Biomphalaria alexandrina facts for kids

Biomphalaria alexandrina is a type of freshwater snail. It's a small, air-breathing animal that lives in water. This snail belongs to a group called ram's horn snails because of its shell shape. It is a mollusk, like clams and octopuses.

Where Does Biomphalaria alexandrina Live?

This snail mostly lives in the country of Egypt.

What Kind of Home Does It Like?

Biomphalaria alexandrina prefers to live in fresh water. You can often find it in places like irrigation canals. These are channels that carry water to farms.

What Does It Eat?

When these snails are kept by people, they can eat boiled lettuce leaves. This shows they are plant-eaters.

Biomphalaria alexandrina and Parasites

This snail can sometimes carry tiny living things called parasites. One important parasite it can carry is named Schistosoma mansoni. The snail acts as an intermediate host. This means the parasite lives inside the snail for part of its life cycle.

What is a Hybrid Snail?

Sometimes, two different types of snails can have babies together. When this happens, the baby is called a hybrid. Scientists have found a hybrid snail that is a mix of Biomphalaria glabrata and Biomphalaria alexandrina. This hybrid was found in Egypt.

How is Biomphalaria alexandrina Related to Other Snails?

Biomphalaria alexandrina is part of a larger family of snails. Scientists study how different species are related to each other. They use special diagrams to show these connections. Biomphalaria alexandrina is closely related to other snails found in the Nile River area, like Biomphalaria sudanica. It is also related to Biomphalaria glabrata.