Caring for and maintaining snails at home for an uninitiated person seems quite simple and understandable. But in practice, there are no less worries with such a pet than with other representatives of wildlife. How can beginners properly keep small and large snails at home? What is the difference between land and aquatic species of beautiful ornamental mollusks? What temperature, humidity, feeding regime should be observed?

In search of answers to all these questions, novice breeders often choose the trial and error method and are disappointed in their new pets. You can avoid these consequences if you study in advance all the intricacies of keeping different types of snails. An experienced owner, without unnecessary difficulties, maintains the health of pets and the environment in their place of residence in optimal condition, and for this he receives real pleasure from communicating with domestic shellfish.

Selection and arrangement of an aquarium

When creating a home for domestic snails, it is worth taking into account the characteristics of their natural habitat. Land-dwelling individuals require a molluscar or terrarium with a volume of 10 liters per individual. For large exotic species, it is recommended to choose a container of 15-20 liters per snail.

Aquatic species require a classic aquarium with plants or can be placed in a ready-made tank. For 1-2 individuals you need a volume of 5 liters. Snails are not very sensitive to acidity and water hardness, but react negatively to increased levels of phosphates, nitrates and other signs of environmental deterioration. Temperature conditions for keeping them depend on the conditions that characterize the life of mollusks in nature.

Arranging an ulitharium involves creating an environment that is as safe as possible for land snails. It is necessary to create ventilation holes in the container, with the help of which the microclimate will be regulated.

The ventilation openings should not have a diameter that is too large, otherwise small snails will be able to escape through them.

A special substrate is placed at the bottom of the terrarium - peat, coconut or soil, with a layer thickness of 2 to 10 cm; decorations, plants, bowls and drinking bowls are immersed inside. The lid is placed and fixed on the surface of the container. A house for snails that are active mainly at night does not need additional lighting. For them, a regular change of day and night is much more important. You should not place them in parts of the room with bright artificial lighting.

Temperature and humidity

The best living conditions for land snails imply the constant preservation of certain temperature and humidity indicators. Sudden changes in environmental conditions are especially dangerous for mollusks. The best values ​​are considered to be +20-26 degrees Celsius. When these indicators decrease, tropical mollusks may hibernate.

Species living in central Russia are able to withstand lower temperatures without any special consequences.

Humidity is also important for snails living in captivity. The atmosphere inside the terrarium should be around 80%. Based on the type of mollusk, these parameters can vary by 10% in both directions. The easiest way to monitor this data is with the help of special thermometers and hygrometers. The soil moisture should be optimal, because it is in this environment that snails spend most of the day.

What and how to feed?

Snails are fed every other day or daily, depending on the species and age. Young individuals are fed 2-3 times a day. Food should be as varied as possible and very moderate.

It is worth changing foods periodically so as not to accustom your pet to a too monotonous type of diet.

The diet of domestic snails usually consists of:

Mineral supplements

They are needed for calcium to enter the body and form the shell. Ground eggshells, chalk can be used as fertilizing, or ready-made mixtures can be given.

Fresh herbs

It makes up the bulk of the diet, including salad leaves and young shoots of vegetables. It is useful to give your pets dandelion shoots, plantain, wheat sprouts and other grains.

Fresh fruits and berries

The juicy pulp of raspberries, strawberries, melons, watermelons, pears and bananas is the best treat for snails.

Vegetables

The pulp of pumpkin, zucchini, cucumber, and tomato is suitable.

Protein products

Boiled egg whites, meat, and ready-made feed mixtures are given.

With a balanced diet, you don't have to worry about your pet's health.

How to care?

The process of caring for snails at home will not seem difficult even for novice breeders.

Large pets of exotic species do not require special attention and spend most of their time in the ground.

But this does not mean that you will have to monitor them less than other inhabitants of the terrarium. Among the general rules:

• periodic bathing in warm water;
• complete cleaning and tidying of the aquarium at least once a week;
• regular replacement of litter;
• performing extraordinary cleaning if necessary.

From time to time, snails may hibernate.

You can wake up the snail by holding it under running warm water for some time.

Taking care of your sink

The shell of domestic mollusks requires regular care and attention from the breeder. The larger the snail, the more attentive the owner will have to be. If cracks, chips, or other damage are detected, it is necessary to increase the volume of mineral supplements and increase the proportion of calcium in the diet. Similar measures are taken if signs of molting or shell delamination are detected. If there is a large crack or chip on the surface, the individual must be replanted separately, to eliminate the risk of additional injury, and to carry out antiseptic treatment.

Bathing

Snails love to bathe, but it is very important to do it correctly. To receive water procedures, the mollusk is placed on the palm of your hand and placed under a thin stream of warm water.

Do not place the snail in a cold container with water or allow it to come into contact with household chemicals.

During a properly organized bath, the pet will relax and show itself in all its glory.

