Land snails are unpretentious and cute pets. Many breeders believe that these gastropods have a very high intelligence, while watching them is a real pleasure.
It should be noted that the land snail at home is not such a rarity. The popularity of these gastropods is determined by various factors. So, snails are not at all boring, as it may initially seem. In addition, they are incredibly easy to maintain, since they do not require large financial costs and special care.
They can be left at home alone with peace of mind, leaving on vacation, because walking such creatures and sometimes showing the veterinarian is not necessary. In most cases, domestic snails cannot carry parasites or other diseases, and are hypoallergenic.
Benefits of snails
Next, consider how the land snail compares favorably with other domestic animals:
- not making noise;
- does not require walking;
- does not smell;
- eats almost everything;
- does not stain clothes and furniture with wool;
- does not require expensive, complicated or frequent maintenance;
- does not scratch or bite;
- doesn't take up much space;
- you can take a snail with you on vacation, and also leave it alone at home;
- practically does not get sick and lives long;
- does not cause allergies.
Types of land snails
These creatures are great for home keeping. For example, the land snail Achatina is considered the most popular inhabitant of terrariums.
Achatina fulica is a large snail whose shell reaches 20 cm in length. In nutrition, she is not picky, while being very inert. Most of the time the snail is resting.
Achatina immaculata is distinguished by a strip along the entire head, as well as a pinkish rim running along its shell.
Achatina reticulum is a curious and mobile member of the family.
The Achatina common land snail has a brindle color and gigantic size, its shell reaches 20 cm in length. At home, it has more modest parameters.
In addition to Achatina, domestic breeders also enjoy popularity with grape snails, which are distinguished by a huge variety of colors, while being much smaller than Achatina. Their shells are 5 cm long and 4.5 cm high.
Dignity
The main advantages of these pets is their undemanding content. The land snail at home lives perfectly in terrariums or small aquariums. It is clear that such a pet does not need to be walked. When caring for animals, the financial costs are also insignificant, they can be fed with fruits and vegetables in small quantities. For land snails, soil replacement can only be done once a month, and the cost is low.
Contents
It is worth noting that the maintenance of land snails is very simple. This will require a glass terrarium of 10 liters. The top of the terrarium should have small holes for proper ventilation so that pets cannot crawl through them. In the terrarium, the temperature should be constant and not exceed 27 ° C.
It is advisable to place heating sources on the outside of the aquarium - they can be thermal cords or thermal mats. However, internal heat sources for land snails are dangerous, as they can get severe burns.
It is better to use coconut substrate as a soil. In this case, the thickness of the flooring should correspond to the total size of the snails, which will enable the gastropods to completely dig into it during daytime sleep. It is necessary to maintain a constant soil moisture, for which it will be enough to lightly spray it with water once a day. Don't over-moisturize it.
The soil needs to be loosened periodically. But in the terrarium, you need to plant green non-toxic plants, for example, lettuce or cat grass.
Continuing to figure out how to care for land snails, it's worth noting that their aquarium needs a weeklygeneral cleaning. Every day, it is recommended to wipe its walls with a damp cloth, while not using household chemicals.
Land snails are very fond of water procedures. To do this, they can be bathed under a thin stream of lukewarm water or in a shallow separate bowl. The sink of pets also requires special care, it must be cleaned while bathing with a soft brush from dirt.
If something irreparable happened - for example, the sink broke, or a hole appeared in it, try to glue it with BF glue. Such a snail's chances of survival are very small, but they still exist. At the same time, in young animals, any damage to the shell is delayed without problems, while adults suffer much more (although their shell is more durable). But a snail with a shattered shell cannot be saved.
Food
In land snails, the basis of nutrition is plant foods. Pets are happy to eat all kinds of greens, as well as fruits and vegetables, which are served cut into small slices. Solid foods should initially be passed through a grater.
Domestic land snails, as a supplement to their vegetable diet, are happy to consume various protein foods - fish food, seafood and meat puree, gammarus, daphnia. Such top dressing should be offered to pets several times a week.
Domestic snails should not be offered a variety of s alty foods, as s alt is a poison to any gastropods!
For proper development andshell strength, you can introduce calcium in the diet of your pets in the form of sepia or crushed eggshells.
Reproduction
Snails are hermaphrodites, which means that keeping two or more individuals in one terrarium can lead to their fertilization. Most of these mollusks lay eggs, although there are also viviparous species. Basically, the snail buries its masonry in the ground, and it is advisable not to miss this moment, since the masonry is removed from the terrarium and placed neatly in a separate container.
In this case, it is necessary to observe the same soil consistency and humidity where adults live. Soon, small snails hatch, after which they crawl out to the surface. The babies are completely ready for life and feed on the food that their parents eat, but until the shell gets stronger, it is better not to plant them with large snails.
Walks
Land snails do not need walks, like other domestic animals, while fresh air affects them very well - gastropods improve appetite, increase activity. They are taken outside on a non-hot day in a container. A very short walk is enough for them - only about half an hour. At this time, it is necessary to carefully monitor that the skin of the snail does not dry out, for this it is recommended to spray it with water from time to time. Keep the container out of direct sunlight as well.
You don't need to let your pets out on the grass - land snails can attract predators, as well as become infected with parasites. It's very fragilecreatures that are difficult to treat, since it is very difficult to find a veterinarian for such a pet. In any case, there is no need to risk their he alth and life.
