About Bulimulus bonariensis (Rafinesque, 1833)
Bulimulus bonariensis (Rafinesque, 1833) is a species of snail. Adults of this species can reach approximately 2.5 cm in total length. Their shells are narrow and pointed, with 5 to 7 whorls, and have a base color of white or light yellowish brown; some shells also have darker linear markings. The snail's soft body is white or off-white, with darker gray pigmentation running along its eyestalks.
This species is native to southeastern South America. Its native range includes Uruguay, northeastern Argentina, southern Paraguay, and the Atlantic coastal forests of Brazil, extending from Rio Grande do Sul at least as far north as Espírito Santo state. There are scattered records of this species from northern South America, specifically Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela, and from Central America, specifically Panama and Nicaragua.
Bulimulus bonariensis has been introduced to the southeastern United States, where it is currently spreading rapidly. As of January 2024, it is widespread across Florida, coastal Alabama, and the area around Houston, Texas. Scattered records also exist from coastal Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana, the Austin and College Station areas of Texas, multiple other regions of eastern and southern Texas, and the Mexican states of Coahuila and Nuevo León. This species was first documented in the Jacksonville area of Florida in 2009, and had spread to the western Florida panhandle by 2017.
For its ecology, this snail buries its eggs in soil, typically laying clutches that contain 40 eggs. Newly hatched snails (neonates) emerge from the soft, gelatinous egg capsules approximately two weeks after laying. The egg capsules are whitish when laid, and turn brown a few days before hatching. Adults are protogynous hermaphrodites: female reproductive organs develop first, followed by male reproductive organs. Once the snail reaches full sexual maturity, it is a simultaneous hermaphrodite. Individuals can live between a little over one year and three years, and begin reproducing when they are 6 months old, or when they reach approximately 12 to 17 mm in length. In the species' native range, most reproduction occurs during the spring. Their typical diet consists of dead and decaying plant matter. They tend to gather together in moist microhabitats.
Bulimulus bonariensis is an emerging crop pest. Primary concerns include interference with irrigation equipment by covering microjets, and being sucked into peanut harvesting equipment, which causes contamination. It does not typically feed on healthy crop plants, but it may feed on crop plants at sites of existing damage (such as damage from frost or other herbivores), or feed on crop seedlings. Similar to other successful invasive species, its high reproductive capacity, generalist diet, and release from co-evolved natural enemies have likely contributed to its invasive spread. Limpkins are known to eat this snail species.