Disease Prevention

If safety measures or rules for keeping a pet snail are violated, pets may get sick. Signs of poor health include splitting of the shell, refusal to eat, general lethargy of the mollusk, and copious secretion of mucus. In order to eliminate possible problems, it is necessary to protect the snail from proximity to larger or aggressive species, poor ventilation, and excessive contamination of the container. Snails also get sick when there is a sharp change in temperature, a too small aquarium, or excessive dryness of the substrate. It is worth eliminating the sources of possible discomfort, and then the pets will feel better.

Caring for eggs and small shellfish

Many snails are viviparous species - their babies are born after the eggs mature in the mother's body. But there are also oviparous species, and their offspring require increased attention. These types of snails also include Achatina (with the exception of some species) - one of the most popular among land mollusks.

After fertilization, the snail bears the eggs for a certain time - for Achatina this period is 6 weeks. After this period, the female digs a hole in the ground and lays eggs.

After this, it is not recommended to touch the eggs, except when they are scattered around the terrarium. If the masonry is made compactly, when harvesting in the soil you will notice round elements similar to vitamins with a fragile outer shell. There are also false eggs - without a strong shell, with a translucent, rather than matte, shell color.

It is recommended to separate a very large clutch and freeze some of the embryos. You should not throw away the clutch without freezing, otherwise snails may breed in the most unexpected places. It is not recommended to leave eggs without soil; they need high humidity and constant temperature in the terrarium. It would be optimal to transfer the masonry to a “children’s” aquarium - they simply carefully lift it with a spoon along with the substrate and transfer it, and then cover it with damp bedding.

You will have to wait about 1 month for the babies to appear. Not all offspring will survive - you need to be prepared for this. If the babies are kept with the mother, after they hatch, she will take care of the hatched children herself.

They will crawl out of the ground after the egg shell is eaten.

Newborn snails require careful handling. Their shell is quite fragile and can easily crack. Feeding should be carried out in the standard way, offering young animals the same food as adults, but with additional mineral supplements to strengthen the shell.

Growing representatives of different species

Domestic snails are represented by a fairly wide variety of species, but this does not mean that any outdoor molluscs are suitable for keeping in captivity. If you want to have a pet, you should give preference to well-known and proven options. Almost all earth-dwelling species prefer to burrow into the ground during the daytime and come to the surface only at night. To properly maintain them, you need to take into account their compatibility and some other important points.

Decorative pet snails

Domestic snails should be kept according to their species. Some species can be housed together, but their cohabitation will lead to interspecific crossing.

In addition, when large mollusks are combined with smaller ones, attacks of cannibalism associated with lack of nutrition may occur. Experienced breeders recommend not mixing species in the terrarium and separating a compartment for babies in the terrarium so that they are not eaten by adult relatives.

Among the popular land and ornamental mollusks for home keeping, these species can be noted.

Achatina (reticulata, fulica, albino albopicta, immaculata)

These African snails are exotic guests in the Russian expanses, but they are very popular and in demand due to their general unpretentiousness, sociability and attractive appearance. Achatina is considered a species suitable for “training”. They recognize the owner, are able to get used to a certain feeding schedule, love bathing, and willingly communicate with the owner.

Grape

Small (up to 5-6 cm) snails that easily take root in terrariums. They are extremely unpretentious in their maintenance and have a variety of shell colors.

Garden

Common land snails that cannot be bought at a pet store.

These street mollusks can be collected in the garden along with grape mollusks found in the southern regions of Russia.

A distinctive feature of garden snails is their longevity - they can reach the age of 15 years, but on average they live only up to 7-8 years.

Archhatina

Another African species of land snail, inferior to Achatina in decorativeness. The shell of these snails has a rounded rather than pointed shape. The marginalata subspecies is considered the largest; it grows up to 16 cm in length.

Caracoluses

Woody Cuban snails, which are recommended to be kept in a vertically oriented aquarium.

They are quite mobile and have saucer shells of bright colors.

It is better to have such pets in flocks, with the obligatory placement of branches and snags inside the terrarium.

Octone subbulins

One of the smallest among domestic snails, reaching no more than 3-5 cm in length when kept in captivity. The colony is capable of settling even in a miniature aquarium. Mollusks are unpretentious, and watching them is quite interesting. The only inconvenience may be the uncontrolled reproduction of snails.

Megalobulimus or Megas

South American land snails are gigantic in size - the shell length reaches 11 cm. Young snails are dimly colored, in brown tones, and have a large body compared to the shell. They are not very fertile in captivity, which is why they differ favorably from Achatina; they prefer to sleep for 2-3 days in the ground; waking them up during this period is not recommended.

• Ensure that food trays are changed regularly;
• carry out wet cleaning of the walls of the house several times a week;
• Periodically bathe your pet.

Freshwater mollusks suitable for home keeping - aquarium snails - can be purchased specifically or accidentally get into the aquarium by transfer with plants or soil.

