Habitat and Interactions

The Rams horn snail prefer to live in small lakes/ponds as well as rivers with plenty of underwater vegetation, though you may keep one in an aquarium. In our own local environment here in La Crosse, WI you can find these snails down in Myrick marsh, a portion of the Mississippi River. Pulmonates, like the Ramshorn snail, are able to thrive in less stable environments thaks to special adaptations such as the ability to hibernate during periods of cold, and aestivate during periods of drought.

The Ramshorn snail is an herbivore, therefore it consumes vegetation, making it a primary consumer. It shares a home with a diverse array of other organisms. Some examples of these neighbors include its distant cousin the faucet snail, the water scorpion, snapping turtles and the green frog. The Ramshorn snail is known to carry parasitic flukes which can be transmitted to fish or humans, though the only way humans can be infected is through ingestion of contaminated water or the infected snail itself.