# How Do I Ship Young Applesnails?



## Thalamus (Jul 7, 2011)

One of my applesnails (still don't know which one) laid a couple of egg-masses a couple of days ago. Even if the hatch-rate is low, I'm gonna have way too many snails for a ten-gallon aquarium, and so I agreed to ship some of the babies to someone I know online. I've never shipped applesnails (or any live animal, actually) in the mail, so I thought I'd solicit the advice of the more experienced members. I know applesnail.net recommends packing them in a box with some damp paper towels, but that was more for transportation than for shipping. So does anyone know the best way to ship applesnails? And does anybody know if that would be breaking any laws? I know in some places, applesnails are considered a dangerous invasive pest.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

I usually ship that way also. Sometimes though I would use a small ziplock container, wrap the snails in wet paper towels. The shipping of snails can be illegal. I can't ship out of state. But have done so on occasion. I just write on the box live plants.


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

There are several species of applesnail. Pomacea canaliculata (channeled applesnail) is the one that gives applesnails a bad name. Applesnail. They get very large and eat anything they can get a hold of including plants and sometimes fish. They are illegal to sell and I think even to own in most states(if not all) although they still crop up for sale once in a while.

More likely what you have is Pomacea diffusa (until recently known as Pomacea bridgesii) There may still be some restrictions about shipping over state lines etc but they are not very destructive, you can even keep them with live plants.


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## Thalamus (Jul 7, 2011)

snail said:


> There are several species of applesnail. Pomacea canaliculata (channeled applesnail) is the one that gives applesnails a bad name. Applesnail. They get very large and eat anything they can get a hold of including plants and sometimes fish. They are illegal to sell and I think even to own in most states(if not all) although they still crop up for sale once in a while.
> 
> More likely what you have is Pomacea diffusa (until recently known as Pomacea bridgesii) There may still be some restrictions about shipping over state lines etc but they are not very destructive, you can even keep them with live plants.


It sounds like I've got _Pomacea diffusa_, since they don't mess with my plants too often (although they will nibble on them occasionally), and I bought them from a petstore that seemed reasonably above-board.


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

Sounds about right, I believe some other species are sometimes sold too but that is the most common one in most places.


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## Thalamus (Jul 7, 2011)

snail said:


> Sounds about right, I believe some other species are sometimes sold too but that is the most common one in most places.


Thanks! I should've expected a lot of malacological knowledge from someone called "snail"  I did some research, and mine definitely aren't _canaliculata_: the sutures aren't nearly deep enough.


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

Thalamus said:


> Thanks! I should've expected a lot of malacological knowledge from someone called "snail"  I did some research, and mine definitely aren't _canaliculata_: the sutures aren't nearly deep enough.


lol, to be honest I've never even kept apple snails. The name is more a description of my slow and humble learning process. I do like aquatic snails in general though


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