Nutrition

The genus Stagnicola has been observed feeding on natural vegetation including algae, Elodea which is a genus of aquatic plants also know as waterweeds, buttercup, and water cress. While Bovbjerg was doing research in the Iowa Lakeside Laboratory, snails in the genus Stagnicola, were feed lettuce and liver, which they seemed to enjoy (Bovbjerg, 1965).

Some close relatives of the Stagnicola elodes include Stagnicola reflexia, Stagnicola palustris, and Lymnaea stagnalis. In Iowa, Bovbjerg observed that Stagnicola palustris showed preference for lettuce, spinach, bacteria and algae in the laboratory(Bovbjerg, 1965). In addition, a preference was confirmed noting Stagniola reflexia feeding on algae rather than vascular plants. The Lymnaea stagnalis has been described to feed on living and dead pond weeds and blanket algae(Bovbjerg, 1965). Whereas Stagnicola elodes is said to be a plant eater, carnivore, and scavenger (Bovbjerg, 1965).
Snails in general do not move very much, usually only to find food and reproduce. Locomotion is by the muscular foot, and is described as gliding, hunching, ascent or descent. Stagnicola species are relatively large and can move fairly quick, one meter within a half hour. The species move through sand, gravel, mud, dirt, and vegetation (Bovbjerg, 1965). The chemoreceptor cells are located on the anterior end of the foot and assist the snail in finding food. However, studies by Bovbjerg, showed that the snails' locomotion was random and undirected (Bovbjerg, 1965). The Stagnicola reflexia seemed to move until it encountered favorable feeding grounds, where it would slow and feed. If it did not encounter optimal feeding areas, the snail continued to wander. This evidence showed that many species of Stagnicola, including Stagnicola elodes, wander in search of food (Bovbjerg, 1965).

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