At a glance the quick version
Looks how to spot one
Tall, right-coiled spiral shell
A large freshwater snail with a tall, thin, horn-brown shell that tapers to a sharp point and coils to the right. The shell is about 2 to 3 cm wide, and the soft body is grey to brownish with flat, triangular tentacles.12
Personality what they are like
A peaceful, unhurried grazer that spends its time cleaning surfaces and occasionally gliding up to the surface for a breath of air.12
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Regularly climbs to the surface to fill its lung with air, so it needs easy access to the water surface.2
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Low-maintenance. Keeps best in cool water; can cope with a frozen-over pond in winter but does poorly in warm water above about 26 °C.2
Home where they are happiest
Ponds, lakes, ditches and slow rivers with lots of underwater plants; also cool freshwater aquaria. Tolerates pH about 6.5 to 9.12
Food basics what goes in the bowl
Algae, soft or decaying plant material, detritus and leftovers. In captivity it takes vegetables such as lettuce, cucumber and dandelion leaves, plus fish food.12
Company who they like around
Lives happily alone or in groups; each snail is both male and female, so any two can breed.1
The story where it all began
A common snail of still waters across the northern hemisphere, it has long been a familiar pond and aquarium animal. Its unusually large nerve cells made it a classic study animal for researchers investigating how nervous systems control feeding, breathing and movement.12
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
Besides breathing air at the surface, it also takes in oxygen through its skin, especially through its well-supplied tentacles.2
- 2
Its jelly-like egg masses, stuck to plants, can hold up to about 200 eggs, and the young hatch after roughly two weeks.2
- 3
Its brain contains around 20,000 unusually large neurons, which makes it a favourite of neuroscientists.1
- 4
Aquarists sometimes use it to clear green hydra from tanks.2
Recognised by the official bits
- IUCN Red List
- Assessed as Least Concern.1
- Science
- A widely used model organism in neuroscience and developmental biology thanks to its large, easily studied nerve cells.1
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Great Pond Snail. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- FeedingSmall amountsevery day
- Temperature checkevery day
- Water changeSmall, gentle water changesevery week
- Water testevery week
- Filter rinseRinse in old tank water, never tap waterevery month
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at support@furrydiary.app and we will fix it.
- Wikipedia: Lymnaea stagnalis en.wikipedia.orgused for range, shell size, colour, diet, breathing, reproduction, research use, IUCN
- Wikipedia (de): Spitzschlammschnecke de.wikipedia.orgused for shell, body colour, lifespan, diet, temperature and pH tolerance, skin breathing, eggs, aquarium use
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.