Rabbit Snail (Tylomelania Gemmifera) Snail Species Profile
Rabbit snails vary in appearance, they have cone-shaped shell that range from soft porcelain-like to heavily sculptured surfaces.
Dependant on the type their main body will be bright orange or yellow, distinguished with a dark shell. The shell can be various black or brown colours, it may feature some dots, lines or textures too, for an elegant look.
They have long floppy antennae alongside a long rabbit-like face and a coarse, wrinkled texture of their skin. They are a great addition to any community tank and are also useful for removing some algae and food remanence.
There are six variants of Rabbit snail, these include :-
Black Rabbit Snails, Gold Rabbit Snails, Red Rabbit Snails, Orange Rabbit Snails and Dark Chocolate Rabbit Snails.
As with all types of snail they should not be housed with any botia loach.
| Scientific Name | Tylomelania Gemmifera |
|---|---|
| Other Names | Elephant Snail, Poso Snail |
| Family | Pachychilidae |
| Genus | Tylomelania |
| Origins | Indonesia |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Aquarium Level | Bottom |
| Difficulty | Beginner - Intermediate |
| Shoaling | No |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Reproduction | Egg-Layer |
| Lifespan | 1 - 3 years |
| Maximum Size | Up to 5 inches |
| Water Type | Freshwater |
|---|---|
| Temperature | 76 - 84 ℉ (24.4 - 28.9 ℃) |
| PH | 7.4 - 8.4 |
| GH | 6 - 15 |
| KH | 4 - 8 |
| TDS | 200 - 400 |
Gold Rabbit Snail
Distribution & Origins
Rabbit snails come from the mountain lakes of Sulawesi, Indonesia, mostly restricted to Lake Poso and the Malili Lake system.
Dietary Requirements
Rabbit snails will eat just about anything edible offered to them and if given the opportunity in large quantities.
While not the best algae eating snail available in the hobby, they will consume some as well as scavenge any leftover food lying around the aquarium making a helpful, clean up crew.
They have been known to develop a taste for some aquarium plants when there is not sufficient leftover food available; Java fern appears to be the most likely casualty in these scenarios.
Calcium supplementation is always a must to ensure their shells remain strong and healthy, which can be achieved by including boiled Broccoli from time to time.
Sexing the Rabbit Snail
Male and female Rabbit snails are identical, so, therefore, it's difficult to determine the sex of these snails.
Breeding the Rabbit Snail
Rabbit snails breed slowly unlike other snails, producing just a single offspring monthly on average.
Rabbit snails start breeding when they reach around 1.5 inches; You will require a minimum of 3 snails to have the best chance of ensuring you have both sexes. They need to be well-fed to induce the breeding process. Once thriving, it will take 4-6 weeks before the Rabbit Snail will lay a singular egg that is similar in appearance to a pearl and will hatch within 1-2 hours.