Natural history of the tree snail Rachis bengalensis Lamarck (Gastropoda: Enidae).
Raut S. K., Biswas A.
Author Affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, Calcutta 700 019, India.
Bulletin of Malacology, Republic of China : 75-80
Abstract : Rachis bengalensis was shown to be nocturnal in a garden in West Bengal, India, and was active during the monsoon (July-October) 1984-88, the remaining 8 months being spent in aestivation. The snail fed on the bark of mangoes, limes, Aegle marmelos, Ziziphus mauritiana, Erythrina indica and Lannea coromandelica. From 3 to 7 h a night were spent foraging by individual snails, but feeding never continued for more than 18 min at a stretch. The snail was a hermaphrodite, and the eggs were deposited in batches of 16-56 in holes or crevices in the tree trunk. Hatching took place in 14 days, and all activities were performed on the trees.