Not furry either, still lovely.
Chinese Trapdoor Snail
Cipangopaludina chinensis
Also called Chinese mystery snail, Trapdoor snail, Black snail, Margarya chinensis
From East Asia, from the tropics of Indochina to northern China. Introduced to North America in the late 1800s through Asian food markets, and recorded in parts of Europe since 2007.1
At a glance the quick version
Looks how to spot one
Conical shell with trapdoor operculum
A sturdy, cone-shaped shell with six to seven smoothly rounded whorls, roughly 4 cm tall and 3 cm wide in a typical adult. A hard oval 'trapdoor' on the foot closes the shell opening when the snail withdraws.1
Personality what they are like
A calm, slow grazer that spends its time on soft bottoms browsing algae and debris.1
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Low activity needs; grazes steadily and rests or hibernates when the water turns too cold or too hot.1
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Low maintenance, but because of its invasive-species status in some regions it must never be released into the wild, and in the EU it may not be kept or bred.1
Home where they are happiest
Soft-bottomed still or slow fresh water such as ponds and lakes. Grows best at about 20 to 28 °C and goes dormant below roughly 10 to 15 °C or above 30 °C.1
Food basics what goes in the bowl
An unfussy grazer of bottom material and algae; diatoms are an especially good food.1
Company who they like around
Unlike many snails it has separate sexes, so a male and a female are needed for breeding.1
The story where it all began
Eaten in China since prehistoric times, as shells from Neolithic sites show. It reached San Francisco's Asian food markets in the late 1800s and from there spread through many North American waters.1
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
Females give birth to live, fully formed young rather than laying eggs, producing well over 150 over a lifetime.1
- 2
Its 'trapdoor' name comes from the operculum, a lid it uses to close its shell.1
- 3
Females outlive males, reaching up to about five years compared with three to four.1
- 4
Shells found at Neolithic sites show people in China were eating this snail thousands of years ago.1
Recognised by the official bits
- Taxonomy
- Now placed by Wikipedia under Margarya chinensis; long known as Cipangopaludina chinensis.1
- Legal note
- Listed by the EU as an invasive alien species of Union concern, which bans import, breeding, transport and release there; release is also illegal in some US states such as Minnesota. Check local rules before keeping it.1
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Chinese Trapdoor Snail. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- FeedingSmall amountsevery day
- Temperature checkevery day
- Water changeSmall, gentle water changesevery week
- Water testevery week
- Filter rinseRinse in old tank water, never tap waterevery month
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- Wikipedia: Cipangopaludina chinensis (Chinese mystery snail) en.wikipedia.orgused for all fields: range, introductions, size, shell, lifespan, diet, habitat, reproduction, legal status, history
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.