Snail Shimmy Theory!

[katieo80]

okay AC, maybe this is the most obvious thing anyone has ever gotten excited about, BUT. i was wondering what that strange little rythmic shake i had observed my apple snails doing when they were close to the surface, and i had read a couple of other snail posts wondering the same thing. I THINK I'VE FIGURED IT OUT.

they're pumping air through their siphon! easy peasy!

i think i didn't notice before because they were SO close the surface that they didn't have to reach their siphon out very far. but this time, i watched as salome (girl apple snail) stretched out her siphon, reached the air, shimmied/pumped 3 times, and then reeled it back in. pretty kewl.

anyway. maybe everybody already knew that. but i'm thinking they should rename "pomacea bridgesii effusa" to "pomacea kateii effusa." ;) cheers all!

[teach]

lol ive never seen one shimmy lol but thats prolly it.

[Northernguy]

I honestly don't think I have seen mine shimmy either!:22: I have seen them sucking air through their syphon many times but no shimmy not even a shake.
They may do that but I have never noticed.

[Ellen4God]

So, it's kind of like a snail poot?

[katieo80]

well, it IS just a theory. i like the idea of snail poots. or, just maybe, i have the ONLY TWO APPLE SNAILS IN THE WORLD who shimmy like that, and that's why they appear to like each other so much. i'm going to become wildly rich breeding apple snails who are genetically predisposed to dancing.

HAHAHAHAHAHA. happy saturday night!

[Northernguy]

Your tank is set up on a stable stand isn't it?
I have a son that can shake the house when wants to and I have seen the water jiggle in my top tank.The bottom of the tank is about 5 1/2' off the floor.

[katieo80]

@northernguy good thought, but actually the tank is on a monster solid wood bureau, so I don't think its jiggling! Nah I definitely just have fancy pants dancing snails. :)

[Northernguy]

You should try and get a video of it.
I have never seen or heard of it.I would love to see a snail shimmy!

[kazoo920]

I've seen mine do the same thing. wouldn't say shimmy though.. maybe throb or pulse however. I as well thought it was just making use of its lung. It kinda looks like it's being rocked by waves.

[Scrup]

Its breathing. Larger snails look downright silly doing it. My big snails had me running to check it out a few times, thought the glass was breaking. They just kinda bounce up and down against the side of the tank. Harder to tell on smaller snails though.

[Sursion]

Well I'm assuming you have apple snails. If so, yes, they do that for air. To activate their lungs, they have to move their head in and out really fast. Quite well known :)