Hi everyone! I have this snail... It's black and I thought it was a trapdoor but it seems to be a hermaphrodite as it's got little things swimming around with it now; It wasn't with other snails very long, but I guess 2 of them may have mated. anyway, here's a picture of it clung to the side...


Snail Photo

The photo just shows the underside so I can't say too much about what the snail could be. I can't rule out that it's a trapdoor snail or an apple snail by the size relative to the plant. It seems that it's not super small. How big is it? Can you get a side view photo of the snail? Can you get a photo of the "little things?"

Baby snails are mini replicas of their parents. They don't swim. A trapdoor snail gives live birth so, if that's what you have, and she had been with a male within the last few months, then she could have had babies. Most regular sorts of snails are hermaphrodites and lay eggs. I assume you didn't see any eggs? Could eggs from a different species of snail have been introduced to the bowl from the plants? I hope you can figure out this mystery!

oh, baby snails don't swim? hm...then what on earth is in my tank with my snail?? Here's some more pics of it...

Snail

that big tube-y thing sticking out...it's not always there. it shrinks back into the shell and I have no idea what that is, either. I saw it spit out a bubble once.
I'd like to get a picture of the "babies" but they're too small. I'm beginning to think they aren't baby snails because they swim, but I'm gonna see what happens. Here's a little sketch i did of their shapes. There are 2 different shapes of "babies" and they're clear.

"Baby Snails"

I have seen little gelly globs hanging off the leaves with small brown dots in them, but I think it just might be algae. Thanks for you help and I hope these pics help you figure out what they are for me...I have no idea!

"that big tube-y thing sticking out...it's not always there. it shrinks back into the shell and I have no idea what that is, either."

That's a siphon used to get oxygen out of the air. I don't think trapdoor snails have those. Apple snails certainly do. You may have a baby apple snail. If that's what it is, it's too young to lay eggs as of yet, and they'd be out of the water. See applesnail.net for all you need to know about apple snails.

"I'm beginning to think they aren't baby snails because they swim, but I'm gonna see what happens. Here's a little sketch i did of their shapes. There are 2 different shapes of "babies" and they're clear."

They're not baby snails which suck on the sides and are miniature versions of their parents. You may have cyclops, daphnia, or other microorganisms in the water. They are probably harmless. A drawing of a cyclops found of this site looks a lot like your one drawing:

http://www.iwight.com/branstone_farm/nature.asp

This site has actual photos of one and some other tiny animals:

http://members.aol.com/moresciencestuff/microlife.html

"I have seen little gelly globs hanging off the leaves with small brown dots in them, but I think it just might be algae. "

If your snail is an apple snail as I suspect, then it would not lay eggs under water so unless you have other snails in there, those globs aren't snail eggs.

Thanks for the info...I feel kinda dumb about the bugs in my tank. I wonder where they came from? Is it possible that they may have come from the store that i bought it from? and is there any way that I can tell if it's male or female just by looking at it? Thank you for all your help, I really aprecciate it!

The microorganisms could come from any water or plants that you've added from other sources. Apple snails can be sexed but it's not that easy. I can't tell for sure which sex mine is. I think yours may be too young yet to sex. The web site http://www.applesnail.net has a section on sexing.

Yeah, I bet the microorganisms (Good word for them) came from that plant I bought. I didn't realize my snail was so young! I have the strangest feeling it's a female because I looked at it when it's foot was stretched out like that website said and it didn't seem to have a penis sheath; I'll wait until it gets older. thank you SO much for all your help! I'm learning so much more about my snail now- that website is perfect! once again, thanks!