Today, the variety of pets can surprise you. Cats and dogs have long been common animals. Today, terrarium studies are becoming more and more popular. This is what the content is called. different kind pets in aquariums - terrariums. They do not require special care, they are beautiful and unpretentious in their own way. Behind recent years people increasingly began to start Achatina snails. Unlike their usual counterparts, they are large, with beautiful shells and unpretentious.
If you have a snail
Not required to keep a snail special conditions: a spacious container made of plastic or glass is sufficient. A special coconut substrate is poured into it and sprayed with water once a day. Unlike turtles or snakes - snails are not so picky about temperature regime . But despite the seeming simplicity, Achatina are demanding on food. Some foods they do not eat, and some may cause serious consequences up to death.
A bit of history
Before proceeding to consider the question "What to feed snails?" Let's look at their origin. Homeland Achatina - Africa. In tropical forests, they are found in in large numbers. That's where their main food is. land plants, tree moss, fallen leaves, etc. For a strong shell, they need calcium and in nature they get it by eating the bones of dead animals.
Despite the conviction of some kippers (as the owners of exotic animals are called), snails are not predators. Even in wild nature they do not eat carrion, only the remains of bones. Therefore, at home, their main diet should consist of vegetables, fruits, and herbs.
A well-planned diet
Domestic snails are notable for their size. For proper development they need a spacious container. It is believed that for one individual a volume of 15 liters is sufficient. With smaller volumes, the snail is unlikely to become large. The condition of longevity and well-being of the pet - proper feeding. To do this, you need to follow a few simple rules:
Over time, you may notice that some snails have a preference for certain foods and eating habits. For this reason, it is not recommended to use the same ingredients. The diet should be varied.
Fruits
Thanks to year-round access to fruit- the kipper has no problems with what to feed the snails. Bananas, kiwis, mangoes and other fruits can be found on store shelves at any time. No less useful for snails are apples, pears, melons and more. But there are caveats here. The Achatina snail is sensitive to certain types of fruits. So, persimmons, cherries, feijoa, oranges and tangerines can only be given with caution and only after checking for ripeness. The fruit should be sweet, non-viscous, not sour. For the latter reason, no sour berries (lingonberries, cranberries, etc.) and sour fruits (lemon, pineapple, pomegranate, etc.) should be given.
Large fruits are cut into slices or small pieces and placed in a terrarium. In order not to stain the soil - they can be put in a bowl (you can buy it at a pet store).
Vegetables
In addition to fruits, you can feed your pet with fresh vegetables. Fortunately, they are inexpensive and available. all year round. You can give tomatoes, zucchini, cabbage, pumpkin, sweet potato, Bell pepper and much more. The technology is the same as with fruit - the vegetable is cut into slices or small pieces and placed in a terrarium. The owner of the snail can be observed as his pet crawls onto the product and bites off small pieces from the vegetable.
Try not to buy greenhouse vegetables. Due to the addition of fertilizer during cultivation, they can have a bad effect on the snail. With caution, you can give eggplant, potatoes, turnips, olives and olives. In no case, you can not give onions, garlic and any spicy vegetables!
In order for the snail's shell to be strong and beautiful, it needs calcium. It should be in your daily diet. . This is a prerequisite for content. snails in a terrarium. There are several options for calcium supplements:
In no case. do not add human calcium preparations to the diet. It will only harm the snail. Can't give school chalk and mineral stones for parrots, as their composition is hazardous to the health of Achatina.
Greenery
The main rule of nutrition is a multicomponent diet. To do this, you need to combine different vegetables, fruits, greens and be sure to add calcium. As a protein food, experienced kippers advise using gammarus and daphnia. You can easily find them in stores. with supplies for aquarists.
Achatina snail, keeping, feeding, breeding, photo. - 4.4 out of 5 based on 335 votes
Achatina snail
Keeping a house of giant land snails is available today to both people who are professionally interested in molluscs and amateurs. Unfortunately, in many pet stores, sellers often have no idea how to care for these snails. Under the right conditions, giant African snails can live up to ten years and are ideal pets in many ways.
So what are Achatinas?
All giant african snails are quite big family Archachatinidae, which includes several genera, including the genus Limicolaria. 
There are two genera of real giant land snails - r. Archachatina and r. Achatina, within which there are over 60 different species.
