Iredalei Strange Growth. update with photos

[ian]

Ive just noticed that my iredalei are not growing like pictures ive seen of the species. I cant really explain and i dont have a camera but ill try, the bit where the sworls join on to the new growth has sort of folded so as they grow bigger there will be a gap between the sworls! They are growing well, and its both of them so i wasnt really concerned but its got me thinking now! Do you think they are ok? Oh i wish i could show a picture. Hopefully everyone can visualise what i mean.

[Deleted]

oh mines like that too! i kept it cus it was special. u mean like the sutures are at 90 degrees?



like the one on the right?

anyway its probly not going to affect the snail's life.

is yours from me?

[sezzy5889]

Mine are very much like this too, especially one of them is very noticable

[sonicsnail]

Is it like this? See the link below...

petsnails.proboards3.com/index.cgi?board=problems&action=display&n=1&thread=1706

[Deleted]

i think he means sort of like the sutures of a Pomacea bridgesii shell. that's what mine is like.



but more exagerated.

[ian]

Yes just like the Pomacea, atleast my snails arent freaks. I got them from fatslug, they were normal when i got them! I hope it wont affect them, right now they are fine they eat well and are v. active. I really wanted to breed from one of them, do you think its a bad idea if its got a weird shell?

[sonicsnail]

Well I don't think there is much you can do...I have had one fulica that shell went like that, sadly he died, I'm not sure what caused his death though. I'm not saying that yours will die...As long as he is eating well then I don't think there is much to worry about. If the shell growth gets any worse then we can go from there and see what happens.

[ian]

Yes ill keep and eye on them, the larger ones new growth actually seems to be blending back in so i think it will start growing normally now it will just have a wierd bit.

[Deleted]

my one grows slowly but still grows. perhaps eventually it will turn normal?

[ian]

OK so i finally have pictures of the strange growth. The larger of the two has actually started growing back normally.


However the smaller one has been showing the same problme for a little while too and it is worse!
Hope you can see in the picture what i mean!



These snails both arrived from the same supplier at the same time so i assume they are litter mates as they were around the same size maybe half a cm in difference. Now look at the size difference, i think this is really starting to affect the smaller one she is less active. She is still growing though!

[sezzy5889]

one of mine grows like that, he seems ok though, he isn't the smallest one i have and is pregnant! so is obviously happy

[ian]

Maybe the smaller one is just a runt then and its nothing to do with the growth. Im sure it will get better ,it did with the larger one.
Am so excited about your impending iredalei babies, they are my fave species and the babies will be so adorable.

[section8angel]

My smithii and retis are different in size (There wasn't any difference when I got them) even though like yours they were from the same person, batch etc. They're also fed the same things and are in the same tank. So I don't think the strange growth is much to do with that.

If it's starting to grow back normally maybe the other one will too They look happy enough anyway.

[Deleted]

the bigger one looks fine. maybe the smaller one will look similar when he gets that big? this is probably a problem they grow out of

[apple]

Once this kind of growth is harmless,those iradelis are really freak. lol

[ian]

Ive got more pics now, im sure that Britta will be fine shes eating growing even though its kind of freaky.




Ive tried to get a picture of her air hole because her flesh is sort of protruding from the shell, i think its where new growth i developing but it looks a bit squashed. Its making the air hole an odd shape and apart from when i try to take a picture its always a bit open. Her shell in general is starting to look a bit rough and papery but its thick and firm.
Ive got a picture of Anna to to compare how well she is doing now, they are litter mates.
Anna is 5.3cm and Britta is 3.7cm

[Deleted]

wow Britta has a really wierd shell ;D

[ian]

Isn't it??? Im quite concerned.

[Ruth]

ian said:

Isn't it??? Im quite concerned.

I have a couple of snails with really weird shaped shell but they seem to do fine. Maybe shell deformities are a result of inbreeding (just a guess), but i wouldn't worry too much as long as she's eating and seems ok in herself, it just adds character .

All the same, IMO, I’d avoid breeding her just because if her mate also has a similar deformity it might exasperate the problem, although i think someone said inbreeding wasn't as bad in snails, but personally I wouldn’t risk it

[sezzy5889]

try telling Mike that *lol*
They are a result of inbreeding

[Deleted]

well soooorry!

im getting some 'new blood' this year so hopefully i'll get some non-inbred babies ;D

[sezzy5889]

good good ;D

[ian]

Ok just an update because i was doing pictures today, Brittas shell is now growing relatively normally no gaps or anything, she is the smaller one in the picture. Since using liquid calcium, this snails growth has majorly improved and increased loads, she is the one which has benefitted the most from the spray.

[Deleted]

yay that's good ;D