Caring for a garden snail. How to care for garden snails. Lighting, temperature and humidity

Snails make friendly and undemanding pets. They require a moist environment and a diet of minerals and healthy vegetables. Snails enjoy the company of their fellow snails, so consider purchasing more than one snail. If you provide snails with a comfortable home and take good care of them, they can live for many years. This article provides information on caring for land snails.

Steps

Home preparation

Choose an aquarium for snails. Snails need to live in a moist and safe environment, and the easiest way to meet their needs is to house them in a glass or plastic container. The container you choose should be well ventilated and escape-proof. In order for the snails to be comfortable, it should be large enough and also mobile enough to be easily cleaned frequently. Consider these factors when choosing a container:

Snails require a lot of space to move. In most cases, an aquarium will suffice for small or medium-sized fish. If you have more than one snail, or if you have African snails, which are larger, consider purchasing a larger aquarium.
Snails can lift 10-50 times their own weight. This means that the container must have a securely closing lid and not just a cardboard top.
Snails require good ventilation. Do not select a tightly sealed container with no access to air. If you are using a plastic food container, make many small holes in the lid.
Snails need light. Never choose a lightproof container. Find a clear plastic or glass container instead.
Snails can eat through cardboard. Do not use containers made of materials that snails can easily eat.

Fill the bottom of the aquarium with substrate. Recreating the type of soil that snails naturally live in is critical to keeping them healthy and happy. Make sure the substrate is sterile and not contaminated with pesticides. Digging up garden soil is not suitable for this, as it may contain certain substances that can harm the snails. Here are a few different substrate options:
- Loam. This is a loose substrate that retains moisture well and also has good drainage. If you want to place plants in your aquarium, make sure you choose loam that will support the growth of your chosen plants.
- Humus. It is also called compost. This is a nutrient substrate that serves as food for both snails and plants.
- Peat. Snails love to live in peat, but it can also serve as a home for pests. If you are worried about bugs in your aquarium, do not use peat.
- Potting soil. Cheap, but quite decent. The main thing is to buy soil without fertilizers and pesticides
- Coconut fiber. This is a cheap substrate that is a popular choice for snail aquariums. The fiber retains moisture well, but is susceptible to infestation by mites and insects.
Add furnishings to your aquarium. Snails love to climb, explore, and hide, so keep them happy by adding interesting objects in your aquarium for them to climb on. Avoid using hard ceramic objects or heavy stones as the snails may slip and fall on them, damaging the shell. Select one of the following options:

Create the right microclimate. In addition to a well-ventilated aquarium, snails require a warm, humid environment. They feel best at temperatures of 21-23 °C, but also do well at temperatures slightly lower or higher than this. The substrate at the bottom of the aquarium should always be moist.
- If you're worried about your snail getting cold in a certain room, consider purchasing a small heating mat that should cover about 2/3 of the bottom of the tank so your snail can escape if it gets hot.
- Keep the substrate moist by misting it (and the snail) with water daily. Use purified or distilled water to keep your snails healthy.
Supply of calcium and food
1. Give the snail calcium. Snails need a lot of calcium to keep their shells strong and healthy. There should always be a source of calcium in the aquarium. You can buy cuttlefish bones from pet stores, but you can also use eggshells. The snails will turn to a source of calcium that will dry up over time.
  
  Provide snails with food. Snails can eat a wide variety of foods, many of which can be found in your refrigerator or pantry. Place some food in the aquarium daily. You can use a saucer to separate the food from the substrate. If after a few days the food has not yet been eaten, remove it, as food left to rot in the aquarium will cause mold and attract insects. Keep the following in mind when feeding snails:
  
  Place a saucer of water. This is not necessary, since snails take the moisture they need from the substrate, but snails love to drink water and bathe at every opportunity. Choose a very shallow saucer that will allow snails to get in and out of it. If you place the saucer too deep, the snails may drown.
Cleaning the aquarium and snails
1. Bathe the snails. Bathing your snails periodically to prevent disease and the spread of pests is a good idea. Place the snail in a shallow saucer of room temperature water, then pour more water over the snail. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush to gently scrub the sink, but don't scrub too hard—you may damage the sink! Also, don't use soap.
- Never leave a snail unattended for long periods of time, as they are not as slow as you might think.
- Remember to clean the aquarium, snails and aquarium decorations regularly.
- Never empty an aquarium if there are unusual black bubbles at the top, as these are likely eggs.
- Take the snail for a 5-10 centimeter walk outside the aquarium. Be mindful of other pets; you don't want your cat or dog to eat the snail.
- If you breed snails, keep them in a secluded place; snails prefer to lay eggs in a quiet environment.
- Remember to wash your hands before handling snails.
Warnings
- The shells of small snails are very fragile, so do not try to pick them up, or be extremely careful. Remember that they can be accidentally killed by adult snails.
- Snails die from salty food.
- Without calcium, the snail will begin to eat its own shell to get it.

