas where they are most comfortable. Snails also have no sense of color. A snail relies mostly on its tentacles to help maneuver around objects.
Respiratory System
Mystery snails, like all snails in their family, have a special snorkel-like organ that allows them to go to the surface of the water to breathe or even allows the ability to survive out of water for short periods. A mystery snail's natural habitat would often have low dissolved oxygen, making the snorkel helpful.
Reproductive System
When breeding, mystery snails have the usual male and female pairing. Once fertile, the female will go to the water's surface and lay about 100 eggs. The eggs appear a light pink color and are wrapped in a cocoon-like structure. In about 2–4 weeks the eggs will hatch.
Many people believe the short period it takes for the eggs to hatch is where the mystery snail got its name because it seems the babies just appear out of nowhere.
Other snails in the same family as the mystery snail, such as the apple snail, are actually invasive species and are illegal to purchase in the United States, as there has been a large number found in natural habitats in the southernmost states.
Aug 24th: The Environment
My POV/Physical World:
I keep my snails and fish in a 10-gallon glass aquarium that has a filter, heater, and thermostat. When designing the layout of the aquarium I try to give it a full naturalistic look while still allowing for easy maintenance and nice aesthetics. From owning fish most of my life, I have learned the items and products I like and dislike. One thing in my tank that is becoming popular in the aquarium hobby is keeping botanicals in the water to help recreate a natural environment. This is the round and leaf-like object shown above. The botanicals also add biological benefits such as lowering the pH.
In the aquarium at the moment, I only have three mystery snails, four other snail species, and a couple of corydoras catfish. Because I do not have many fish or invertebrates, there is no competition for space or food. Two of the other snails I have are called assassin snails. This snail actually eats the young of other snail species. I purchased them to help maintain the snail population in my tank.
Snail POV/Imaginary world :
I usually like to hang out with my other mystery snail friend. We are actually the same size and color and I like to think we are siblings. We move slowly around the tank, eating algae every step of the way. We do not have any worries, other than occasionally being terrorized by our owner. In this aquarium, we have no foes, only friends.
Aug 27th: Observing
My POV:
Today I decided to take a time-lapse of one of my other snail species, that I tend to see on the glass. I wanted to see how their bodies would look and function moving in fast motion. It was cool to see the wave-like effect that propels them forward. In the time-lapse, you can also see other snails, including a baby, moving about.
Snail POV:
My mystery snail friend and I tend to hang out on the interior parts of the tank, unlike my other snail friends. We think that this portion of the tank is safer, especially under our favorite log where it is nice and dark. We also enjoy eating the plants/roots in the tank much more than our counterparts. I'm sure you all can understand why… it is much tastier.
Aug 29th: Feeding cucumber
My POV:
Today I decided to put fresh cucumber in the tank for the first time. I first made sure that this would be safe for all of the species in the tank. I then had to blanch the cucumber so it was just soft enough for the snails to eat. I cut it into small pieces and dropped them into the tank. After about 2 minutes the snails… and fish began to eat the cucumber. I found it funny that the two mystery snails ate the same cucumber when I had put several pieces into the tank. Also after re-watching the video, I realized that I captured one of the snails excreting, which I had never seen before.
Snail POV:
Today is one of the rare days where we got the chance to eat delicious fresh veggies. We sensed that pieces of cucumber had randomly floated into our tank. We immediately knew and “rushed” over to the nearest piece. Of course, we shared.
Sep 1st: Affordances
My POV:
Snails have been around for about 500 million years or since the Paleozoic era. Given this, snails must have some evolutionary advantages.
Some obvious affordances that a snail has is a hard shell to protect its insides, a hard foot-like organ to allow them to go fully into the shell, and long tentacles to help maneuver around the environment. Some not-so-obvious affordances could be the suction that allows them to climb objects, their shell’s shape which helps keep their body inside, and having a good sense of smell despite not having an obvious nose.
Snail POV:
I believe my biggest advantage is definitely how many young I am able to have. With the sheer amount of offspring I can produce and the love that humans have for me I am not concerned with my species going extinct anytime soon. I don't have much pressure to be anything or do anything other than move around this tank and clean up the place. If you humans look closely, however, you might see some helpful tips for designing in the future in my biology.
Sep 3rd: The Metaphysical
My POV :
When I think of snails, I think of a peaceful creature that is just trying to go about their business. This slow and steady ideology connected to snails is most likely universal. (I find pleasure in universal symbols because they can bring people together despite language and cultural barriers.)
After spending so much time with my snails, I have begun to think about things more philosophically. When putting myself in the mind of a snail, I automatically feel more peaceful. They do everything at their own pace, and this could be helpful to apply to my life from time to time.
Snail POV :
I was born onto this earth with not much time to live, only about two years. Knowing this, I have decided to take it easy and try not to stress myself out. I take every day at its own pace and strive to be peaceful with all of my co-habitants. I try my hardest to trust the process, stay present and create steady progress towards my main goal of obtaining food. I am a creature of habit, preferring to be alone, but would never cause any conflict.