Ecology and Distribution of Freshwater Snails in Gimbawa Dam, Kaduna State, Nigeria

Abstract

The influence of physico-chemical parameters on the distribution of freshwater snails in Gimbawa dam, Ikara Local Government Area of Kaduna State was investigated between January and December, 2013. Freshwater snails were collected using scoop net and the physico-chemical parameters were determined with appropriate instruments accordingly. Freshwater snails harvested from the study site were morphologically identified. Four thousand two hundred and six (4,206) freshwater snails belonging to seven genera and seven species were recorded during the study. The overall relative percentage of the various snail species recorded was: Melanoides tuberculata (66.4%), Biomphalaria pfeifferi (11.8%), Bellamya unicolor (11.6%), Bulinus globosus (5.5%), Lymnaea natalensis (4.2%), Cleopatra bulimoides (0.5%) and Physa spp (0.1%). Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and pH were found to significantly influence snail distribution in the dam (p<0.05). The snail distribution pattern observed may give an insight into some aspect of the epidemiology of trematode infection in the Local Government Area and the potential risks of human and animals. The implications of these findings for control of snail transmitted trematodes are also discussed.

Keyword: Freshwater snails, Gimbawa dam, Physico-chemical parameters, Trematode.