Bulinus forskalii facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bulinus forskalii |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| A view of the shell of Bulinus forskalii | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Bulinus forskalii is a type of freshwater snail that lives in warm, tropical places. It's a small mollusk with a special shell that coils to the left, which is called a sinistral shell. These snails are part of a family known as ramshorn snails and their relatives.
Where They Live
Bulinus forskalii snails are found all over Africa. They live in many different countries across the continent.
- Northern Africa: You can find them in Egypt and Sudan.
- Western Africa: They live in countries like Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo.
- Eastern Africa: They are present in Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
- Central Africa: These snails are found in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon. A slightly different type of Bulinus forskalii also lives on São Tomé Island.
- Southern Africa: They are found in South Africa and Eswatini.
Recently, these snails have also been found in Madagascar. Scientists are not sure if they live in Mauritania, Nigeria, or Sierra Leone.
Their Home and Habits
Bulinus forskalii snails love living in freshwater. Their natural homes include the edges of lakes, swamps, and other wet areas. They can be found in almost any type of freshwater body. In South Africa, they are often seen in dams and small streams. The ground where they live is usually muddy.
These snails are special because they are hermaphroditic. This means that each snail has both male and female reproductive parts. They can even fertilize themselves, which is called self-fertilization.
Snails and Other Organisms
Sometimes, Bulinus forskalii snails can be hosts for tiny parasites. This means the parasites live inside the snails for a part of their life cycle.
- They can be an intermediate host for some types of Schistosoma parasites. These parasites can cause a disease called schistosomiasis in people.
- They can also host a parasite called Gastrodiscus aegyptiacus. This parasite can cause a stomach problem in horses.
- Three types of paramphistomes, which are another kind of parasite, have also been found in these snails.
However, these snails are not able to host the parasite Schistosoma mattheei in South Africa.
