Where are river snails produced? A list of the main production areas

River snails broadly refer to mollusks of the family Viviparidae, belonging to the phylum Mollusca, class Gastropoda, subclass Prosobranchia, family Viviparidae. River snails are distributed across most parts of China, and have high requirements for water quality, with low yields. They can be caught in summer and autumn, and the common freshwater species includes the Chinese round river snail (Cipangopaludina chinensis).

River snails are gastropod mollusks that like to live in waters that are warm in winter and cool in summer, with soft substrate, abundant food, and clear water quality, and they especially like to gather in places with slight water flow. River snails are omnivorous, mainly eating tender stems and leaves of aquatic plants, organic debris, etc., and they like to be active and feed at night. The most suitable temperature for growth is 20-27°C. When the water temperature rises to 15°C in late spring and early summer, river snails crawl out of their overwintering holes and feed and grow on the bottom. They begin to reproduce in April, and July to August is the peak breeding season for river snails. Female snails 1-2 years old can produce 20-30 young, and female snails over 4 years old can produce 40-50 young. After birth, the young snails grow rapidly and can reach sexual maturity within one year. The breeding season is from April to September each year.

River snails prefer to inhabit water environments where the bottom mud is rich in humus, such as lakes with lush aquatic plants, ponds, flooded fields, or slow-flowing river ditches and other water bodies. They often feed on microorganisms and humus in the mud, as well as phytoplankton in the water, tender aquatic plants, moss, etc., and they also like to eat artificial feed, such as vegetables and fruits, vegetable leaves, rice bran, wheat bran, soybean powder (cake), and various animal scraps. River snails are cold-resistant but afraid of heat. The suitable temperature for their life is 20-28°C. When the water temperature is below 10°C or above 30°C, they stop feeding and burrow into the mud or grass to avoid cold or heat. When the water temperature exceeds 40°C, river snails are scalded to death. In dry seasons, they retract their soft body completely into the shell to reduce water evaporation; in the cold winter, they burrow into the mud without eating or moving, entering a hibernation state. When spring comes and the temperature rises to a level suitable for their activity, they extend their head and feet out of the shell and crawl. Their most suitable growth temperature is 20-26°C, at which they feed most actively and grow fastest. When the water temperature rises to 30°C, they stop eating. They cannot tolerate high temperatures but are very resistant to cold, and in severe cold seasons they dig holes to overwinter and reproduce.