Pleurocera acuta



WELCOME!


Hello and welcome to my website.  This site is part of a class assignment and dedicated to the freshwater sharp horn snail, Pleurocera acuta.  Within the site you can start learning about the scientific classification of Pleurocera acuta.  I will also be covering the external body structures of Pleurocera acuta and related organisms, where it lives, different digestive organs, reproductive practices,  life history and how Pleurocera acuta interacts with other organisms. 


   
Did you know...

        Snails have no sense of hearing!  Instead they use sight and smell to relate to their environments
        (Woodland Park Zoo, 2011).

        Snails secrete slime on the surfaces they touch to protect their bodies from chemicals, sharp protrusions, and
        other harsh ground types.  This slime is also used as a type of suction to hold the body to different surfaces.
        It is not uncommon to see snails in precarious sideways or upside-down positions for this reason 
         (Hickman, 2009).

        Snails are part of the family Gastropoda which means "stomach-foot" in Greek because of their muscular foot
        used for locomotion (Woodland Park Zoo, 2011).

        Snails can be hermaphroditic, meaning they contain reproductive parts of both male and female.  To reproduce, hermaphroditic snails both give and receive sperm to complete fertilization  (Woodland Park Zoo).

      Snails undergo protostomal development, meaning that their mouth develops before their anus (Hickman, 2009).

        Snails can be nocturnal, meaning they are most active at night (ARKive, 2011).

        Most snails are herbivores eating decaying material, but some are carnivorous.  One specific example is the
        Geographic Cone Snail that contains strong enough venom to paralyze its prey instantly (National Geographic).

        Snails to through estivation, hibernation in the summertime, because the conditions are unfavorable (Hickman, 2009).

 


Photo of a Terrestrial Snail

 

To start learning about Pleurocera acuta visit...  Classification.

 

More Links:

http://MultipleOrganisms.net

Wisconsin Land Snails