Achatina snails are unusual and incredibly interesting pets. From East African countries they spread throughout the world. It turns out that they not only grow up to 25 cm, but also lead an active lifestyle, are curious and are able to reach high speeds. Caring for them is as easy as shelling pears, just know the rules described in the article.

Achatina snails: contents

If the Achatina snail has attracted your attention and you decide to get yourself such a pet, then along with it you will need:

Container where the snail will live

This could be an aquarium, terrarium or container, glass or plastic. Be sure to have a tight-fitting lid with small holes for ventilation. This is because the snail will escape from any open container at the first opportunity.

The volume per individual is 3 liters. For 3–5 snails, select a “house” with a capacity of 20–30 liters.

Substrate

Snails need a layer of substrate of 4–10 cm, into which they can burrow while resting and where they will lay eggs. For this purpose, at home they use:

soil for flowers without fertilizers;
peat;
coconut substrate;
loose sand;
nut shells.

Any of the substrates requires moisture, so you can experiment here. The overall humidity level in the container should be 60-70%.

If it is insufficient, the Achatina snail will hide in its shell for a long time and refuse to show itself outside. With high humidity, the pet spends all its time on the walls of the container.

Lighting

A light source is not needed in a container with snails. They should not be placed in direct sunlight. Otherwise, Achatina navigates the change of night and day on its own. During daylight hours, pets will hide in secluded corners, and at night they will behave more animatedly.

Temperature

Since Achatina snails are an African species, it is important for them to live warm. The optimal temperature for their life is 20–28 °C.

Sudden temperature changes are harmful for snails, so containers with them should not be placed near heaters. A thermometer is placed in the container to make it convenient to monitor the temperature of your pets.

Decorations

To make the snail feel comfortable, build a secluded corner for it to rest from a flower pot or half a coconut.

The container will be decorated with living plants (ferns, ivy), pieces of moss, and twigs. The decor should be soft, so stones and ceramics are not suitable. Snails can damage their shells on their surface.

Achatina snails: care at home

How to care for snails? It should be noted that these pets are among the most not picky. Even if you completely forget about Achatina for a month, it will go into suspended animation and live off the accumulated resources, waiting for its owner.

But this, of course, is an extreme option. Normal care includes the following components:

Nutrition

What do snails eat? The answer is simple - a variety of plant foods. Their favorite foods are cucumbers, lettuce and apples. They will not refuse clover, dandelions, fresh leaves, bananas, pumpkins, corn, zucchini, carrots. Bran and oat flakes are a great addition to your diet.

In addition, the snail needs calcium compounds to form its shell. It will not be possible to feed it with artificial sources of this element, so a supply of crushed eggshells and chalk is needed. Vitamins and minerals for reptiles are also suitable for Achatina.

The feeding rules are:

vegetables are washed with water and finely chopped;
Food is left for young snails every evening, and the remains are removed in the morning;
adults are fed 2 times a week.

Water

The secretion of mucus and the life of snails are impossible without water. Therefore it is important:

ensure optimal humidity in the container;
leave a small container with fresh water in it, which is changed every 2-3 days;
Once a month, gently bathe the snail.

Cleaning the container

Once a month, Akhatina’s home undergoes a general cleaning:

Throw away the old layer of substrate.
Wash the container with a damp cloth without using detergents.
Dry it.
Fill in a new substrate and moisten it.

Reproduction

When caring for such unusual pets, you should know how snails reproduce. These wonderful creatures are hermaphrodites and, in the presence of several individuals aged from one to one and a half years, lay eggs in the substrate layer. They are translucent or white in color and are very visible on the ground.

If you do not plan to breed Achatina, then the masonry should be frozen or boiled. Once released, snails become pests, so it's best to be careful.

The snail can and should be picked up. Do this carefully, lightly moistening your palm with water. There is no need to squeeze it - let your pet explore you at its own discretion.

