Pila scutata

Pila scutata is a species of gastropod belonging to the family Ampullariidae, the apple snails.

Description

The height of the shell attains 39 mm, its diameter 35 mm.
The shell is elongated-globose and narrowly perforated. It is transversely irregularly striated, brownish-green, and obsoletely banded. The spire is emergent, with its apex eroded, and the suture is scarcely deep.
The shell comprises 4.5 convex whorls. The body whorl is irregularly inflated and obscurely angular in the middle. The aperture is ovate, and its right margin is somewhat dilated. Internally, it appears yellowish and is banded with brownish-violet. The margin is acute and somewhat produced at the base.
The operculum is thick and calcareous. Externally, it is covered with a green, striated epidermis, while internally, it is pearly, with an elongated spot surrounded by a minutely vermiculate margin.

Distribution

The species is found in Southeastern Asia and Central America. However, it has been taken from its native habitat to be used as a food delicacy, control of weeds in freshwater, a component in home aquariums, and as a vector for parasitic larva in the freshwater. This has made it very difficult to determine Pila scutata's true native range.