How long do snails live: recommendations for care from experienced professionals

Many people dream of having a pet, but the need to walk it, as well as an allergy to wool, often stop a person. Therefore, the best choice in this case would be to buy an Achatina snail. This is an interesting animal, which is famous for its intelligence and large size. Kids will love watching the snail crawl up the side of the terrarium. In addition, they have a positive effect on the human nervous system, so that he calms down and forgets about problems.

Many owners of these animals, especially future ones, are interested in how long snails live, especially in captivity, and what is required for their life to be as long as possible, because everyone wants their beloved pet to live and receive all the best from their owners.

How much does Achatina cost?

You can buy them at any pet market or pet store. Their prices fluctuate around from 30 to 200 rubles depending on sizes. It is recommended to purchase small snails, about the size of two phalanxes of the index finger.

Habitat Achatina

As a home for Achatina, you can use terrarium or aquarium, which, if necessary, can be done with your own hands. If it is important for you that the pet lives as long as possible, you should create conditions with properly selected soil, humidity levels and temperatures in the region of 25-27 degrees.

It should be borne in mind that in order for a snail to live normally, it needs about 10 liters of volume. The bottom of her “house” should be laid out with a layer of soft and loose soil, 5-10 cm thick. It is important that it is not flowery, since it contains various chemical additives. And most importantly – the container must have a lid in a fine mesh so that the snail does not crawl out of it. As a conclusion:

1. The soil must be properly selected.
2. The volume of the terrarium should be sufficient.
3. Use of exclusively environmentally friendly materials.

If the snail is small, then at the bottom of the container it is better to put lettuce or cabbage leaves, adding a little more cucumber there, which will be just right for Achatina, since food will always be with her. It is better to keep them this way for three to four months, changing the litter once a day. And after your pet grows up, it will be possible to cover the bottom of the terrarium with soil (as mentioned above – without any impurities) or coconut substrate.

As an alternative to the latter, you can take sawdust, which are used to equip the dwellings of hamsters or chinchillas. Having chosen a substrate, look at how the snail behaves – if it crawls on it, then everything suits it; if not, and it hangs on the wall, and does not want to fall, then it is necessary to replace the substrate.

What else should be in the terrarium?

In addition to the substrate in the terrarium, there must be a small bowl of water where the snail could bathe and drink. There should be little water, since Achatina is a land creature and can simply choke under water. And even easier – twice a day with a spray bottle to moisten the walls of dishes, but most importantly – to prevent the appearance of all sorts of unwanted guests in the terrarium.

Terrarium cleaning

Depending on the type of filler, terrarium cleaned 2-3 times every 3-4 months. This process includes its complete washing, while you can not use any chemicals. Use regular baking soda for cleaning. Then change the substrate layer. Having noticed the mucus left by snails on the walls of the terrarium, or having felt an unpleasant smell, it is recommended to carry out an unscheduled cleaning of their “home”.

Terrarium lighting

It makes no sense to install additional lighting devices in the terrarium, since the intensity of light in no way affects the life of the snails. Only the alternation of day and night is important for them, since at night they are most active, and during the day they try to hide in the substrate layer in order to rest. So most likely you need lightingand not snails. But if you decide to make lighting, then install it outside the terrarium, because if it is inside, the snail will crawl there and damage the system, which can be fatal for your pet.

Temperature conditions

As you already understood, Achatina are tropical animals that are accustomed to a warm environment, and therefore for their normal life it is necessary to maintain a temperature of about 27-28 degrees, since it is at such indicators that snails are at ease and behave accordingly. But it is not recommended to warm the air in the terrarium with the help of heaters or direct sunlight, since this undertaking will not lead to anything good, and Achatina may suffer due to temperature changes.

What else might be needed?

In order to decorate the interior of the terrarium, you can put there pieces of wood, moss and non-sharp fragments of clay flower pots, which will become not only decoration, but also a reliable shelter for your Achatina. But keep an eye on the cleanliness of these items.

Also, some snail owners still manage to plant live plants inside the container, which look original and complement the atmosphere of the pet’s home. But they need to be watered carefully so as not to overwet the substrate. As for the plants themselves, here it is worth giving preference to species that have small villi on their leaves. Of course, you can plant ivy and fern, which, although they look original, but the snails will simply eat them and you can forget about the green oasis. Summing up a small summary, you can briefly form − what should be in the terrarium:

1. Cleanliness and moderate lighting.
2. Green plants that are unsuitable for snail food.
3. Elements of soil, bark or moss.

Snail breeding

As you know, snails are hermaphrodites, and therefore, if you want to get offspring from them, then after a year or a year and a half, settle a neighbor with your pet, and after a while you will notice many small testicles that will soon replenish.

Snail health

In view of the fact that most people are not familiar with these exotic creatures, and few materials have been written on the topic of their health, you will probably be interested to know the details.

So, just so you understand – Africa is the birthplace of the Achatins and other hot countries, and therefore there is a possibility that they may be infected with local parasites. Even worse – if they are carriers of dangerous diseases. From this it should be concluded that buying Achatina directly from a ship or plane is not worth it, since no one can guarantee that after a month you will not be lying in bed with some kind of tropical fever that the snail gave you. In this regard, it is recommended to look for pets already bred on the spot.

But even if you buy a home-grown shellfish, it still take precautions Wash your hands and accessories after contact with a snail.

Now let’s talk directly about their health. Although snails are tenacious animals, you should still have certain basics to help them in case of emergency.

For example, if a part of the shell broke off from Achatina, then this is not a reason to put an end to it. He can survive. To do this, lubricate the broken edges of the shell with an antiseptic and see that the snail is in quarantine. Therefore, her home should be clean and tidy. Caring for her, regeneration processes will start in her body, and if the infection does not get into it, then the snail will survive, and the chip will be delayed. It should be noted right away that after this, the shell will not be as attractive as before, but your pet will remain alive.

And another problem that the owners of Achatins face can be called them the habit of scraping your shell with a radula, which can lead to the appearance of a depression. In order to wean them from this, lubricate the sink with some harmless and unpleasant-tasting substance.

People also ask – is it possible to pick up Achatina? If you look at this issue from a security point of view, then it is better not to do this, and even more so for vulnerabilities. But if you still want to hold it, then moisten your palm with water first, and slip your finger under it, while supporting the heavy sink with your other hand.

Lifespan

The question – how long Achatina live, excites everyone. The average age of Achatina in captivity is about five years, but there are times when they live happily to the age of ten. Often, their life expectancy is affected by the conditions in which they live. They also need vitamins for fast and good growth, especially calcium carbonate. To do this, always put some eggshells or a piece of chalk in the terrarium, for which the snail will be grateful to you. The most important thing is that the chalk be natural, since she will ignore the chemically obtained one. Vitamin and mineral mixtures can be purchased at the pet store. For snails, complexes created by reptiles are suitable.

Purchase recommendations

Achatina is recommended to be purchased by busy people who are at work for weeks, but who want to have a pet. So, if you suffer from forgetfulness or you are reluctant to engage in constant care for dogs or cats, then snails are the best option. Here are their real benefits:

• you can leave them without food for several weeks (for example, going on vacation or a business trip), without worrying that they will die of hunger;
• they fall into a state of suspended animation, hiding in their shells, and live off the resources of their body.
• upon arrival, you will only have to moisten them with water to wake them up. For them, it is a signal that it is time to get up.

And do not forget to feed your little Achatina, because a diet is good, but you need to know when to stop.