Ovachlamys fulgens
Family
Chronidae
Species
Ovachlamys fulgens (Gude, 1900)
Common Name
Jumping snail
Description
The jumping snail's shell is 5-7 mm wide, with 4-5 whorls. The foot of the snail is tripartite. It also has a characteristic horn near the tip of its tail that it often uses to catapult itself away from perceived danger.
Native Range
Japan
Distribution
North America:
- U.S.: Florida
South and Central America: Costa Rica
Pacific Islands: Hawaiian Islands
Caribbean: Trinidad
Asia: Japan
Ecology
This snail has been recorded to be a pest of ornamental plants such as orchids, Heliconia sp. and Dracaena sp. The jumping snail can live for as long as 9 months. It has the potential to self-fertilize and begin oviposition as soon as 42 days post hatching, with a total clutch size of 165 eggs throughout its life.
References
Barrientos 1998; Barrientos 2000; Cowie et al. 2008; Cowie et al. 2009; Robinson and Slapcinsky 2005; Stange 2004