If their numbers are kept low, groundwater species can loosen the bottom substrate, soften water, and fight green algae and water blooms.

But if their reproduction is uncontrolled, the snails themselves can become a serious problem in the aquarium.

Among the species suitable for aquarium keeping, the following can be distinguished.

Apularia

A large mollusk found naturally in rivers of the United States. It stands out for its large size and is quite popular among aquarists.

Batman

A snail that can live in salt water. It is considered one of the best glass cleaners for algae.

Caring for Achatina snails at home is very simple and does not require serious expenses. You will be interested in reading the article if you want to have a pet and don’t know where to choose, how to care for and feed it.

Such a pet will not create much trouble for the owner

Who would have thought that a French delicacy or field pest would become a pet. Achatina are smart mollusks that can remember their owners and are harmless in communication with small children and adults. Thanks to its simple and easy care, minimal costs, and the ability to go without feeding for a long time, Achatina is an ideal pet. More details in our article.

Most lovers of this type of mollusk are convinced that their pets are very loyal to their owners and do not like to communicate with strangers again. Keeping and caring for Achatina snails is quite simple; they do not require a lot of time, effort and, most importantly, money. African snails belong to the Archatina family; there are many varieties of them. In their homeland they are considered pests; in a short period of time, one large individual can destroy a reed bush. In our area, “huge” snails are a variety of pets.

Achitins are one of the quietest and calmest household residents.

Before purchasing an Achatina, you should prepare all the “conveniences” for it; there are not so many of them. Only special conditions will help the land mollusk lead an active way of life, for such creatures.

How to keep Achatina snails at home

Achatina are the largest land mollusks and can grow up to 30 cm in length. With proper handling and care they can live up to 9 years, the average life cycle is about 6 years. They are quite funny creatures, despite their pedigree, they are smart, they remember the situation and their owners. They often give preference to their favorite corner in the terrarium, which they choose independently.

Large snails do not create noise or unpleasant odor

In order for the Achatina snail to live well and long, its maintenance at home should be as follows::

• Choosing a terrarium. You need to decide on the volume and material from which the new house will be made before you purchase the mollusk. One individual should require from 10 to 20 liters, so the “housing” should be spacious, preferably transparent with ventilation and a heavy lid. The terrarium should be closed constantly, as your pet can crawl out and find it will not be easy.
• Lighting is an equally important detail; it should not be very bright, as Achatina can go blind. Her visual apparatus is very sensitive, because... located on the antennae.
• The soil for Achatina snails is selected to be soft and loose, without sharp and small particles that can injure the pet’s delicate body or damage the shell. It is best to use coconut flakes, and soil is prohibited as it contains fertilizers and sawdust, which have sharp edges. The thickness of the flooring should be the size of a snail’s house so that it can freely burrow into it.
• An important point is the temperature, both in the room and in the house itself. African Achatina love a warm climate in which they actively move; if the temperature drops below 24 degrees, they may hibernate or slow down when moving, become lethargic and apathetic.
• Although these snails are not aquatic creatures, the humidity in their home must be constant. You can place a small container of water in the terrarium, which should be heavy so that Achatina cannot turn it over. Or you can constantly wet the walls of the house and the soil, and also bathe the pet itself. When the air is dry, the snail will often hide in its shell.
• You need to clean the terrarium weekly, but change the substrate as it gets dirty.

A glass aquarium or a plastic box can become a home for snails

Proper care will ensure your pets have a long life and create comfortable conditions for reproduction or solitary existence. A livestock specialist can tell you in more detail how to keep Achatina snails at home.

How long do Achatina snails live at home?

With the correct content of Achatina, their life expectancy can be 6 years. If you look after them more carefully, constantly feed them, treat them, give them vitamins, maintain the temperature and cleanliness in the terrarium, you can live up to 9 years. In captivity, their lifespan is about 5 years, or maybe less, since these land animals are considered terrible pests and easily destroy entire fields with crops, so in many countries they are actively exterminated.

It is necessary to place soil at the bottom

Now you know how long Achatina snails live at home; everything directly depends on the quality of their maintenance, i.e. it's completely up to you.

What do Achatina snails eat at home?

Achatina must be fed strictly with products from the permissible list

Many lovers of exotic animals, including land mollusks, are interested in the question of what do Achatina snails eat at home? You don’t have to worry too much about this, since they are quite omnivorous. Young animals should be fed daily, but individuals older than 6 months should be fed at intervals of several days.

Pet owners are given the following in their diet:

• Fruits and vegetables, zucchini, cucumbers, pumpkin, lettuce and cabbage leaves, apples, bananas and even watermelon rinds are suitable.
• It is imperative to give crushed chalk and egg shells, which are rich in calcium, which is necessary for the strength and growth of the shell.
• Protein foods, any boiled meat, egg whites or even mushrooms.