Moist and clean, with a strong shell and active - this is a healthy Achatina snail, which will live with you for up to ten years.

Today it is becoming fashionable to keep unusual pets at home. And here - who has enough imagination and for what. Some people have a crocodile living in their bathroom, others have exotic fish, others have cockroaches, scorpions and spiders. This is all for everyone, but you can’t take a fish or a poisonous scorpion out of the aquarium to pet it, and the dog needs to be walked at least twice a day. Therefore, many are looking for an alternative, and there really is one. The grape snail feels great at home, willingly crawls into the arms and takes a shower in the arms of the owner, and does not require much care. And if the conditions of your life suddenly change, for example, you are moving, you can simply release it in the garden. Most likely, she will successfully adapt to free conditions.

Where can I get a snail?

They are sold in pet stores, so buying yourself a new friend will not be much of a problem. But you need to take into account that they are found in large quantities in the south of Russia, so if you are going on vacation in Sochi, then you have a good chance of bringing a pet from there. At the same time, the grape snail is so unpretentious at home that its maintenance is accessible to any beginner. Today we will look at what these snails eat and what conditions they require, so that the future owner can easily cope with caring for a new pet.

But let's get back to the topic of how to catch a snail yourself. The child will be happy to support this idea, especially since the process itself is more than fascinating. To do this, in the vineyard, of which there are plenty in the south of Russia, you need to leave a juicy fruit, preferably overripe and aromatic, during the day. In the evening, mollusks begin to crawl out of their hiding places - now you can start hunting. Therefore, when darkness falls, grab a flashlight and go searching. Most likely, several individuals will already be sitting on your fruit. By the way, the grape snail at home is quite voracious, so if you do not live in the south, where fruit is available all year round, think about whether you need such a pet. When choosing a snail, you should not take small ones; these could be young or sick individuals. Make sure that there are no cracks on the sink; such a simple selection will allow you to bring home a friend who will live long enough.

A new home for a snail

First of all, you need to take care of where the grape snail will live at home. An old aquarium or a large, transparent box is best suited for these purposes. The volume should allow the snail to move normally, so you should not keep it in a very small box or jar. Be sure to close the jar with a lid so that the mollusk cannot escape. However, make sure that there are air holes in the lid.

What to feed a grape snail?

Grape snail care

We have already said that the walls of the aquarium in which snails live are periodically covered with mucus. They need to be wiped, otherwise it will be difficult for you to observe the life of your ward. Uneaten fruits and vegetables should be thrown away promptly, otherwise flies will infest them. It is very convenient to have a special saucer for feeding. Then all the scraps will be in one place.

Few pets love water as much as the grape snail. Keeping these mollusks requires the presence of a small swimming pool in the enclosure, only a shallow one, because the snail cannot swim. She really doesn’t like dry air, because it’s not for nothing that her natural habitat is damp, shady thickets, vineyards, where she crawls out in the evening and actively crawls in search of food until the morning. Therefore, you need to purchase a spray bottle and spray the walls and ground in the aquarium, as well as the snails themselves, every day.

Interaction with snails

Why has the grape snail become so popular? Keeping this mollusk at home is not at all difficult; you can pick up the snail and stroke it. Over time, she will get used to the hands and will feel them with her antennae-horns. You can feed it by hand; the snail will happily eat fresh fruit. If you need to leave, you can put her to bed. To do this, you need to choose a cool place and stop feeding her. The mollusk will perceive this as the onset of cold weather, go into the shell and cover itself with a special film. In nature, snail suspended animation lasts up to 3 months. It's easy enough to wake her up when she returns. Move the aquarium to a warm place and wash the snail in warm water. It is especially necessary to withstand hibernation if you want to get offspring.

Snail breeding

Today, many pet stores sell grape snails. The price of such a pet is from 50 to 500 rubles, depending on the size and region. To get offspring, you will need at least 2 individuals. Snails usually mate in autumn and spring. Under favorable conditions, they can reproduce several times a month. Usually, a snail ready for mating begins to travel around the aquarium, strongly stretching its body. She examines him in search of a partner, when two snails meet, love play begins. The process can last up to 6 hours, and the act of mating itself can last about two hours. During mating, the snails press their soles tightly against each other. At the end of sexual intercourse, the snails connect the genitals and exchange male cells. After this, the snails go about their business to lay eggs.

