This species was placed in the genus Stenophysa by Taylor (2003), but subsequent molecular analyses included it within the family Physidae and genus Physa (Wethington and Lydeard 2007).

Physa marmota has been assessed as Least Concern due to its broad range, its ability to successfully invade other continents, the absence of major threats, habitat generalism and tolerance to human-influenced and polluted habitats.

This species is native to the Caribbean, eastern Costa Rica, Panama, Guyana, Corrientes, Patagonia, Buenos Aires provinces in Argentina, Venezuela and eastern Brazil (although presence is uncertain in these last two locations) (Capitulo et al. 2001, NatureServe 2009). In the Caribbean, it is recorded from the Greater Antilles (Jamaica, Haiti, Domincan Republic and Puerto Rico); the Virgin Islands (St Thomas, Tortola and St. Croix); the Lesser Antilles (St. Martin, St Kitts, Nevis, Antigua, Guadeloupe, Marie Galante, Martinique, St.Lucia, St. Vincent, Barbados, Grenada and Trinidad); and Aruba and Isla Providencia in the Western Caribbean (Taylor 2003).

This species has also been introduced widely outside its native range: to the U.S. (Texas) and Canada (Keller et al. 2007, Palomares and Pauly 2009), although it is thought to have failed to establish in Texas (Karateyev et al. 2009); to Israel (Roll et al. 2009); and throughout west Africa (where it was introduced pre-1990), including Cote d'Ivoire (in the La Me and Agneby basins), Benin, Togo, Ghana and Nigeria (Bony et al. 2008).

Taylor (2003, 2004) thinks that specimens from Argentina may belong to a different species. Further work is needed to resolve this uncertainty in distribution.

This species was described as abundant in Brazil and was found throughout the region of Sao Paulo (Vaz et al. 1986).

This species is found in a variety of habitats, including ponds (natural and man-made), streams, rivers, dams, drainage ditches, marshes, temporary water bodies, and roadside pools (Taylor 2003). In Israel, it is found in 'human dominated habitats' (Roll et al. 2009). It is tolerant to water pollution, being found in a polluted tributary of the Rio de la Plata in Argentina, the El Gato stream (Capitulo et al. 2001). This species is very sensitive to direct sunlight, lack of oxygen, desiccation and lack of food in captivity (Taylor 2003). It shows a positive association with the aquatic plants Ipomea aquatica and Pistia stratiodes in Cote d'Ivoire, although it is unlikely to show similar associations in its native range (Bony et al. 2008).

There are no known threats negatively impacting the global population of this species.

This species has been given a NatureServe Global Heritage Status Rank of G5 (of least concern). In some parts of its range it coincides with protected areas.