Types of snails Achatina

There are several types of giant snails, they differ in the size and color of the house

The species of Achatina snails are diverse; in the wild there are about one hundred varieties. Their differences are in the color scheme of the shell, ranging from light tones to dark brown stripes and stains. The body itself is also of different colors from light milky to dark brown.

Let's look at the most popular and favorite types:

• Achatina fulica is an unpretentious giant snail with a variegated color. They are calm, unpretentious and like to rest a lot in secluded dark places.
• Achatina reticulata - also in great demand for home breeding; they are often colored in the form of stripes or spots of different colors. She is much more active, smarter and more mobile.

The conditions for their reproduction and living are practically the same. Exotic lovers are mainly interested in their sizes and colors.

African Achatina snails care and maintenance

Houses made of cardboard are not suitable for such snails, because they can escape from them

To breed African Achatina snails, care and maintenance are not considered difficult; even a cracked aquarium is enough for them, since there is no need to fill it with water. In addition to such houses, you can also take plastic containers, but due to the cloudy walls, the pet will be difficult to see, and it will be more difficult to monitor its movements. It is better to immediately discard cardboard products; thin walls are not a barrier for them; they can gnaw a hole.

Giant Achatina snails

Giant Achatina snails do not need a special approach. Humidification remains important; for this you can place a container of water in the aquarium and constantly change it.

These pets love bathing in water; it is necessary to wash their legs regularly

You should also clean the terrarium once a week, and change the soil at least once a year. Do not forget to feed them, sometimes you should wash them under warm running water and make sure that when crawling around the house the snail does not run into sharp small objects.

How do Achatina snails reproduce?

Beginners in breeding land mollusks need to know how Achatina snails reproduce. According to their reproductive system, they are hermaphrodites, that is, they have no sexual differences. They prefer to produce eggs in pairs, especially after cleaning the soil in a practically sterile terrarium. Therefore, if you do not want to add to the family, it is better to keep one individual. An older snail is suitable for the female role, but a young representative of the Achatina can also play the male role.

Achatina snails: reproduction and egg care

Giant snails become sexually mature around 6 months of life, although many factors depend on the conditions of detention; the worse they are, the longer and slower the individual develops. Fertilization in this species is internal, and the brood appears from eggs; one female can bear about two hundred.

They reproduce with white eggs that look like capsules.

Clutches of eggs are often placed in groups at the bottom of the aquarium, so that all the offspring are preserved, they should be given due attention in a timely manner. First of all, make sure that the bottom is not too wet or, conversely, dry. Many snail keepers recommend separating the young from the adults once every couple of months, selecting the largest ones; the parents, as a rule, do not harm their offspring.

How long does it take for Achatina snail eggs to hatch?

An equally important and interesting question is, how long does it take for Achatina snail eggs to hatch? Individuals often lay eggs for about two days, scattering them along the bottom of the house or grouping them in dark corners. Pecking begins at 1-3 weeks, it all depends on the ambient temperature; the babies that appear are very tiny, only about 5 mm in size. To prevent the offspring from dying, you should monitor the humidity and cleanliness in the place where the eggs are laid.

Achatina snails: benefits and harm to humans

Getting used to people, these pets stop being afraid of them

Achatina snails: benefits and harm - two sides of the same coin. The thing is that these creatures produce mucus, which is very useful for the human body, for sliding. It quickly heals wounds, smooths out scars, and also fights expression lines. If you want to apply the healing properties on yourself, you should first of all wash your pet thoroughly and only then use its saliva for cosmetic purposes.

The mollusk can also be dangerous, because... it is a carrier of various bacteria and, if washed poorly, it can cause infection in wounds on the skin. If ingested, an allergic reaction may develop.

The Achatina snail belongs to the mollusk family Archachatinidae, which includes representatives of several genera. Achatina are similar to their relatives Archachatina, but they have a more pointed crown of the shell. Achatina is a giant prolific, it can produce 100-600 eggs at a time, which have a round shape and a white shell.

African Achatina are one of the largest land mollusks on the planet. They have large shells with a yellow-brown tint and a dark pattern. The body is brown or dark, soft and tuberous. The largest specimen weighed up to 600 grams and had a shell length of almost 40 cm.

The most common domestic Achatina is Achatina fulica. These African land molluscs are found in many tropical countries and cause damage to fruit-bearing plants. Achatina are characterized by a variegated shell pattern, the color of which depends on the diet. The color of the soft part of the body is similar to Archachatina, but the fulica has more pronounced tubercles. Achatina fulica is more common in pet stores because they are easy to keep and eat a lot of things.

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What do you need to keep a snail?

The best “house” where Achatina snails will receive care is a glass aquarium or aquaterrarium. For one adult snail, choose the tank that is as free as possible. To keep several pets at once, you will need a container of 20 liters 3. The terrarium should have a lid with holes for air circulation. The holes should not be wide so that the animal does not escape.

