The behavior of the snail has changed: what to do. Achatina snail does not eat and hides Options for light and effective masks
Help save the snail!!!
Dear fellow snail breeders, help!!!
My snail, a fulica named Horse, is the largest, most active and sociable snail I have ever had and still have. She stopped eating about 2 weeks ago, mostly sleeps, buried in the ground, does not wake up herself, periodically every 2-3 days I pull her out of the ground and bathe her. He discovers food, crawls sluggishly towards it, sniffs, and does not eat. Even a fresh cucumber does not excite. Just crawls over it, or lettuce, or a piece of sepia, or other food. I used to gnaw on sepia so that the crackling was heard all night long, and the shell grew regularly. I ate half of the cucumber whole without a trace. And now sometimes it just hangs on the wall of the terrarium in a wrinkled state with bent horns and sits in a daze all day. If you bathe again, it comes to life for a while. The tone of the muscles, according to my sensations, has slightly weakened.
The snail is about 4 years old, has lived with me for 2 years. I feed Chinese lettuce, cucumbers, zucchini, less often carrots and peanuts, in the terrarium on the ground and on the ceiling there are always sepia plates. I regularly moisten the ground and walls with a flower spray. In the terrarium, there is always water in a large drinking bowl, where the snail used to sometimes crawl in its entirety to bathe. Temperature at home: now 22-23 degrees, before it was a little higher than 25-26 degrees. Humidity in the apartment is now unfortunately low in winter: 25-28%. Soil - neutral soil for begonias with an admixture of pieces of Mediterranean pine bark (neutral bark, used for many terrarium animals - arthropods, reptiles, etc.). I change the soil 2-3 times a year, regularly (2-3 times a week) loosen it and remove snail kaki and leftover food.
About a month ago I planted a one-year-old iredalea with the Horse (now I regret it). It looks like a healthy active and voracious snail. But the two older snails - her parents - recently died after living with me for about 11 months. Six months before death, they showed a gradual decrease in activity, appetite, muscle tone, lack of shell growth and the desire to eat sepia, the snails stopped burrowing into the ground and simply fell asleep on the surface, drawn into the shell. 3-4 months before death, their body acquired a slightly yellowish tint and more mucus began to be released in the form of lumps-clots with whitish inclusions. A month before death, the shell of the snails became mostly completely white, without a colored outer layer, just white and calcareous. Gradually, the snails weakened more and more, until they could not eat and move at all. In the same way, with exactly the same symptoms, 3 more fulica died in me, having lived 2-2.5 years each. One of these fulikas lived alone all her life (did not contact anyone), was very active and grew almost to the size of this snail.
And now my Horse seems to be showing the same symptoms of general weakness... WHAT AM I DOING WRONG? Are there any other chances to save a sick snail!!!??? Look at the photos - the shell is clearly visible in the pictures, slight yellowing on the body, which I marked in green and lumps of mucus, which began to stand out more. But it still digs itself into the ground.
I will be very grateful for good advice!
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If you have to spend a lot of time at work, but at the same time you really want to have at least some kind of pet at home. If keeping a dog is “an unaffordable luxury”, and all sorts of rodents seem “banal”. When you want to surprise your guests with some exotic, but at the same time do not bother yourself with complex specific care and conditions of detention - then the African giant snail Achatina is just the perfect pet for you!
Being gastropod, the giant snail Achatina has more than 100 varieties, but the conditions for all are the same. Africa is considered the birthplace of this land mollusk, which is rightfully called a giant among similar species. The shell of such a snail can grow up to 20 cm in size. And if you consider that, crawling out of its “house”, the snail stretches out, it visually, together with the shell, reaches an impressive size.
What does the Achatina snail look like
The snail Achatina fulica belongs to the class of gastropods and in natural environment habitat is found only in regions with tropical climate. Maximum dimensions can reach 30 cm in length, and weight - 500 g. True, most representatives of the species cannot boast of such parameters. Individuals kept as pets most often weigh 100–200 g.
Snails have large cone-shaped shells that twist in different directions. Moreover, the number of turns depends on age: the older the Achatina, the more turns on its shell. At the front end of the body there are several pairs of tentacles of various lengths.
