Chapter 2 The Need for Conservation
Appendix 2-6
hermaphroditic (individuals have both male and female sex organs) and they reproduce year- round when in captivity with consistent temperatures. In outdoor environments, they will spawn from April to October, producing egg clutches of 20-30 eggs. The eggs hatch in 14-25 days, depending on temperature. They are mature at 4 to 6 months of age and have a lifespan of 2-3 years. Biologists used this new knowledge to successfully propagate and increase the number of captive snails. The NCWRC, in partnership with the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and other cooperators, successfully reintroduced the species to a freshwater pond in the wild in the fall of 2024. Those animals immediately laid eggs and the first wild hatchlings in 20 years were seen crawling free. Additional stocking efforts will boost this newly established location, paired with monitoring to determine when the population can sustain itself. In addition, WRC is continuing to survey additional locations in the lower Cape Fear River basin looking for possible locations for secondary reintroductions, to establish additional wild populations and secure the species’ future.
A new study is underway at the recently established Yates Mill Aquatic Conservation Center in Raleigh to study the development of Magnificent Ramshorn snail eggs and embryos. Trials were run at room temperature as well as experimental cold treatments at (a) a constant 4°C (39°F) and (b) fluctuating outdoor winter temperatures for 2, 4, 8 and 10 weeks’ exposure. Photos of each egg clutch as well as individual eggs were photographed weekly for the duration of the project and measurements will be taken of embryo growth rates, hatch rates, and juvenile survival.
Magnificent Ramshorn (NCWRC)
Priorities for additional conservation actions that will benefit Magnificent Ramshorn over the next 10-year planning cycle are outlined in Chapter 3 North Carolina Species.
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2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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