Keeping a large snail at home is impossible without a soil substrate. Achatina likes to sleep during the day, burying itself in a layer of soil. There is an opinion that flower soil containing peat will be useful. But land with a high peat content creates life in an acidic environment, which is harmful to animals. The ground covering must be moistened once a day with water from a spray bottle, otherwise the snails themselves will begin to secrete a large amount of mucus.

As a result, the mollusks will become smeared in dirt and contaminate the glass. There is no need to use clay or fatty loams as a substrate, as well as pieces of rotten wooden bark. The optimal solution is to pour loose sand onto the bottom of the aquarium instead of soil with peat. Sometimes it is replaced with hazelnut and walnut shells. But the delicate skin of mollusks can be injured. A good option for bedding is coconut substrate.

Domestic snails must be kept in clean conditions. The soil should be cleaned once a week, and completely replaced with cleaning of the terrarium - once every 3-12 months. But the more often you take care of your pet’s home, the better. The waste products, despite the absence of odor, will still begin to emit rot, and the walls of the tank will be covered with the mucus of crawling snails.

In conditions of full lighting, snails feel comfortable. But they do not require artificial light sources. Alternating day-night mode is sufficient. Domestic mollusks are active at night and sleep during the day. If you consider it necessary to install lighting to better see animals, then the lighting fixtures should be external.

Watch a video that explains how to keep Achatina snails.

At home, the temperature should be constant. It is necessary that the air temperature is comfortable for tropical African snails. A temperature from 22 to 28 o C will be most optimal. It is not recommended to install the aquaterrarium near a room radiator, in places exposed to direct sunlight, so as not to create a temperature difference.

As for accessories, you can put moss and samples of clay ceramics in a container with soil. You can plant plants in the ground, then ones that would prevent the substrate from becoming waterlogged. It is better to choose species that are covered with small fibers. Snails tend to eat plants, so you will have to replant them from time to time. The best option is fern or ivy.

Feeding. Reproduction of Achatina snails

Feeding should occur once a day for young snails, and once every few days for mature ones. African snails eat plant foods. They love lettuce, dandelion, grapes, cucumbers, and apples. They also eat spinach, corn, zucchini, mango, avocado, bananas, and melon at home. However, the snail can eat some of the listed products, and refuse some altogether. You should not often give oranges or grapes, watermelon with seeds. Some pets eat carrots and cabbage. Healthy carbohydrate foods for shellfish would be oatmeal flakes and bran.

During the first years of life, snails grow quickly. To keep their shell strong, food supplements are necessary. Calcium carbonate is beneficial for strengthening and growing the shell. Crushed eggshells or a piece of chalk should be present in the aquarium. Vitamin and mineral complexes for shellfish can be purchased in stores.

Do snails need water? Despite the constant moisture of the soil, a separate container with water should be in the aquarium. While the snail is small, the container should not be deep so that the pet does not drown. Water is useful for normalizing mucus production. Some snails allow you to pull yourself together and bathe them in a bath of warm water. They love water and are not afraid of it.

In captivity, Achatina easily reproduces from the age of 6 months. Some copies come to play later. Incubation lasts 1-2 months. If the soil thickness is low, they will refuse to reproduce. For laying, you need soil 7 cm deep, where the snail could lay eggs. Don't be surprised if your pet produces offspring throughout the year. From the age of one year, sperm are formed in the mollusk, and later - eggs. The African snail is a hermaphrodite, although two snails can also interbreed. If you have several pets, it is better to place them in different aquariums.

Look how Achatina reproduces.

It happens that a snail brings a “surprise”: more than 100 eggs, which have practically nowhere to put. A compromise and humane solution is to give the fry away for free. There have been cases of getting rid of masonry when the owner took it to nature or to the street in winter. But the opposite reaction can occur - in nature, Achatina are pests. In some countries, on a legislative basis, it is prohibited to keep them at home, much less breed them.

Snail diseases

If you have several snails, you may periodically notice how they scrape each other's shells, causing pits to form. This bad habit can be overcome if you lubricate the sink with a non-harmful, but “tasteless” product. In this case, consult your veterinarian so as not to risk it.

There are owners who often prefer to pick up snails by digging up the soil during the day. Firstly, at this time of day, pets prefer to sleep rather than get stressed. Secondly, you can damage the snail. The snail is active in the evening, and then it will happily go into your hands. It is not recommended to pick up the snail by the last spiral of the shell, the damaged part of the body. To correctly take a mollusk, you should moisten its leg with water, place your finger under it, and hold the shell with your other hand.

Keeping a giant Achatina at home is a great opportunity to please yourself. These animals are unpretentious and are not afraid of human hands. If you are going on a trip, they can be left alone for a few days. During a long trip of the owner, the snails can hibernate, hiding in the shell and clogging it. During this time they will live off the body's resources, but after waking up they will be very hungry. They wake up after a “shower” with warm water. Anabiosis (hibernation) also occurs when the snail is too cold or there is too much moisture in the aquarium, simulating the rainy season.