These creatures are interesting in that they are hermaphrodites, that is, they have both male and female organs and can self-fertilize. Snails lay eggs every few months. Each clutch contains up to 300 eggs.
Types of snails Achatina
About a hundred varieties of giant snails live in nature. Among the most common and useful species for humans, which are most often kept as pets, Achatina fulica and Achatina reticulata are distinguished. Their features:
- Achatina fulica snail differs in the variegated color of the shell, which can change shades depending on the characteristics of nutrition. The soft body is colored brown and brown, has noticeable tubercles on the skin. These useful creatures are very slow, prefer quiet rest in secluded corners, and care for them is very simple.
- Snail Achatina reticulata more mobile and active, often trying to consider what is happening around, raising her head. It has a beautiful shell, decorated with a pattern of dots and stripes. The soft body is dark brown or black.
Why are Achatinas becoming so popular?
Unpretentious and absolutely silent Achatina snails often become inhabitants of the "living corner" in offices. They relieve stress like fish. Many expensive spa salons offer peeling with the help of Achatina snails. Their mucus has an anti-inflammatory and regenerative effect. So why not settle such a "beautician" at home, and not carry out such procedures on your own? Even if you need to go on a long business trip, or you decide to go to a resort with the whole family, the owner of Achatina will not have to rack his brains with whom to leave the pet during his absence.
If there are no people who want to take care of the snail in your absence, then you can simply put it into hibernation. In this state, “closed” in its “house”, the snail can stay for several months without any damage to itself. The uniqueness of snails is that under adverse environmental conditions they hibernate, and wake up only when these conditions improve significantly. Hibernating a snail is very easy. It is necessary to create dryness in the terrarium and do not feed. And in order to wake up, return the previous conditions. Or hold the shell for 10 minutes in warm water. 
What does Achatina eat?
In nutrition, Achatina are not whimsical, they eat absolutely everything (which is why they are considered pests in their homeland in some places). The main rule is to give only fresh food, whether it be greens or dry bulk products. If the leaves of the plants that were offered to the snails as food dry out or begin to rot slightly, this should be removed from young Achatina, and for adults it will be used as food. 
In no case should you give missing and sour foods, and pasta is simply dangerous for snails. To make it easier to keep the terrarium clean, it is more convenient to feed the snails not from the ground, but to place the food in special flat feeders. It is desirable that water is also in a flat, not deep container. This will allow the snail not only to drink, but also to bathe safely. Despite the fact that Achatina is a land snail, she really likes to swim. It is advisable to bathe the snail once a day in the evening under running water. Or periodically irrigate the entire terrarium from a spray bottle. But at the same time, water should not be allowed to collect at the bottom of the terrarium under the ground, otherwise a “swamp” with an unpleasant odor will eventually form, which is not suitable for the snail to live.
It is very important to give snails sepia, chalk, ground eggshells. All this is required for the "construction" of a growing shell. And it grows throughout the life of the snail, which can have an average duration of 5 years.
How does calcium affect Achatina snails
In order for the snail shell to be hard, rigid and properly formed, the presence of such an important chemical element as calcium in the food is vital for snails. If calcium is present in the minority in Achatina's food, the shell will not protect snails from external environment, it will become softer, deform and take on a curved shape from day to day. Since everything internal organs snails are closely attached to the shell, if it is damaged in any way, the snail will not develop correctly, and may die
Home Achatina can be given any calcium-rich foods. It is an eggshell, a nutritional mixture derived from cereals that are high in calcium. Such compound feed is called calcekasha. It includes a mixture of cereals, wheat bran, gammarus, egg shells, biovetan, and fish food. The main thing is to choose very high-quality grain. If you give such kaltsekasha to small snails daily, they will grow by leaps and bounds. Also, such feed should be given to snails to restore their strength after laying eggs.
What are the conditions for keeping?
At home, snails are most often kept in terrariums. But aquariums, plastic boxes for keeping rodents, large plastic food containers are also suitable for these purposes. The main rule is that there must be a cover, otherwise the snail will easily escape. In this case, it is necessary not to forget about ensuring the access of air inside. Glass and plastic terrariums are easy to clean.