Members of the genus Archachatina are more primitive than members of the genus Achatina. They usually have a more rounded and blunt shell top and lay about 5-10 relatively large eggs at a time. by the most close-up view is Archachatina marginata. Its shell can reach 12 cm in length and has a characteristic yellow stripe inside the mouth ledge. The body of the mollusk is brown or brownish in color. Archachatina degneri is usually smaller (about 8-9 cm), the strip inside the mouth is lilac, and along soft body there is a dark line.
There are many other varieties of Archachatinidae, however, they are less common in pet stores than the ones listed above.
Does it matter what kind of snails to have as a pet?
Rather not, because the conditions of detention for all of them are very similar, so when choosing mollusks, you can be guided only by aesthetic considerations. So, what does a novice breeder need to know?
Technical features:
1) Container. A suitable home for snails will be an aquarium or terrarium made of glass, plexiglass or plastic. It should be borne in mind that one snail for comfortable living a volume of at least 3 liters is required. If you plan to keep 3-5 snails together, then it is better to rely on 20-30 liter containers. The terrarium must have a lid with holes.
2) Substrate. Snails prefer to burrow, especially in daytime, so there should be a layer of substrate at the bottom of the terrarium. It can be the most varied. Some people think that unfertilized flower compost or peat is the best solution. It is better not to pour untreated peat - it will create a too acidic environment. In any case, here we will encounter aesthetic problems. The substrate must be constantly wet, otherwise the snails themselves moisten it by secreting their own mucus. As a result, after a while you will be able to watch your pets smeared in mud through no less soiled glass. Do not use clay or fatty loam as a substrate. Pieces of bark and easily rotting wood are best avoided. Most simple solution will pour loose sand instead of peat, or even replace it with hazelnut shells or walnut cores.
Sand benefits: this is one of the most natural environments habitat of African snails, they feel comfortable.
Minuses: getting dirty in wet sand, snails carry it on all parts of the body while crawling along the walls of the terrarium, and thereby scratch the glass and shells of their neighbors, leaving a lot of dirt; the presence of sand, more than anything else, stimulates the snails to breed and lay eggs.
Pros of organic substrate (nuts): it is not so attractive for breeding, snails do not scratch on it, they can even eat something out of it, they practically do not get dirty.
Minuses: not being absorbed by the shells, water accumulates at the bottom of the terrarium and stagnates, which, coupled with half-eaten pieces of food, provokes the reproduction of fruit flies and the like. They are not dangerous for snails, but they tend to fly out of the terrarium and settle in the apartment. In general, whatever substrate you choose, its layer should be at least four centimeters in height.
3) Cleaning the terrarium. By at least, every 1.5 - 3 months the terrarium needs to be washed, replacing the substrate in it. Otherwise, due to the accumulation of waste products, the container will start to smell of charm, and its walls will be covered with a thick layer of mucus left by crawling snails.
4) Lighting. It is not necessary to install any light sources in the terrarium. The intensity of light does not play a special role in the life of snails. For them, only the fundamental change “day-night” is important, since they are active at night, and during the day they prefer to burrow and almost do not eat. Lighting can only help if you want to see your pets better, or if the terrarium has plants in need of light. In any case, the light must be placed outside the container.
5) Temperature. It all depends on how warm your home is, but since African snails are tropical inhabitants, they prefer an interval of 20 - 28 ° C. Do not place the terrarium with snails near heaters or in direct sunlight, as this will create an unacceptable temperature contrast.
6) Accessories. In the terrarium, you can place pieces of poorly rotting wood, moss, fragments of flower pots, etc. - all this serves as a shelter for snails during the daytime. It is better if these items are clean. Many owners of African snails plant live plants in containers. They look beautiful and purify the air, but in this case, waterlogging of the substrate should not be allowed. It is better to choose plants with leaves covered with villi. Snails are likely to quickly destroy plantings, so it is recommended to move them often. The cheapest and most unpretentious are ivy or ferns.
Biological features of Achatina
1) Feeding Achatina. Large adult snails can be fed every few days, but small ones need food every day. African snails are vegetarians. Because they all prefer different products It's hard to give specific advice here.
In any case, an integral part of the diet are green salad, cucumbers and apples. You can add fresh, not bitter leaves of trees to food. In second place are spinach, zucchini, corn, avocado, mango, berries, papaya, melon, watermelon rinds with pulp, bananas. These snail foods can be loved very much, but they can also be completely ignored. You can occasionally spoil your snails with oranges or grapes, but it's best not to do this often. Most snails do not pay attention to potatoes, cabbage or carrots. To replenish the diet with carbohydrates, you can use oat flakes, bran, dry unleavened biscuits or bread made from durum wheat.