Achatina (lat. Achatina) are land gastropods from the subclass Pulmonary snails. This highly invasive species has become widespread in countries characterized by tropical climatic conditions, where it is one of the dangerous pests of many agricultural plants.

Characteristics of Achatina

The average shell length of adult snails, as a rule, does not exceed 50-100 mm, but some specimens are larger, exceeding 20 cm. The snail shell is conical in shape, most often characteristically twisted counterclockwise.

Mature Achatina are characterized by a shell having about seven to nine turns. The basic color of the shell directly depends on the characteristics of the environment, as well as the diet, but most often it has reddish-brown stripes and yellowish shades.

Before purchasing, you need to find out the specifics of caring for a snail and inquire about the mollusk’s diet, its maintenance and care, and also take into account the main nuances:

• It is not recommended to purchase domestic Achatina from hand, so it is advisable to visit a pet store and observe the behavior, eating habits and general health of the snail;
• it is important to inspect the terrarium and its equipment, taking into account the volume of the home and its lighting, the presence of a ventilation hole and other accessories;
• African Achatina must have a good pedigree, recorded in special registration documentation.

It should be remembered that private individuals who are unprofessionally engaged in the breeding of land gastropods do not cull and try to sell snails in large quantities, and also sell clutches and do not have competence in matters of care or maintenance. Quite often, such people are not able to provide complete information about their shellfish and do not care at all about the health of the animal.

Important! Particular attention should be paid to the appearance of the mollusk. The snail's shell should not have cracks, and a good sign is its uniformity. It is best to purchase Achatina when it is over two months old.

Breeders or keepers raise snails competently and are fully competent in the matter of their maintenance. Professionals are not looking for profit from selling snails, so they are able, if necessary, to provide comprehensive information about the origin and pedigree of the mollusk. Breeders perform timely culling, but never sell the eggs for breeding.

Terrarium construction, filling

Any glass or plastic container that has a lid with special small ventilation holes can be used as a home for the mollusk. As practice shows, preference should be given to a horizontal type terrarium, and the volume of such a container for one adult individual cannot be less than ten liters.

Particular attention is paid to heating the terrarium for raising a tropical pet. The heat-loving creature must be provided with a comfortable and stable temperature regime of 26-28 o C, regardless of the season. It is preferable to use special external devices in the form of safe-to-use thermal cords or thermal mats to heat the snail’s home. It is important to prevent not only the animal from freezing, but also its overheating, so it is advisable to place a thermometer in the terrarium.

The lighting of the terrarium is of no small importance, but additional lighting at night is not necessary. The mollusk should not be exposed to sunlight, so the terrarium should absolutely not be installed on the windowsill of a south-facing window.

As filling for the home, you need to choose the right type of soil, for which it is advisable to use a coconut substrate that retains moisture well. The thickness of the soil is selected according to the size of the pet. Before filling, the briquette is filled with boiling water, after which it is cooled, washed and dried. As a completely worthy filling option, you can also use pure high-moor peat with a pH level in the range of 5-7.

Important! It is necessary to place a terrarium with a giant snail in a place where there is no negative impact on the animal from drafts or direct sunlight, as well as excess heat from heating devices.

Additional accessories for the snail include high-quality drinking bowls and feeders made from environmentally friendly and soft materials, as well as a swimming pool and a small house. Food grade plastics have proven themselves very well. Do not use sharp or dangerous, too hard objects in the terrarium that could cause damage to the body or shell of a domestic mollusk. Experienced owners of such pets recommend planting salad crops or special cat grass in the Achatina house. Twigs, picturesque driftwood or traditional tree bark will become a real decoration for the landscape.

Proper diet of the Achatina snail

The basis of the Achatina diet is represented by lettuce leaves, various greens, shoots of cereal crops and vegetables, as well as tops. The diet of shellfish should also include the following products:

• cucumber and pumpkin pulp;
• spinach;
• zucchini;
• carrots;
• cobs of young corn;
• peas;
• tomatoes;
• cabbage;
• apple and pear pulp;
• watermelon and melon;
• bananas;
• apricots;
• avocado;
• mango;
• pineapples;
• cherries;
• plum;
• raspberries;
• strawberries

Adult gastropods can be a little capricious when it comes to nutrition, so they often give preference to certain foods while completely neglecting others. In any case, soft fruits and vegetables are cut into slices, and hard ones are grated or crushed in a kitchen blender until pureed. Any food given to the snail should be brought to room temperature.

It is forbidden to give your pet food from the common table, spices and fried foods, sweet and sour, as well as smoked and spicy foods. Natural acids contained in citrus fruits, including lemons, tangerines and oranges, are dangerous for snails. It is very important to provide the gastropod with a special mineral supplement containing a sufficient amount of calcium.

This is interesting! Clean water is especially important for the gastropod, which Achatina not only drinks, but also very actively uses for water procedures. Water must be replaced daily.