A very important point is the right soil for Achatina. After all, it must be remembered that this land mollusk lays eggs in the ground, for which it is buried in it for a while. Therefore, the thickness of the soil layer must be at least 5 cm, otherwise the snail simply cannot dig into it. You should immediately warn that sawdust as soil is not suitable for snails. You can buy ready-made soil at the pet store. Or do it yourself. It is best to use a mixture of calcined sand, dry grape leaves and soft soil for these purposes.
Grape leaves are a delicacy for Achatina. If you live in a private house and you have grapes, stock up on its dry leaves in the fall. You can pour them as soil without other impurities. Just "tamp" it a little on the bottom to create the effect of a "hard" surface. Snails will be happy to eat such a litter, and it is easy to dig into it if necessary. In no case do not put large stones on the bottom of the terrarium! A large snail, crawling along the cover of the terrarium, under the weight of its own shell, can fall to the bottom and damage it. This is dangerous to the health and life of the snail. 
The temperature in the terrarium should not be below +24 degrees, otherwise the snail will become inactive and hibernate. In the cold season, so that the snail does not fall into hibernation, you can warm up the space of the terrarium with a backlight lamp. By the behavior of the snail, you can understand whether the microclimate in the terrarium is created correctly. If your pet spends more time crawling along the walls of the terrarium, then this means that it is too humid in it. And with excessive dryness, the snail will "decide" that unfavorable times have come, and it's time to hibernate - it will "close" in its shell. In these cases, it is necessary to either dry the soil with a lamp, or moisten it with a spray gun.
For the purpose of reproduction, you can start 2-3 snails at once. By their nature, they are hermaphrodites, so it is not useless to worry about the "right" sex of pets. You will find out that the “marriage” took place when one of the snails burrows into the ground for laying eggs for a while. If this happens too often, and you do not intend to mess with the "determination in good hands" of small snails, the masonry can be taken out and frozen. And after defrosting, offer it as food to your snails. Live clutches of snails never eat, and "dead" eggs are eaten with pleasure. They are useful as a source of calcium for shells.
On average, after two weeks, tiny Achatina hatch from the eggs, which grow right before our eyes. In growing snails, the body and the shell itself are still transparent, and you can easily see the entire anatomy. It is very interesting to watch how these babies eat.
Achatina can be released "for a walk" by laying out a variety of leaves for them on a tray or table. The snail, which is often picked up, is not at all afraid of a person, does not hide in a shell. She is interested in studying any new surface. But you should not leave the snails "on the range" unattended for a long time. Despite the apparent slowness, exploring the territory, Achatina can quickly “scatter” and get lost. Here real case from life. A snail with a shell of about 4 cm was released for a walk in the kitchen. 
She walked on the spread out leaves of dandelion and plantain in a tray on the table. Was left unattended for half an hour. It was not in the tray. Searches throughout the kitchen yielded no results. There was even a version that the poor Achatina crawled onto the windowsill and fell out of the open window ... Two months later, the hosts and the guest were drinking tea in the kitchen. The guest went to the built-in sink to wash her hands. And suddenly she was very frightened by the appearance of an “unknown monster” from behind the sink. A person who had not seen Achatina before, and saw a “monster” crawling out quite quickly, did not immediately understand what it was.
The owners, delighted with the appearance of the snail, reassured the guest, explaining that it was just their long-lost pet. As it turned out later, when considering the temporary home of the snail, she had quite a good time all this time, eating at the sink and kitchen table wallpaper and plaster. And she has grown significantly. Therefore, in order to prevent such incidents from happening, it is better to control the walks of your snail.
How do Achatina snails reproduce?
As noted above, Achatina snails are hermaphrodites. That is, each snail has both male and female hormones. But for laying eggs and for offspring, two sexually mature individuals are needed. When laying eggs, future offspring need warm and humid conditions. At first, the snails will feed on the remains of the egg from which they hatched, then they will need a complete meal. Snails are hermaphrodites, but they still need a pair to mate, although in rare cases a snail can fertilize itself.