2) Food additives. For good growth Snail shells require a source of calcium carbonate and vitamins. The terrarium should contain a piece of chalk or grated eggshell. Interestingly, chalk obtained by a chemical method (not natural) is ignored by snails. Vitamin and mineral mixtures can be purchased at the pet store. In principle, complexes recommended for reptiles are suitable for snails.
3) Water. Along with food, a container of water should be present in the container. If your snails are very small, it is better to pour water into something small, otherwise they may drown. It is also recommended to regularly spray the substrate and the walls of the terrarium (without fanaticism, you don’t need to make a swamp!). In general, giant snails are very fond of water, because they need it for the secretion of mucus. They can and should be bathed sometimes - sitting at the bottom of the sink or bath, the snails themselves are drawn to the stream of water.
4) Reproduction of Achatina. Most species of giant snails are able to breed as early as 9 to 18 months of age, and do so throughout the year. Incubation period lasts 4-8 weeks, for each species in different ways. With a substrate layer thickness of less than 3 cm, snails breed reluctantly or do not do so at all, since they have nowhere to place the masonry.
If this happens, do not panic - the snail will not necessarily die. If a soft body is not visible on the chip, or it protrudes a little, you should lubricate the broken edges of the shell with some kind of antiseptic. You can temporarily resettle the wounded mollusk separately. Most likely, in a few days the healing process will start: the body of the mollusk itself will begin to secrete tissues that will close the chip and dull its edges. Everything sometimes looks not aesthetically pleasing, but at least the infection will not get inside.
Another common problem: snails tend to scrape their own shell or a neighbor's shell with a radula, rubbing the recesses in it. With this " bad habit» You can fight by lubricating the shell with something that tastes nasty, but is not dangerous to the health of the snail.
In terms of the comfort and safety of the snails, it's best not to handle them too often, especially if you have to "dig" the snail out of the substrate to do so. However, they do not hide in the sink when they are picked up, and are happy to "lick" the water from the palm of their hand. You can not take the snail by the vulnerable parts of its body (such as the edge of the last whorl of the shell, where it grows). To take a snail, you need to moisten the leg of the mollusk with water and stick your finger under it, and hold the heavy shell with your other hand.
Giant African snails- ideal pets for lazy, forgetful or too active people. They can be left without food and water for 2-3 weeks and not be afraid that they will die. Mollusks will fall into suspended animation, hide in the shell, form a thin organic cap on the mouth and will use only the resources of their own body. After returning, you will only need to moisten them with water, and this will serve as a signal to them that it is time to “wake up”. Well, it doesn't hurt to feed the poor too.
Land gastropod mollusk from the subclass of pulmonary snails. Widespread in countries with a tropical climate, highly invasive species, is a pest of agricultural plants, especially sugar cane. Currently, the further expansion of the range of Achatina has been stopped due to strict measures to maintain quarantine. The incipient invasion of the snail in the United States was prevented. In Europe, including Russia, where the survival of Achatina in nature is impossible, they are often kept as pets.
Terrarium for Achatina can be made from simple aquarium. The minimum size is 10 liters per snail. The larger the aquarium, the larger your snail will grow. The terrarium must have a lid, because snails can crawl out of it. It is desirable to organize small holes in the lid for better gas exchange. AT last resort, you can simply lift the lid to open a small gap. Place a bedding on the bottom of the aquarium. Bedding can be Begonia soil, or ideally coco substrate 5-7 cm mound. You can build a small bath with fresh water, Achatina are very fond of swimming. The main thing is that the depth of the bath does not allow the snail to choke. In general, Achatina crawl well under water, but, accidentally falling into the bath from above, a small snail can drown from fright. You also need to make sure that the bath does not turn over if the snail starts to burrow into the ground next to it, otherwise the water will spread, which is not good.
The temperature and humidity required by Achatina roughly coincide with those in an ordinary city apartment. Soil moisture is determined empirically. If snails sit on the walls of the terrarium all the time, then there is too much water. If they prefer to be clogged (the evidence is hidden in the sink and closed with a lid), on the contrary, it is too dry. With normal soil moisture, snails crawl on its surface at night, and often burrow into it during the day. To maintain humidity, it is enough to spray the soil and walls of the terrarium from a spray gun twice a day.