Care of offspring

Growing grape snails is not difficult. Adults lay white eggs underground, in a previously prepared place. After this, 3-4 weeks pass before the offspring hatch. A newborn snail first eats the shell of the egg from which it emerged, and then heads upward. After about ten days, the snail climbs out. All this time they feed on useful substances that are in the soil. At this time, it is necessary for her shell to become stronger so that she can hide in it in times of danger. Babies are fed finely grated fruits and vegetables to help them grow faster. It is also necessary to give mineral supplements.

Growing snails on an industrial scale

Grape snail farm - this sounds quite strange. However, there is demand - there is supply. Since many people want to keep shellfish at home, it means they will be sold on the market. However, resourceful entrepreneurs supply snails not only to pet stores. Snail meat has become in great demand. This is a fashionable novelty that restaurants and cafes are happy to use to attract customers. Moreover, it is the grape snail that has a special, refined taste, much better than the giants Achatina.

Profitability of a snail farm

How much profit can a grape snail give? The price of one uterine specimen is 3 dollars. To start production, you need at least 300 pieces. To feed them you will need at least 2 kg of feed, the cost of each kilogram is about 300 rubles. Several times a month, each individual (they are hermaphrodites, but the mating process is necessary) lays 20-50 eggs, from which young snails emerge after 3-4 weeks. They ripen in about 6 months, after which they can be sold to restaurants. Each kilogram of shellfish costs about $10. Snail caviar is even more expensive; it is purchased at prices starting from $120 per 50 g.

Snails, which previously evoked only disgust and association with pests or French delicacies, are now gaining increasing popularity as a pet.

Snails are silent and harmless creatures; they do not smell, do not cause allergies and take up little space in the apartment. Easy care, minimal maintenance costs, and the ability to leave your pet at home while on vacation make the snail an ideal pet even for people who are rarely at home. Even a child can easily take care of such a pet.

Photo: Snails are the perfect pet!

It’s hard to believe, but most snail owners are confident that their pets are able to recognize their owners and prefer to avoid communicating with people they don’t know. A snail accustomed to humans does not hide in its shell and without fear allows itself to be stroked on its wet body. Large snails of the Achatina reticulata species are considered the most sociable and not shy.

Soil, which can be coconut substrate, earth, moss or sphagnum.
Several bowls for food, grain mixtures and calcium.
A bathing suit made of non-solid materials so as not to damage the snail shell in case of a possible fall.
Thermometer and hydrometer for monitoring temperature and humidity in the terrarium.
A personal sponge for washing the terrarium and the shells of the snails themselves, never in contact with detergents.
Spray bottle with clean, settled or filtered water.

In nature, snails are inhabitants of the subtropics, which means that the terrarium should also maintain a humid and warm microclimate throughout the year. For most varieties of snails, a room temperature of 23-25 degrees is acceptable, however, for particularly heat-loving species, additional heating of the home is necessary. Humidity is one of the most important factors in the comfortable life of snails. In the terrarium, it is created by daily spraying with filtered water from a spray bottle and is maintained by the presence of soil and a swimming pool. With insufficient humidity, the snail becomes less active, loses its appetite and burrows deep into the ground.

Cleanliness in the terrarium is maintained by daily cleaning of remaining food and excrement. Depending on the contamination of the soil, it is replaced with fresh one, after washing the terrarium with hot water and a sponge without detergents.

Over the past 10 years, many different species and variations of snails have appeared in Russia, differing from each other not only in size and color, but also in the shape of the shell and body. It is not recommended to keep different types of snails in the same terrarium due to differences in living conditions. Even if the temperature and humidity levels in the terrarium are similar, snails may not tolerate the company of another species well, and as a result experience stress, refuse food and not grow.

The diet of a domestic snail consists mainly of vegetables, fruits and herbs. Snails find cucumbers, carrots, apples, zucchini and lettuce especially tasty. Eating only one type of food, the snail quickly gets used to it and loses all interest in everything else, which affects its growth rate, so the snail’s menu should be as varied as possible. It is strictly forbidden to use spicy, salty or fried foods. A mandatory addition to the main diet is calcium, grain mixtures and animal protein (gammarus, boiled eggs or chicken). Calcium is necessary for snails to grow their shells; it is given in the form of feed powder or lump chalk, cuttlefish shell (sepia) or crushed eggshells. You can sprinkle it on succulent food or leave it in a separate container in the terrarium.

