TankBud

White spotted rabbit snail

Tylomelania towutica

Also known as Towuti Snail, Tylomelania patriarchalis, Tylomelania towutensis

FreshwaterSnail

White spotted rabbit snail (Tylomelania towutica)
Rizki Ramadhana Takdim, Annawaty Annawaty · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–84°F
24–29°C
pH
7.0–8.5
Adult size
4.3 in
11 cm
Minimum tank
16 gal
60 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Livebearer · Hard
Rarity
Rare
Family
Pachychilidae
Origin
Sulawesi

Overview

The white spotted rabbit snail is one of the larger Sulawesi snails, with a dark body flecked in pale spots and a long, tapering shell. It is a snail for keepers with some experience.

Did you know

Rabbit snails are livebearers that wrap each newborn in a soft capsule, which the baby breaks out of within hours. Larger species like the white spotted rabbit snail can push their long shells to the length of a finger. That makes them some of the biggest snails kept in aquariums.

Caring for the white spotted rabbit snail

Give the white spotted rabbit snail 16 gal (60 L) or more for its size and reach. A thick layer of soft sand is important for such a large snail. It spends much of its time nosing through the top of the bed. Driftwood and smooth rock round out the setup.

Individual snails are not fussy, but they need hard water at 75 to 84°F (24 to 29°C) and a pH of 7.0 to 8.5. Keep the hardness steady and the water clean and well filtered. Copper must stay out, since it is toxic to snails.

It grazes calmly over rock, wood and sand for algae, biofilm and leftovers. It ignores its tank mates, so it suits a peaceful community, and it is content kept alone.

It is a livebearer, releasing a single fully formed juvenile at a time, so it will not crowd the tank. That very low birth rate, together with slow growth, is why breeding a colony on purpose is rated hard.

Good to know

Tylomelania towutica is a Sulawesi rabbit snail in the family Pachychilidae, named for Lake Towuti, where it is found. Its long, ribbed, cone-shaped shell closes behind a horny trapdoor.

In the wild

The white spotted rabbit snail comes from Lake Towuti and nearby waters in the Malili lake system of Sulawesi. It lives on hard bottoms in warm, mineral-hard, alkaline water.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The white spotted rabbit snail is a peaceful, solitary species that keeps to the bottom. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a white spotted rabbit snail need?

A white spotted rabbit snail needs at least 16 gal (60 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a white spotted rabbit snail need?

A white spotted rabbit snail is comfortable at 75–84°F (24–29°C) with a pH of 7.0–8.5.

What does a white spotted rabbit snail eat?

A white spotted rabbit snail grazes over rock, wood and sand for algae, biofilm and leftovers.

How big does a white spotted rabbit snail get?

An adult white spotted rabbit snail reaches about 4.3 in (11 cm).

How does a white spotted rabbit snail breed?

The white spotted rabbit snail is a livebearer that releases one fully formed juvenile at a time. Its birth rate is very low and its growth is slow, so breeding a colony is hard.

Related species