It is advisable to feed adult domestic snails in the evening, once a day. Small and young animals should be provided with round-the-clock and unhindered access to food and water. Food is given in a special bowl or on a tray, which may well be a cabbage or lettuce leaf. Uneaten food is removed from the terrarium.

Achatina care

Such exotic pets do not require special care. Cleaning the terrarium must be done as it becomes dirty, and general cleaning is carried out at least a couple of times a month. Hygienic washing of the walls of the terrarium and the inside of the lid is carried out daily.

It is strictly forbidden to use traditional chemical cleaning powders and other products for cleaning, so experienced owners of pet snails advise using hot water and a soft rag or an ordinary dish sponge for this purpose.

Important! It is necessary to pay attention to the fact that any devices used in cleaning the terrarium must be stored separately.

Gastropods love to take regular water treatments. Of course, for such exotic pets, for hygienic purposes, it is quite enough to install a shallow pool inside the terrarium, but it is very advisable to periodically give the snail a warm shower, holding the animal in your hand over a regular sink. The stream of water directed at the snail should not be too strong and must be warm. The total duration of this procedure is no more than three minutes.

Nowadays, not only the familiar dogs, cats or aquarium fish, but also such exotic animals as Achatina snails, become pets. These cute, unusual aquatic inhabitants can become a true friend, but subject to proper maintenance and care, which, in fact, will be discussed in our article.

General information about Achatina

Achatina snails are quite unique representatives of the aquatic world. This can be proven by the following facts about them:

• this type of snail is considered the largest among the others, and their maximum length can reach up to 25 cm;
• life expectancy is on average 8 to 9 years with careful and proper care;
• Achatina have a unique ability to distinguish the owner from other people, they quickly become attached to a person and consider him their friend;
• their shell can be colored in black-brown, marsh, brown and yellow shades.

Achatina - the largest snails

How to choose a snail in a pet store?

Before buying a snail, it is important to carefully study as much information as possible about it, about the norms and rules of care, etc. If you want to buy a healthy and cheerful pet, then pay attention to the following selection criteria:

• never buy snails from private breeders; it is best to do this in a specialized pet store;
• when choosing a pet, take a closer look at its behavior, how active it is, how interested it is in food, as well as its external condition (there should be no scratches, stains, etc. on the shell);
• inquire about the origin of a particular snail, find out its place of birth, variety, and also ask sellers to provide the relevant documents; if they are not available, then it is best to purchase a pet from a trusted pet store.

Necessary for care

If you have decided to have an Achatina snail at home, then you need to take care of purchasing accessories and items that will be useful for caring for your new pet. These include:

• aquarium;
• feeder and drinker;
• lamp for heating an aquarium;
• mini-pool;
• plants, moss, driftwood;
• spray;
• house

Aquarium

An aquarium for a snail is not just a home, but also a habitat that will maintain its overall health. When arranging it, you should take into account the needs of Achatina, the aesthetic appearance, as well as the correct location of the aquarium. Remember that one animal requires a terrarium with a capacity of 10 liters or more, which is needed for free movement. Otherwise, your pet will begin to suffer from lack of space and may simply die. For 2, 3 or more snails, a volume of 15 liters is perfect, that is, the more Achatina you plan to put in one aquarium, the more space they need. If we talk about the material from which the aquarium should be made, then it is best to make your choice in favor of plastic or organic glass, since their surfaces cool and heat up quite slowly. In this case, the snail will not be exposed to sudden temperature changes.

aquarium

Feeder and drinker

A snail feeder usually looks like an ordinary bowl, which is suspended on special suction cups from the walls of the aquarium or placed on its bottom. The sippy cup is a small saucer in which the water is changed daily. It is best that these accessories are made of soft plastic to avoid injury to the snail shell.

feeder

Aquarium heating lamp

Achatina are tropical inhabitants, so the temperature in the aquarium should be between +20 and +27 degrees Celsius. Under no circumstances should you place a terrarium with snails near an indoor radiator to avoid drying out the air in the aquarium. Direct sunlight is extremely dangerous, as it can expose your pet to sudden temperature changes, which is undesirable for his health. In order to maintain a natural climate in an aquarium with Achatina, you can use a special heating lamp. Snails are absolutely not sensitive to light, so such a light source will not cause them any harm. But, do not forget to take the lamp outside the terrarium so that the snail cannot crawl onto it.

Mini pool

Snails love water very much, so be sure to install a small container of water in the aquarium, which will serve as a kind of pool for your pet. The water must be changed daily and should be at room temperature. Ordinary running water will do; there is no need to boil it.

pool

Plants, moss, driftwood

To create a more lively atmosphere in the aquarium, put in a variety of plants, but best of all are those that the snail can eat, such as green lettuce, oat sprouts, cat grass, ferns, etc. At the bottom you can place small snags of mangrove, oak or alder. You can also add moss to the flooring, which Achatina will like (they love to burrow into it).

moss

driftwood

Spray

A device such as a spray bottle is necessary to humidify the air in the aquarium. Achatina snails prefer a humid environment, so a couple of times a day it is necessary to spray the walls of the aquarium, plants and even the snail shell with fresh running water.

spray

House

Like many other pets, snails need a place of privacy, so prepare a house for your pet, made from a coconut or a flowerpot.

