Abstract
ABSTRACT This study investigates the natural diet and breeding behaviour of Indrella (Ariophantidae), a monotypic snail genus endemic to the Western Ghats in India. Our observations show that the only Indrella species, I. ampulla, is a generalist in its dietary preference. Its diet consists predominantly of a variety of plants and plant materials, occasionally interspersed with fungi and dead conspecifics. Its breeding season overlaps with the monsoon in the Western Ghats – May through September. During mating, copulating pairs display ‘face-to-face’ mating and 20 to 30 eggs are laid. Hatching success in the field could not be assessed. Low hatching success under artificial conditions and the difficulty of locating and monitoring the egg clutches in the field warrant further exploration with a greater effort to ascertain their reproductive success. This study reports the first natural history observations of this common yet relatively unknown snail species Indrella ampulla.
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