In the last article I have told you about the types of snails and about my imaginary snail Flash. If you have considered having these slow, funny creatures then I can provide you some more information about them. Apart from their habit of eating up all the plants of the tank, they are basically harmless creature.
Reasons why snails make good pets:
- Our busy life, less time, less space to run around make snails the perfect pet, though cats are topping the list when it comes to have a pet in a small space.
- Snails are easy to take care of.
- If you are a work person you can’t have a dog, because you may leave them alone. But snails will never feel alone you just need to provide them enough food to chew on.
- You don’t have to take him to walk. You won’t have to make him exercise. You would have to feed them only.
- They are interesting and funny to watch.
- They make great first time pet.
- They are good for kids apart from those snails which reproduce without mating because snail lay a lot of eggs and if the kid comes in contact with the egg or eat without washing the hand with which he has handled the snail, the small snails may go inside his body and make a home there.
- All you have to worry about is the snail’s habitat. You have to make sure that the temperature is not too high. The habitat is not dry and there is not too much light.
- Best among the pet snails are Apple snails and Mystery snails. They just eat a lot and they do the cleaning.
Once you decide to have a pet you have to set up its home first. For the first snail Apple snails are fine. Apple snails are fresh water snails.
To make apple snails’ or mystery snails’ habitat
Buy the snail. You can’t find an Apple snail in your nearby pond or swimming pool. You have to buy them from a fish store. Then take an aquarium of at least one foot length. Your snail can live along with your fishes or you can buy him his own snail-aquarium. Add some water and some duck weed or other aquatic plants. A mystery snail needs 65-82 degree Fahrenheit. That’s the room temperature in most places of India. If the temperature is not right you have to install a heater in the aquarium. If you want to keep your snail alone provide him some light and filtration system. And lastly give him spinach to start with food or you can follow the fish shop’s diet and feed him what they used to feed.
The Apple snails can be out of the water for some times. They are always playful even if you get them out of the water. But they have absolutely zero sense of gravity so they may do a leap of faith on from your hand on the ground and crack their shell. A cracked shell for snails is slow death so handle them with care.
To make a land snail’s habitat
Find a snail. You can find them in Monsoon in the gardens. Hold its shell gently and it will let go of the surface where it was crawling. Take it home. You can keep it in an aquarium which is not filled with water or get a glass jar. Make a thick layer of soil on the floor of the aquarium. Provide him a hiding place like a coconut shell or walnut shell. Let the snail adjust in its new home. Snails love lettuce and baby carrots but cucumber does fine too. You can pick the snail and let it crawl on your hand. Clean the snail’s habitat. Change the soil. Clean the outside of his shell very gently with a wet cloth.
Some tips:
- Always wash your hands properly before and after handling the snail to prevent disease and parasites.
- Put some terrains in the cage. Snails love obstacles.
- Always keep the cage damp but not muddy. Spray water in its habitat daily but make sure that you don’t make it muddy just keep it a bit misty.
- If the snail poops orange and green after having carrots and lettuce, that’s perfectly normal.
- Slugs are not same as snails and they are definitely not the snails that have lost its shell. So don’t put a slug in your snail’s home.
- Handle your snail by its shell.
- Get some advice from the store from where you buy the snail.
Some Warnings:
- Never ever give your snail salt or any other solution. It will die.
- If the snail loses his shell, it will die.
- Do not handle your pet by its body to much. It will dry up and die.
- Do not squeeze the snail’s shell, you will crush it and the snail will die.