The shy and the bold: Behavioural differences in native and invasive apple snails

Abstract

Differences in behaviour of species or populations may be important in survival and adaptation to the wild. The difference in shyness or boldness is one major component of personality trait. Here, we examine the behavioural differences associated with shyness and boldness of the native apple snail (Pila pesmei) compared to the invasive apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata) in Thailand. We used the proportion of space use and distance moved from the release area to explore the novel open space to assess shy/bold behaviour in the laboratory. We found that the invasive apple snail (P. canaliculata) occupied out of the release area and moved further than the native apple snail (Pila pesmei), suggesting that the invasive apple snail is significantly bolder than the native apple snail. These behavioural differences may have implication for invasion success of the non-native invasive species. In addition, we examined whether shy/bold behaviour (taken as the distance moved) and shell size covaried in Pila pesmei and P. canaliculata. However, we found that distance moved from the release area was not correlated with size in either species. These findings suggest that differences in behavioural traits may be an important factor influencing the interaction between native and non-native invasive species.