Sexual maturity comes at the age of about six months - after one year. When the snail matures for mating, you can notice a small tubercle on the neck, this is a reproductive organ. As a rule, the largest snail bears offspring. include a lot of calcium in them and do not remove them until the offspring appears. Since the mother snail needs a lot of calcium to bear children (for egg shells). 
Preparatory activities
Before you settle Akhata snails at home, you need to complete several important preparatory activities. They consist in choosing a mollusk, buying it and creating the most comfortable “housing”.
Selection and purchase of snails
All aquarists who have expressed a desire to have Achatina snails must first study the features of their behavior, maintenance and care. Only after that you can start searching and buying a gastropod. This event is quite complicated, as it implies considerable financial costs not only for the purchase of a snail, but also for its delivery.
As a rule, only experienced aquarists are engaged in breeding these gastropods, who know all the nuances of the process and can provide the mollusks with optimal conditions. In addition, they must work with one of the pet stores where they can check the health of the creatures and correctly determine their value.
When buying Achatina it is important to take into account such nuances:
- It is not recommended to buy snails from the hands, as in this case there is no guarantee of their healthy condition.
- You need to observe the behavior of the mollusk for several days, and only if there are no obvious signs of any deviations, you can buy them.
- It is important to take a closer look at the conditions for keeping Achatina in a pet store. If the requirements for lighting, ventilation or temperature are not met, it is better to refuse to purchase. Otherwise, you can buy a sick individual that has not yet shown clear signs of illness.
- It is best to buy American or African Achatina with an officially documented pedigree. Only in this case, you can be sure that there are no genetic abnormalities associated with their ancestors.
- Before purchasing, it is important to make a thorough inspection of the snail. Its shell should be homogeneous, without various flaws or defects.
- Do not take Achatina, which was born less than 2 months ago. The best option would be to buy a gastropod creature at the age of 3 or 4 months.
Diseases and their prevention
To prevent various diseases, it is necessary to eliminate the causes of their occurrence. All of them are associated with improper care for pets and their homes. Among the main ones are:
- a sharp temperature drop, severe hypothermia or overheating;
- use of dry or waterlogged soil;
- insufficient free space;
- poor quality food;
- lack of protein or calcium;
- rare cleaning in the terrarium;
- poor ventilation.
Determining the diseased individual is quite simple. To do this, it is enough to take a closer look at it and observe during the day. An unhealthy snail will move little, refuse food, clog the entrance to the sink. In addition, there may be visible changes in the shell, such as delamination and the appearance of defects.
To minimize the damage to the health of the mollusk, it is necessary to start treatment as soon as possible. To do this, you need to create a snail ideal conditions environment and add to food a large number of vitamins and calcium.
The Achatina snail is a wonderful creature that is a pleasure to watch and care for. If you follow all the rules and follow the recommendations of professionals, you can get rid of any health problems and maximize the life expectancy of your pet. For this, he will thank the owner with his active behavior and attractive appearance.
SNAILS IN AQUARIUM
To their own unusual pets(it may even be) snail breeders are very reverent. Therefore, it is not surprising that the slightest deviations in their behavior and mood are noticed. But if veterinary clinics are provided for cats and dogs in case of problems and questions, where you can go, then where to go with a snail, which, for example, refuses to eat? You and I understand perfectly well that a living organism must eat, and if it does not eat, it may die.
Why a snail may lose its appetite, how to be in such a situation and how to make a snail eat- you can find out about all this right now ...
Causes of lack of appetite in snails
A healthy snail should be active and have a good appetite. If you notice that your pet has not touched the food, and so for some time, you should start to worry. As a rule, the lack of appetite in snails is closely related to one of the possible causes:
- Wrong conditions of detention- if the snail is kept in conditions that are not comfortable for it, it may touch the ground, temperature regime, not comfortable indicators of humidity - she may have a poor appetite. Be sure to double-check how well you arranged for her. Read more about this.
