COLLECTING FLORIDA APPLESNAILS (POMACEA PALUDOSA) FROM WETLAND HABITATS USING FUNNEL TRAPS

Traditional methods for sampling aquatic macro-invertebrates are very labor-intensive and largely ineffective when attempting to collect Florida applesnails (Pomacea paludosa) from their natural wetland habitats. We found the use of funnel traps an effective alternative that decreased collection time ten-fold and required considerably less labor than throw traps. The funnel traps described herein can be used effectively for collecting applesnails in a variety of wetland habitat types and plant densities, and they may also be effective in catching other wetland organisms (e.g., Kinosternid turtles).