To wake up a clogged snail, you can pour water on its mouth and carefully remove the cap, or simply place it in a terrarium with normal humidity. It is recommended to wash the terrarium at least once a week. The exception is a terrarium with egg-laying, which has to be cleaned without water, so as not to change the humidity and not damage the laying.
It is better to keep small snails without soil, laying cabbage or lettuce leaves on them, thereby increasing the chance of finding food by the snail and to facilitate the care of the terrarium.
Feeding
It is better to feed as food is eaten and dried out and to remove leftovers. Achatina eat vegetables, fruits and herbs, but in nature they do not refuse meat. Usually in captivity, they are fed cabbages, carrots, and cucumbers, but a more varied diet is preferable. This is necessary first of all so that at any time you can switch to another type of food available. It is known that snails have certain food addictions, including many who prefer cucumbers and salad to other foods, and if they are fed only cucumbers from childhood, they often refuse to eat anything other than them, which can cause certain inconveniences. Large snails can be given whole cores and are surprisingly fast at processing food waste. Soft foods should be given for a short time, otherwise they flow and spread over the ground, causing it to become contaminated. Small snails are generally not recommended to give soft foods. There was a case when snails completely buried themselves in a banana and suffocated there. It is better for very small newborn snails to give greens, grated carrots, and after a few days lettuce and an apple.
CAN:
Fruits: apple, apricots, pineapple, avocado, bananas, pears, strawberries, strawberries, cherries, mangoes, papaya, plums, bunch of grapes, figs, watermelon, melon.
Vegetables: pumpkin, swede, zucchini, broccoli, mushrooms, lettuce, cucumber, potatoes (boiled), carotel carrots, red pepper, celery, spinach, tomato, cabbage leaves, beans, peas (boiled or fresh), oatmeal .
Other:
Mushrooms, meadow plants/trees, nettle, daisy flowers, elder flowers, clover, dandelion, plantain, yarrow, sprouted oats, alfalfa, flowers fruit trees(apple, apricot, peach...), bread (softened), milk (dry or natural), dairy/lactic acid products (without sugar, salt, spices), minced meat ( chopped meat, meat - raw or boiled), egg (cooked), compound feed, meat and bone meal, peanuts (chopped), baby food vegetable and meat, gammarus.
It is important that the plants are not plucked within the city, factories or enterprises, wastewater, landfills. After bringing home, rinse thoroughly in warm water!
DO NOT (very important!):
Spicy, salty, sour, sweet, smoked, fried, pasta, potato eyes
Effects of calcium on shellfish
Snails need calcium to build their shells. Calcium is a very common chemical element.
The lack of calcium in the food of the snail leads to the curvature and deformation of the shell. The snail shell from a lack of calcium becomes softer, and is not protected from environment. Since everything internal organs attached to the walls of the shell, any damage to it can lead to improper functioning of the organs, or to death. A mollusk that does not receive calcium with food, as a rule, lags behind in development: the growth of the shell is disturbed or even stops, there is a failure in puberty.
Experience progress:
In order to prove how important calcium is for snails, I conducted an experiment.
Two groups of snails of the same age and species were taken and placed in the same conditions, but feeding was carried out in different ways: some - with food with the addition of calcium, others - with its complete absence.
Soon the snails of the second group stopped growing. From this it follows that calcium is indispensable for shellfish.
Snails kept in captivity receive calcium through following products: sepia, eggshell, feed chalk, shell rock, gammarus, etc. For more effective result calcecas are made. Calcekasha is nutrient mixture, made on the basis of various cereals with the addition of various sources of calcium, such a product is served both dry and boiled.
Breeding (Reproduction of Achatins)
Achatina snails are hermaphrodites, that is, each individual has both male and female genital organs. In the absence of a partner, self-fertilization is possible, but it is quite rare.
The snail can store sperm for up to two years after mating, using it to fertilize maturing eggs. The number of eggs in a clutch is about 200 (in some cases up to 500), a snail can make 5-6 clutches annually. The size of one egg is 4.5-5.5 mm, in shape it resembles a chicken. Egg development is possible at a temperature of 22°C and lasts from several hours to 17 days.