- Wrong diet- the snail understands perfectly well that the food that you give it is not suitable for it. That's why she refuses to eat pickles or salad Olivier. Do not forget before you get this pet in the house, weigh all the pros and cons and be aware that you are responsible for your snail, so you just have to find out how to feed it properly and try to stick to this diet. Find out, .
- Pregnancy- if you are counting on laying, then the lack of appetite may be one of the signs of pregnancy in your Ulka. Watch her for a few days. Has her behavior, tastes and preferences changed? However, even when she is pregnant, she must eat, and a little later, we will tell you about how to offer food to a snail. ABOUT .
- Diseases- if the snail is sick and everything is so serious, then it can refuse food. Analyze how she behaved in Lately what you fed her, perhaps there were some stresses. It is very important to pay attention to the accompanying symptoms - the shell has begun to exfoliate, mucus is released or. In this case, the refusal of food will be a secondary problem. You need to find its root and eliminate it, then its appetite will return to the snail. ABOUT .
Is it worth it to force a snail to eat
Some snail growers say that you don’t need to force the snail to eat. Like, she herself will sit on a diet for a couple of days, work up an appetite, and then start eating. Perhaps, but without getting nutrients from the diet, the snail weakens, and if this continues for several days and weeks, then your pet simply will not have the strength to get out of the sink and eat, even if his appetite returns. Therefore, offering the snail her favorite treats, and even insisting that she eat, is still necessary.
Introduction: This is my first review here.
Somehow by chance, I wandered here in the middle of the night, read what they write about snails and ... I was just horrified ...
People, do you even read about content when you get a pet?
Apparently not ... And it's sad! I've never seen so many stupid things in one place.
I have been dealing with snails for a long time and have seen enough of everything, but still I am amazed every time, looking at what negligent owners do to the poor, and they are absolutely sure that they are simply geniuses of snail breeding!
And the saddest thing is that these people are giving advice...
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This review will be more like an instruction for novice snail breeders who have just started / plan to start snails and have not yet had time to read the wrong information on the Internet, as well as for those who already have experience in keeping, but they want and are ready to improve it or fix. "Geniuses of snail breeding" are unlikely to be interested this information, because they are "geniuses" and it is useless to argue with them))).
To begin with, I will go through a little on other people's reviews, and talk about the most important misconceptions and myths.
"Snail Therapy".
Suddenly, the Achatina mucus began to contain some magical substances and everyone began to smear themselves with it, put snails on their faces, f @ pu (oh, God) and other no less significant parts of the body in anticipation of miraculous rejuvenation and braces ...
As they say, it would be funny if it weren't so sad.
If you really do not care about yourself and your health, then at least take pity on the snails. For them, this procedure is a big stress.
And the wonderful effect that you get from this mucus is TEMPORARY and does not bring any rejuvenation and recovery, but it brings a very real risk of infection, and its consequences can be the most deplorable.
(Yes, and, by the way, only the mucus of Helix snails, and not Achatina, has a similar effect).
In general, I never understood and never will understand these victims of fashion ...
For your miraculous rejuvenation, get the cream "sekstraktomulitki" and you will be "happiness".
."The most unpretentious animal."
Snails are not suitable as pets " for anyone", they SHOULD NOT be simply" throw in a jar of plantain and forget for two weeks" or " hibernate and then wake up"- these are just a few of the stupid things that the" kind "owners painted in their reviews.
Remember: AKHATINA DOES NOT HAVE ANY HOSPITALS AND SHOULD NOT BE!
(Only our, so to speak, European snails fall into the so-called "hibernations", and scientifically - diapauses: Helixes, Chains, etc., they wait out the winter in them. This is a normal phenomenon
.Tropical snails (Achatina and others) - live in the tropics (logically, isn't it?), where there is no winter, and accordingly they do not need to fall into such a state, that is, it is ABNORMAL for them!
Artificial introduction to it, by leaving the snail without food in dry soil for a long period of time, leads to:
- severe stress
- stunting
- diseases, weaknesses,
-of death...
Therefore, leaving somewhere for more than a week, ask relatives / acquaintances / friends to take care of your pets.
"Business on snails".