You can look at the snail in all its glory and have a good conversation with it while swimming, when even the most timid individual truly enjoys the process and does not try to hide in the shell. Bath the snail under a gentle stream of lukewarm water, holding it in the palm of your hand to avoid contact with the sink or bathtub, where traces of detergents that are poisonous to the snail may remain. Bathing is a great way to establish contact with a snail that is wild or not used to you. It is recommended to bathe the snail at least a couple of times a week, however, the pet’s genuine joy during water procedures forces owners to do this much more often.

Being crepuscular animals, snails are more active in the morning and evening, when all family members are at home and can watch the pet. Many people believe that snails have the ability to calm and relieve stress, just like aquarium fish do.

If you need a pet that does not require complex care and does not need the constant presence of a person, if your child really asks for an animal, but you are worried about possible noise, smell and dirt, or if you do not want to spend a lot of money on keeping a pet, a snail can turn out to be the perfect animal you've been looking for!

Exotic pets are becoming more popular every day. One of the most unpretentious species is the Achatina - huge snails, the largest of the mollusks. Unlike their closest relatives, Achatina snails are smart and intelligent. They may even have conditioned reflexes. These mollusks quickly get used to the owner and can distinguish him from strangers, while they do not require attention or special food.

Initially, Achatina lived only in Africa, but thanks to humans, they spread to other regions. For example, in Japan they were grown on special farms and then eaten. In Southeast Asia, many African countries and America, Achatina is considered a pest. They cause damage to reed crops, causing the death of young trees and crops. Giant snails can even eat the plaster off houses to get the substance they need to grow their shells. In Russia, Achatina are not able to survive in natural conditions because the climate is too harsh. Therefore, giant snails in our region can only be found as pets.

African snail Achatina - structural features

Among land mollusks, Achatina is the largest. Its shell can reach 25 centimeters in length, and its body is 30. The snail has a heart, kidney, eyes, brain and lung. In addition to this, the mollusk also breathes through its skin. She doesn't hear anything. Achatina's eyes are located at the ends of the tentacles; they help the snails perceive levels of illumination and objects located at a distance of no more than 1 centimeter. The snails also perceive the degree of brightness of the lighting with light-sensitive cells located throughout the body, which is perhaps why they do not like blinding light.

The shell protects the mollusks from drying out and becomes a protection for them in case of danger. It can have an interesting pattern and color, which can change depending on what the snail ate. Achatina senses odors through the skin of the entire anterior region of the body, as well as through the tips of the tentacles. With the help of them and the sole, the snail perceives the textures and shapes of objects.

Types of Achatina

There are more than 100 species of giant snails in nature. It makes no sense to dwell in detail on each, since the conditions of their detention are almost the same. Let's look at the most common types of Achatina, which can be found more often than others in pet stores.

The easiest to care for, and therefore the most common of the giant snails, is the Achatina fulica species. Its representatives have a variegated shell that changes color depending on the diet, and a brownish or brownish soft body with pronounced tubercles on the skin. Achatina fulica is slow and loves to rest a lot in a secluded place.

The second most common type of snail for home keeping is Achatina reticulata. Its representatives have a pattern on the shell in the form of stripes and dots, the color of the soft body is black or dark brown with a light border of the “legs”. Achatina reticulata are curious and active and raise their heads in an attempt to examine what is happening.

Whatever soil you choose, keep in mind that it should be slightly moist, but not waterlogged. This will maintain optimal humidity in the aquarium. You can determine the degree of humidity by the behavior of the snail. If she tries to close herself in the sink, the air is too dry; if she constantly hangs on the walls, the humidity is too high.

Since the African snail Achatina loves to swim, it wouldn’t hurt to place a shallow container of water in its “house.” The container must be heavy and stable so that the mollusk cannot turn it over. It is recommended to pour a little water into it so that the snail cannot choke in it. Change the bathing water approximately once a week.

Since Achatina is a native of Africa, it is logical that she loves warmth. A comfortable temperature for her is around 26°C. Since it is lower in our apartments, a dim lamp will help provide a suitable climate for the snail. You can do without this, but keep in mind that Achatina, kept at home at temperatures below 24°C, will be a little lethargic and not particularly mobile.

The mollusk does not need additional lighting. Ahstins are indifferent to light intensity. For snails, it is important that day alternates with night regularly. They are more active in the dark. During the day, snails prefer to hide in the ground or other secluded places. Such places can be created by placing large stones, driftwood and coconut halves in the aquarium. You can plant live plants in the aquarium; they will become additional food for Achatina. Ivy or fern would be better.