Material prepared: Daniil Lubov (Lybov)
How to feed the snail Achatina? - What can I feed the snail Achatina
Snails - lovers only biologically natural products. If they always have some food in the aquarium, the snail will eat as needed. Especially it concerns fry Achatina. Only in this case, you need to regularly remove food that has spoiled. But the snail will also feel comfortable if you feed it every 4-5 days.
The diet of domestic snails must be varied, otherwise they may get used to certain kind food will continue to be refused by others. This most often happens with bananas and cucumbers - you need to be careful with these products. If Achatina does not want to eat some product, it is better to refuse it. By this principle, you will create the optimal diet for your pet. You also need to remember that eating vegetables of bright colors (tomatoes, sweet peppers) will help your snail's shell become brighter.
It is better if, along with food in the container of your pets, there will always be a shallow container of water.
Mandatory in the diet of Achatina should be calcium. A piece of chalk or crushed shell chicken eggs should always be present in the aquarium. Some snails really like the cuttlefish shell (sepia). It can be purchased at specialized pet stores. It is important to remember that salty food is contraindicated for snails, they can die from it!
All Achatinas love greens: lettuce, parsley, dill, dandelion and plantain leaves. In winter, you can even grow a little parsley or dill for a snail on the windowsill in the apartment. In order to replenish the diet of Achatina with carbohydrates, they can be periodically given bran or slices of bread. They will also be happy to feast on vegetables, fruits, watermelon or melon. Since Achatinas are African animals, they can completely ignore potatoes and carrots, although all snails prefer different foods. They will be happy to eat Beijing and cauliflower, zucchini and even boiled eggs. From fruits, snails prefer apples, pears, pineapples, bananas, mangoes and melons.
It is important to remember that pickled, spicy, salty, sweet, smoked and fried snails cannot be eaten from the table. Observe these simple rules and your Achatina will be able to live for a long time, and you, in turn, will be able to constantly watch these fascinating mollusks.
Many parents who choose a pet for their child stop at snails. These animals feel great at home, and are also not very whimsical in food and care. You can leave home for a week, leaving your pet food for all this time and he will not be lost without you. However, like any other animal, the snail must eat properly. This begs the question: how to feed snails at home? Let's take a closer look at this issue.
Achatina
Achatina is one of the most popular snails that people have at home. How to feed Achatina snails? The answer is simple, like any other snail, Achatina needs herbal products, such as the:
- cabbage,
- greenery,
- cauliflower and broccoli,
- lettuce
Achatina also love fresh vegetables. They will like:
- cucumbers,
- carrot,
- zucchini,
- as well as boiled potatoes.
You can also offer your pet boiled fish and lean meat.
Grape snails
No less popular than. So what do you need to feed grape snails at home? Grape snails, like Achatina, love greens and vegetables. In addition, they are very fond of fruits and berries. They really like
- strawberry,
- bananas,
- pineapples,
- grape,
- as well as watermelons and melons.
In general, almost all land snails have the same diet, however, it can be expanded through mixtures of seeds, cereals and ground grains.
River snails.
Basically, river snails are needed in aquariums, where they live quietly with fish. The question is, what can you feed them? The nutrition of these snails will be slightly different from the previous ones. River snails can be fed fish food, algae tablets, chopped vegetables, and broad leaves.
When to Give Food
There is a misconception that snails can only be fed once a week. It is not true. The animal, of course, will survive, but will grow poorly. It is better to give food in small portions in the evening of each day. Why in the evening and not in the morning or afternoon? In the evening, the snail is most active, so this time of day is the best for feeding.
How to feed a snail
Cooked food should not be placed on the ground; this requires a plate or stand. Remove uneaten food before bed so it doesn't spoil overnight. In the place where the snail lives, you need a compartment for water. The liquid in it should be no more than a centimeter, otherwise the snail will drown. When cooking, solid foods should be made into a pulp, while fruits and some soft vegetables can simply be cut into small pieces. The food must be room temperature as well as fresh and washed.
What not to feed a snail
First of all, you can not give anything salty and fatty. Otherwise, you will poison your pet. You should also exclude snails from your diet: spicy and spicy foods, as well as sweets. In no case should snails be given citrus fruits, because they contain acid that destroys their shell.
We hope that we have fully answered the question of what to feed snails at home, and if you still have questions, feel free to ask them in the comments to the article. Remember, the main thing is that the snails feel comfortable in your house, and then they will live and delight your eyes for a very long time. Proper nutrition is the key to all this.
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