What is Happening Here?

[bridget1964]

Originally Posted by dapjwy

No problem. It is nice that others appreciate it--of course, people from this forum are more likely to appreciate them.

I just learned from the renowned author, Dr. Doug Tallamy that land snails are very important to nesting birds. It has researched and documented that nesting birds ingest land snails before laying their eggs. The reason is they need the calcium to make their egg shells! Isn't that wild?

Everything in Nature has a purpose...

[Equilibrium]

Turtles need the calcium from snail shells too.

[swamp thing]

I wonder if these snails all just hatched together, or maybe they congregate to breed.

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by bridget1964

I just learned from the renowned author, Dr. Doug Tallamy that land snails are very important to nesting birds. It has researched and documented that nesting birds ingest land snails before laying their eggs. The reason is they need the calcium to make their egg shells! Isn't that wild?

Everything in Nature has a purpose...

That is wild! Thanks for sharing.

Yes, the more diversity I put into the property the more critters I will likely attract. I'm really looking forward to a noticeable increase in the variety of birds and butterflies I see on our property. At least I know there seems to be a large population of snails.

I've also encountered a few salamanders and baby snakes as I've moved some rocks.

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by Equilibrium

Turtles need the calcium from snail shells too.

Cool! I'd love to see some turtles too.

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by swamp thing

I wonder if these snails all just hatched together, or maybe they congregate to breed.

I, too, thought they may have all hatched recently or congregated together to overwinter--I don't know enough about their life cycle to know if they over winter as eggs or adults.

They seem too small to me to be breeding--and too big to be recent hatchlings...but, I really have no clue.

[jpdenk]

Even though they're small, they may be breeding. A lot of native land snails are very tiny when full grown. Some are only 1.5-3mm long when adults. The genus Carychium has some really tiny ones.

John

[havalotta]

Can't some snails lay eggs without the opposite sex involved.....

[jpdenk]

Many snails are hermaphrodites, so any other snail of their species can mate with them, but I haven't heard of them reproducing without mating with another snail. Based on some very quick Googling, it seems that maybe a few species don't need another snail for reproduction, but it doesn't seem to be common.

John

[dapjwy]

It happened again, so I took a close up. (There were only about 1/4th as many this time...it could be that it was a long time after the rain or some have moved on.