A fully illustrated guide to telling the difference between apple snails and field snails

Although apple snails and field snails both show up at late-night food stalls, field snails are often several times more expensive than apple snails, and several times safer. But many vendors, just to make money, will sell apple snails as field snails. The editor at Tuliu.com is here to teach everyone how to distinguish apple snails from field snails. Let's take a look together~

1. Differences between apple snails and field snails

1. Check the appearance

A field snail's rear end is like a pagoda, very pointed and three-dimensional; an apple snail's rear end is like feces, very flat and a bit shorter. Basically, this is the best and most intuitive way to identify them

2. Observe the color

The apple snail is also called the golden snail because apple snails are mostly light yellow in color. Field snails, on the other hand, are dark brown

3. Check the hardness

The apple snail's shell is very brittle; you can easily crush it with your hand, and if it falls to the ground it will definitely shatter; while the field snail's shell is hard in texture, not only will it not shatter when dropped, it is also very hard to crush with your hand.

So, if you find when eating that the shell crushes very easily, then it is very likely not a field snail.

4. Distinguish by eggs

Field snail eggs are transparent and have a jelly-like carrier, generally submerged in water; apple snail eggs are pink, generally stuck to plants at the water surface, stones, or even the water surface itself.

So, if you see snails in the wild with pink eggs on the bank, don't even think about catching them to stir-fry or grill.

2. Methods that cannot distinguish field snails from apple snails

There are many other identification methods online, but they are not entirely correct. You can use them as a certain reference, but not as an absolute reference.

1. Look at the size

This claim is incorrect. Field snails also come in large sizes. They are also called “large field snails.” Apple snails also come in small sizes. That is, juvenile apple snails. Size cannot be used to distinguish them

2. Look at the patterns

The shell patterns of apple snails are horizontal, while the patterns of field snails are vertical, but unfortunately apple snails also have vertical patterns, and even horizontal and vertical patterns crossing each other.

3. Look at the tentacles

The tentacles can indeed be used to distinguish them. But, after you have made them into a late-night snack with so many seasonings, what can you still make out?

The above is the editor at Tuliu.com's explanation of the differences between apple snails and field snails. Actually, they can basically be distinguished quite well. However, the editor must say here that in fact many organisms in freshwater have parasites, and all freshwater organisms cannot be eaten raw. If someone is bold enough to eat apple snails as sashimi, then it probably won't just be their body that may have problems, but their mind that needs to see a doctor first......So, everyone should not only guard against apple snails and ignore other aquatic food with a high incidence of parasites. Don't naively think that field snails have no parasites.