Identifying impacts of exotic species on native populations is central to ecology and conservation. Although the effects of exotic predators on native prey have received much attention, the role of exotic prey on native predators is poorly understood. Determining if native predators actively prefer invasive prey over native prey has implications for interpreting invasion impacts, identifying th...

Planktonic samples were collected from two habitats in Giza Governorate, Kafr Hakem (+ snails) and Sadek canals (snails). Oscillatoria accuminata and Lyngbya perelegans were collected from the first location, while Phormidium valderianum, Spirogyra sp and Lyngbya perelegans were separated from the second one. Nostoc muscorum was obtained from Theodor Bilharz Research Institute (TBRI) and used i...

Fasciola hepatica is a trematode that causes zoonosis mainly in cattle and sheep and occasionally in humans. Fascioliasis has been reported in Korea; however, determining F. hepatica infection in snails has not been done recently. Thus, using PCR, we evaluated the prevalence of F. hepatica infection in snails at 4 large water-dropwort fields. Among 349 examined snails, F. hepatica-specific inte...

BACKGROUND Copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) can pose serious threats to environmental health because they tend to bioaccumulate in terrestrial ecosystems. We investigated under field conditions the transfer of these heavy metals in a soil-plant-snail food chain in Banat area, Romania. The main goal of this paper was to assess the Roman snail (Helix pomatia) usefulness in envi...

Endocrine regulation of reproductive processes of the snail Biomphalaria alexandrina is poorly recognized. Thus, the aims of the study were: (1) to acquire histological images of the ovotestis; (2) to determine the hemolymph concentrations of testosterone (T) and gonadotropic hormones (luteinizing hormone: LH and follicle stimulating hormone: FSH), (3) to demonstrate androgen receptor (AR) immu...

The pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis learns and forms long-term memory (LTM) following both operant conditioning of aerial respiratory behavior and classical conditioning of taste aversive behavior. In the present study, we examined whether there are interstrain differences in the ability to form LTM following these two types of conditioning. A strain of Lymnaea (TC1) collected in Alberta, Canada e...

We set out to determine whether the ability to form long-term memory (LTM) is influenced by laboratory rearing. We investigated the ability of four populations of Lymnaea stagnalis to form LTM following operant conditioning both in the freely behaving animal and at the electrophysiological level in a neuron, RPeD1, which is a necessary site for LTM. We hypothesized that laboratory rearing resul...

BACKGROUND Schistosomiasis remains one of the most common endemic parasitic diseases affecting over 230 million people worlwide. Schistosoma mansoni is the main species causing intestinal and hepatic schistosomiasis and the fresh water pulmonate snails of the genus Biomphalaria are best known for their role as intermediate hosts of the parasite. The development of new molecular monitoring assay...

The infection rate and cercarial production from B. glabrata, in comparison with B. alexandrina snails, post their exposure to S. mansoni miracidia of an Egyptian strain after two cycles in albino-mice was studies.The results indicated that infection rate of B. glabrata with the Egyptian strain of S. mansoni was less than that of B. alexandrina snails On the other hand infected B. glabrata exhi...

Specialist species are more vulnerable to environmental change than generalist species. For species with ontogenetic niche shifts, specialization may occur at a particular life stage making those stages more susceptible to environmental change. In the salt marshes in the northeast U.S., accelerated sea level rise is shifting vegetation patterns from flood-intolerant species such as Spartina pat...