Marking snails with numbered, colored discs: a technique for identifying individual specimens.
Numbered, colored discs, measuring 2.5 mm in diameter, were evaluated under laboratory conditions as tags for marking and identifying individual snails. Discs were affixed to the shells of specimens of Helisoma duryi (Pulmonata: Planorbidae) with an adhesive supplied with the discs and with waterproof epoxy. All snails survived the initial tagging procedure and showed no observable behavioral responses to the tagging. The supplied adhesive, intended for use with terrestrial insects, was inadequate for securing the tags for prolonged periods under aquatic conditions. Use of waterproof epoxy, however, resulted in 100% tag retention for over 5 months without significant mortality. The permanence of the marks, their coding of individuals, the rapidity and ease with which the tags can be applied without causing behavioral changes or snail mortality suggest that this technique will be useful in studies requiring identification of individual aquatic snails.
Sullivan
J J
JJ
Division of Parasitic Diseases, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia 30333.
Bishop
H S
HS
Schneider
K R
KR
Rodrick
G E
GE
D000269:Adhesives; D000823:Animal Identification Systems; D000818:Animals; D012908:Snails
D000269:Adhesives