How to feed your pet correctly?

The diet of Achatina snails should consist exclusively of food of plant origin. In nature, these snails often eat agricultural crops, various fruit and berry trees, flowers, etc. Next, we will describe in detail useful and prohibited foods for Achatina snails.

Products included in a properly balanced snail diet:

• hard-boiled chicken eggs;
• tomatoes;
• bananas;
• sweet bell pepper;
• boiled potatoes;
• dairy products;
• bread;
• green;
• berries;
• champignons;
• dry oatmeal;
• food for aquarium fish.

What is prohibited for consumption?

It is forbidden to feed Achatina snails with the following products:

• sweet pastries;
• pickles;
• smoked meats;
• roast;
• citrus;
• containing alcohol and any alcoholic products.

Basic Achatina care consists of a large number of tasks that must be completed at specific times. After all, without timely hygiene procedures, feeding, etc., your pet can become seriously ill and die. Below we will give useful tips to help you care for your Achatina snail.

Basic care requirements

So, in order to provide the snail with proper care, it is necessary to perform the following procedures:

• Maintain humidity in the aquarium daily by sprinkling clean water over all its contents using a spray bottle;
• It is best to determine feeding Achatina at night, since it is at this time that the snails become active, and young individuals are fed every day, and those who are older are fed approximately once every 3 days;
• Don’t forget about cleanliness in the aquarium; to do this, do a general cleaning every month, changing the bedding, plants and other components;
• the water in the mini-pool should be changed weekly;
• the drinking bowl and feeder are washed daily;
• If you decide to pick up a snail, do it as carefully as possible, since its shell is very fragile and can crack with any awkward movement.

How to care for Achatina babies?

Newborn snails will not cause any problems in terms of care. The hatching of small Achatina should be expected 21 days after the female becomes pregnant. From 10 to 15 snails can be born at one time, so the aquarium should be spacious. The rules of care are exactly the same as for adults, and the “mother snail” is able to independently take care of her babies. This type of snail is considered hyper-fertile, therefore, if you are not going to purposefully breed them, then it is best to place the individuals in different aquariums.

Possible health problems in Achatina

Achatina are rather weak mollusks in terms of health. Often, snails of this type may suffer from the following:

How are Achatina snails used in cosmetology?

Relatively recently, snails began to be used in cosmetology to rejuvenate the skin, to combat cellulite, and also to reduce varicose veins. It was found that the mucous secretions of Achatina contain certain substances, the properties of which are very similar to antibacterial drugs. Also, snail mucus helps rejuvenate the skin of the face and the whole body. Below we will describe in detail each of the above methods.

Rejuvenating massage

The most popular cosmetic procedure involving Achatina snails is massage. It is produced in several stages:

• It is necessary to cleanse the skin by washing with soap and water;
• wash the snail, and thoroughly rinse the abdomen and shell;
• Achatina is installed on the required area of ​​skin, and it begins to slowly move along it, thereby performing a massage;
• when moving, the mollusk leaves a small “path” of its own mucus, which has a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin;
• the procedure takes place within 15-20 minutes, then the snail is removed, allowed to “rest”, and the composition formed on the skin is thoroughly rubbed over its surface, then all steps are repeated again;
• For results to appear, about 12 massage sessions are necessary.

massage

Fight cellulite

The mucous secretions produced by Achatina snails are considered an excellent remedy in the fight against cellulite. It is enough to let the snail “walk” around the problem area 3-4 times a week and after about a couple of months you will notice a huge difference. The duration of the procedure is about 15 minutes.

Varicose veins

People suffering from varicose veins will benefit from a massage with Achatina snails, which has a beneficial effect on venous vessels and relieves swelling. This procedure must be repeated daily in order to improve blood circulation, relieve spasms and strengthen the walls of blood vessels. The average duration of such a massage is 10-15 minutes. The snail is placed on the affected area of ​​skin and left to crawl.

Contraindications

Massage using Achatina snails is considered a non-standard cosmetic procedure, so before performing it, you need to assess the possible harm and risk to your own health. The main thing to do is to make sure that there is no allergic reaction to the mucous secretions that the snail leaves on the skin. Before the session, you should visit a doctor and pass all the necessary tests.

Achatina snails are quite unusual and interesting creatures. Not so long ago they began to be kept at home as pets, but almost instantly Achatina gained popularity. Snails are easy to care for and feed, live long enough, get used to people, and are absolutely harmless. This type of shellfish is also used for cosmetic massage, which has a beneficial effect on the general condition of the skin.