What haven’t I read here ... And how to breed correctly, and where is it better to sell, and for what price they take “white ones” well, and for what “dark ones” ... This is all complete nonsense, my friends! Never fall for such nonsense. The snails that breed often and a lot and with which all bulletin boards are littered are the usual Achatina Fulika, which, due to its peculiarity, breeds often and a lot, even in bad conditions, has completely depreciated as a species.
There are, of course, rarer expensive views, but for the maintenance of these snails in anticipation of clutches (and they rush much less often) with the subsequent rearing of offspring, you will spend more money than you earn. Therefore, snail breeding is nothing more than just a hobby.
Achatina Fulika. Who is she?
-This is the most common type of snail in the CIS countries.
-The only species that has a huge variety of shell color variations.
- A species that can produce up to 500 eggs at a time 2-3 times a month.
- A species that has not grown to 20 cm for a long time (although such giants are occasionally found), as again said in many sources, but on average 10-13 cm (Those days have passed when they all grew really gigantic. From - for negligent owners who do not want to create for their pets good conditions, and then they breed their crooked and weak individuals 8-10 cm to the right and left - this species has almost exhausted itself, that is, it has deteriorated.
In addition to Fulik, there are many more subspecies of Achatina: Reticulata, Albopicta, Immaculata, Panther, Iradeli, etc. Only about 20 have been studied.
"Sociable and trained snail."
No, she does not want to play with you and crawl on your hands. She wants to crawl back to the terrarium as soon as possible - where she feels good and where she belongs, because the air in the room is too dry for her, and your hands are too hot.
No, she will not crawl if you call her by name and does not recognize you by smell or voice, this is not a dog, this is a primitive creature without a brain, unable to understand or comprehend something.
"Loves to swim."
No, he doesn't. This is a land snail. She does not need water in any form, even for drinking (she receives all the necessary moisture from the soil).
If it seems to you that your snail is special and enjoys every bath, then I will disappoint you: The fact that it stretches its “neck”, supposedly substituting it under a stream of water, means only a defensive reaction, conditioned reflex, the desire to rise higher from the water, since in nature this is one of the main dangers for them.
Occasionally, of course, the snail can be subjected to this procedure, but only in warm boiled or settled water.
Washing "under the tap" threatens:
Thermal burn (since it is difficult to control the temperature of the water),
A chemical burn (after all, some people also like to plant a snail in the sink or bathtub itself, on the surface of which there are residues of cleaning products and detergents),
Trauma (snails slip out very easily and break just as easily),
White coating or spots on the snail shell (due to chlorine in tap water).
And now about the most important thing):
What to keep?
First: no cans, boxes, cages, cake trays, flower pots(in what only people do not manage to keep snails) and other "chic apartments" invented by you.
Only Plastic container with a lid or an aquarium, also always with a lid! (The volume is calculated based on the type and size of the snail (for example: Fulicam: from 15 l, Reticulum: from 20 l).
★★★ You can buy containers at any hardware store. The cheapest and most suitable containers for snails can be found in stores such as Ikea And Leroy Merlin. For all the time of my snail breeding, cheaper and better than there - I did not find it). For example: a 30l container in L.M. costs only 230r, and a 40l container costs 340r!
If your city does not have these wonderful shops, it does not matter! In mine - they are not there either, and, as I already wrote in a review about red-eared turtles - I have to order goods from these stores through intermediaries, but the final price is still much lower than in other stores). Such intermediaries can be found in any city through groups in social networks.★★★
How to create a microclimate in a terrarium?
You don't need to make any holes in the lid. Although, many people do this, but this is not the most successful ventilation option. The most successful one looks like this: (see diagram below in the photo).
Proper ventilation is needed not so that the snail "does not suffocate" (it needs quite a bit of oxygen to breathe), but so that the air circulates inside the terrarium, does not allow dampness and, vice versa, the soil to dry and provides a favorable microclimate. Holes in the lid, on the contrary, prevent this: there is no air movement, moisture does not hold, the soil rots and becomes moldy.
The temperature and humidity for each snail is selected individually, as they are all different. Recommended limits: 23-27 "C and 70-80%. If you don’t know how to determine by eye, then get a thermometer with a hygrometer for this purpose).
