Hello Dr. Hoelzl,

The following link to a Masters thesis might be helpful to you:

Regards,

Dr. Abhishek Mukherjee

Should they be only body measurements or do you consider metabolic testing?

Regards

If body conditioning is stringently reserved as the parameter to be investigated then metabolic tests should come into concern. However, the ambient experimental condition may not favour all the species equally since many are niche and habitat specific, hence on a comparative note the approach will not be sound from scientific standpoint.

If various species specific conditions are affordably simulated then metabolism testing may be opted to provide an accurate scenario, but will that realistic? NO and YES. The former one for the species that don't live in same habitat but depend on similar sources to meet their energy needs and the latter for the species who may or may not depend on similar food items but share the same ecological compartments.

I agree that the metabolism of snails is closely related to the environment. The usefulness of these tests depends on the main purpose of the experiment.

I concur with Dr. Zietek. The purpose of these tests depend on the objectives behind them and that is why there is no straightforward answer to the question put up by Dr. Hoelzl as the parameters to be investigated govern the design of the survey or the experiment of a specific species or species belonging to a certain habitat.

Often the simplest question digs up very interesting explanations and for that I thank Dr. Hoelzl and Dr. Zietek for the interactive conversations.

I think the answer to this question is detailed in Godan 1983

Godan, D. (1983): Pest Slugs and Snails (biology and control) Springer Verlg Berkin Hidelberg. New York 345pp.