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Post by sarkymite on Mar 12, 2006 12:58:34 GMT
Hi all, Right, I am starting to wonder about my Brixton margies. I always thought they were marginata marginata. But have recently noticed that 2 of them have apricot colouring on the inside shell lip. The third one has no colouring. None of them have an apricot tip though, and they are all on the big side - measuring in at 16, 17 and 17.5cm. I was starting to think that the 2 with the apricot might be ovum, but then don't ovum remain quite a bit smaller? I have an albino which I think is ovum (it is very very different from my albino suturalis) which appears to be fully grown at just 9cm.  Confused!! Doesn't help that the snails in question seem to sense when I get the camera out and hide away, even a warm bath doesn't entice them out when I want to get photos. I would attach a (not very good) picture of them, but I can't work out how to do it  |
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Kevin
Archachatina dimidiata
Posts: 2,227
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Post by Kevin on Mar 12, 2006 13:03:57 GMT
According to the marginata page on petsnails, ovum get to a similar size as the nominate race, marginata marginata, 170mm, Ive been told on here that if they have a apricot-yellow columella then they're ovum, if they have a blue, or white columella then marginata marginata.
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Post by sezzy5889 on Mar 12, 2006 13:45:31 GMT
yes thats true, ovum have the apricot columella and not always a coloured apex, they get to the same size as var. marginata about 18cm, suturalis being the much smaller species
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Post by sarkymite on Mar 12, 2006 15:53:17 GMT
Right, then I think my Brixton margies are a combination - one is marginata marginata, and the other 2 are marginata ovum.
Now I just have to work out for sure whether that albino is an ovum... it has definitely got the apricot thing going on but it's such a pure white colour (flesh) compared to other albinos, it's much smaller, and it's shell is quite a bit lighter. A puzzle!
Thanks for the replies!!
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Post by Ben snail on Mar 12, 2006 15:56:35 GMT
These are my margies  , they are all fully grown. the one in the middle is ovum and the two on the sides are suturalus. |
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Post by sezzy5889 on Mar 12, 2006 15:56:48 GMT
shells and skin colour vary widly and can be very different, size can be age or condition, so don't rely on these, if he has an apricot columella then he is ovum sfull stop :-)
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Post by sezzy5889 on Mar 12, 2006 16:01:24 GMT
 Left to right, suturalis, ovum, ovum |
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KathyM
Achatina tincta
Posts: 709
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Post by KathyM on Mar 12, 2006 16:30:58 GMT
Right, then I think my Brixton margies are a combination - one is marginata marginata, and the other 2 are marginata ovum. Now I just have to work out for sure whether that albino is an ovum... it has definitely got the apricot thing going on but it's such a pure white colour (flesh) compared to other albinos, it's much smaller, and it's shell is quite a bit lighter. A puzzle! Thanks for the replies!! Sherman's shell is very light compared to Lisa's Brixton ovums, and he's only 12cm, but he's definitely ovum  |
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LisaLQ
Archachatina papyracea
Old friend (emphasis on the "old")
Posts: 2,995
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Post by LisaLQ on Mar 12, 2006 18:59:37 GMT
I wonder if it's as easy as that, as my new suturalis cross ovum has a red columnella. I wonder how many of our margies are crossbreeds? Mongrel margies *lol*
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Post by Paul on Mar 13, 2006 0:11:32 GMT
You've hit a good point there. My wild caught cameroon ones (of which I've had about 14 babies so far!) fit the suturalis profile perfectly; small (<10cm shell), slender, bright red spire. Whereas a lot of the pics I have seen could just be any other margie until you see the red columella. I think there probably are crossbreeds especially if you have suturalis consistently bigger than 10cm. But, that's captivity for you. Although they do undoubtedly occur in some species, most "subspecies" are depauperated to produce their strain. They are essentially the same, so the labels are more practical in nature in a geographical sense and wholely theoretical in captivity.
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Confused!!
