Un-named Lake/Ditch In Mandarin, Southern Duval County, Florida

     On April 20th, 2006 this reporter received an E-mail from five year-old Quinn Riesch (and his dad Eric) reporting that Quinn had found an applesnail in a small lake behind his house in the Mandarin section of Duval County. After perusing this web site, they believe it to be a specimen of Pomacea paludosa (Say, 1829) [Florida Applesnail] and inquired whether it should be added to the cumulative list of known Duval County populations.

    The next morning, I visited Quinn's lake as well as a nearby associated drainage ditch immediately adjacent to 1737 Rivergate Trail (GPS 3009.186N 08139.603W). Upon arrival at the latter location, a single large fresh Pomacea paludosa egg clutch was seen on a concrete culvert where the ditch crosses beneath the road. However, an intensive search failed to yield any Pomacea specimens. I then walked upstream and a 54 mm. dead Pomacea paludosa was soon located as well as a Uniomerus carolinianus (Bosc, 1801) [Florida Pondhorn]. Quinn's lake was then investigated but no evidence of applesnails was seen in the limited portion checked. The lake was replete with dead Utterbackia imbecillis (Say, 1829) [Paper Pondshell] - a non-native species.

    Based upon observations, a breeding population of Pomacea paludosa is present in the area. But the lack of more egg clutches indicates that the population is quite small.

Quinn's lake

Ditch upstream from the culvert

Quinn's lake

Ditch upstream from the culvert

Culvert where the egg clutch was found

Dead specimens from the drainage ditch

Culvert where the egg clutch was found

Dead specimens from the drainage ditch

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