To maintain humidity, spray the walls of the terrarium every few days.
How to arrange?
What should NOT be:
Stones (any, including small decorative ones) - the cause of injuries;
Any scenery for aquariums is the cause of injury;
Artificial plants - the cause of poisoning;
Papers (including newspapers!) are the cause of poisoning;
Sand - the cause of poisoning + does not maintain moisture;
Snag - the cause of injury;
Aquarium soil - the cause of injury;
Earth from the street - the cause of poisoning, illness and death;
Ready-made purchased soils for flowers, vegetables, etc. - the cause of poisoning, illness and death;
Sawdust - the cause of injuries and poisoning;
Herbs from the street - the cause of injuries, poisoning + quickly deteriorates;
Sena - the cause of injuries + does not maintain moisture;
Any cat litter - the cause of injury and poisoning + does not maintain moisture,
Coconut fiber - the cause of injuries,
Coconut chips - the cause of injury + do not maintain moisture,
Cloths, rags, towels - do not maintain moisture, can be eaten,
Kupalok, drinkers - greatly increase the humidity, do not need a snail.
What is possible:
Coconut substrate fine / medium fraction (main soil),
Any moss in any form (main soil or addition to the main one),
High neutralized peat (basic soil),
scorched earth from deciduous forest or from an ecologically clean area (basic soil),
The base soil should always be damp, but not wet!
Leaf litter: aspen, birch, oak, maple (supplement to the ground),
half coconut(addition to the ground, serves as a shelter),
Clay pot (supplement to the ground, serves as a shelter),
Mat: made of non-woven fabric and synthetic winterizer (replaces the main soil),
Just as an addition, you can plant seeds of early ripening cultivated plants (parsley, dill, oats, wheat, etc.) or transplant seedlings already grown at home into a terrarium.
By the way, do not be alarmed if you see that some living creatures have started up in the ground, in addition to the snails themselves: springtails ("little bugs"), nematodes ("little worms"), sciarids ("little midges") - this does not mean anything terrible . There will always be some microscopic life in the ground - this is an integral part of terrariums, but when this life becomes visible to the naked eye - it is worth taking measures to reduce its numbers:
- boil or replace the soil;
- wash the snails with warm water;
- Wash the terrarium with hot water and soap.
In the future, in order to avoid such problems, you need to:
- pay more attention to cleaning;
- do not leave fast-rotting food for a long time in the terrarium;
- check the soil for excessive dampness and, if necessary, wring it out.
★★★ You can buy a suitable soil in any gardening, gardening and flower shops (it is also sometimes found in pet stores).
Coconut substrate is sold in the form of pressed briquettes (occasionally found in crumbly form - such a substrate is usually more expensive). It comes in several types:
- Universal - a mixture of small and medium fractions (very good for snails),
- Forward - a mixture of small and medium fractions with the addition of chopped coconut fibers and chips (also suitable for snails, but better for adults, because it will be larger than the previous one),
- Absolut - a mixture of fractions with a lot of coconut chips (this one is not suitable for snails, but still can only be used for adults),
- Absolut Plus - a mixture of fractions with a predominant amount of coconut chips (very large fraction, does not hold moisture well and makes cleaning difficult, breaks snail growth into one or two, it is better not to use it at all, but if there are no other options, you can try to grind it in a meat grinder),
- Coconut peat - fine homogeneous fraction (can be used).
Usually, all these names are indicated on the packs, but sometimes, nevertheless, manufacturers do not take a steam bath and simply write: "coconut substrate", "coconut soil", without any clarifications - you can also safely buy this one, because. it is also a mixture of small and medium fractions.
The price of coconut in stores invaries from 100 to 200 r - for a 7l briquette (in some regions they even break cosmic 300r for it!). It can also be ordered from online stores, for example at Sima Land. There, the price for one briquette is only 59 rubles!
But you need to take into account that this site is wholesale and you can only order from 4pcs. + if you are not going to order goods from there for 20t. any city) and place an order through them, while paying a small percentage.
For example, I do just that) and the total price of the substrate, along with delivery and the percentage of the organizer, changes from 59r to 72r. In general, it still comes out profitable).
I found neutralized peat in only one place - in Leroy Merlin, at a very, in my opinion, favorable price: 217 rubles for 50 liters (14 kg)! There I order it (with delivery it goes 50r more expensive).
You can also look for ordinary, acidic peat (it is more common than neutralized) and add dolomite flour (soil deoxidizer, sold as fertilizer) or fodder chalk (at the rate of 50-100g per 1 kg of peat) to it and thereby neutralize it yourself !
Dried sphagnum moss can also be purchased at any flower and garden store. Price: 50-70r per 1 liter.
Fresh can be collected by yourself in the forest or in the swamp. If such walks are not your strong point, then moss can be profitably ordered at Sima Land. Here the prices are: 5l - 135r, 10l - 200r, 30l - 390r, 80l - 545r. ★★★
What to feed?
VEGETABLES:
Carrots, zucchini, pumpkin, eggplant, cabbage (white, Brussels, cauliflower, red, Peking), broccoli, corn, cucumber, tomato, sweet pepper, beetroot, Jerusalem artichoke, squash, Can be raw or boiled (without salt and spices) . Not very sour, not bitter, not pungent or astringent.
FRUITS AND BERRIES:
Apple, pear, peach, apricot, banana, mango, plum, coconut, raspberry, strawberry, blueberry, currant, melon, watermelon, grape, fig, strawberry, papaya, cherry.
GREENERY:
Dill, parsley, spinach, basil, lettuce (any, except bitter and spicy types), mint and lemon balm (in small quantities), asparagus, radish/celery/carrot/beet tops, dandelions, coltsfoot, clover , burdock, plantain, nettle (scalded with boiling water), chamomile, woodlice, bindweed, sow thistle, knotweed, birch / oak / maple / linden / strawberry / apple / pear / plum / apricot and other fruit trees.
In addition, you can: any edible mushrooms, lichen, fruit and vegetable puree (no additives), dried fruit compote.
IT IS FORBIDDEN:
any citrus fruits, pomegranate, kiwi, pineapple, guava, cherry plum, feijoa, prunes, dried apricots, ginger, gooseberries, viburnum, cranberries, stone fruits, onions (green and onion), potatoes, horseradish, sorrel, radish, radish, acacia leaves, tops of tomatoes, wormwood, mountain ash, garlic, dairy products, eggs, cheese, cottage cheese, flour products, salted, fried, spicy, pickled, smoked.
MANDATORY SUPPLEMENTS.
CALCIUM.
Main sources:
Feed chalk or agromel (mineral supplement for farm animals and fertilizer),
Shell rock (ground);
Eggshell (ground to a state of flour);
Quail shell (whole or ground);
Sepia - cuttlefish shell (can be both in whole and in ground form);
Alternative sources:
Limestone or dolomite flour (considered as fertilizer),
Tricalcium phosphate (min. additive for farm animals),
Mineral supplements for reptiles (JBL Mucrocalcium, Jurassipet Jurassical, Zoo Med Repti Calcium, Tetra Reptocal),
Mineral supplements for humans (Vitrum Calcium, Vitrum Osteomag, Calcid).
Sources of calcium should preferably be at least two.
It is forbidden:
Mineral stones for birds and rodents (contain salt, gypsum, dyes and other substances that are unnecessary and dangerous for the snail),
Calcium gluconate (not absorbed),
School chalk (contains plaster and glue)
Unground shells and shell rock (not digestible, can injure the esophagus).
VEGETABLEPROTEIN:
Any cereal, except semolina, ground into dust (flakes can be given whole) or cooked without salt and sugar,
Flax, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, poppy seeds (ground to a state of flour),
Any nuts other than peanuts (ground to flour).
ANIMAL PROTEIN:
Gammarus dried (whole or ground);
Dried daphnia;
Fish and meat and bone meal;
Chicken breast (cooked without salt and spices);
Fish and seafood (cooked without salt and spices).
ADDITIONAL ADDITIVES TO THE SNAIL DIET (optional):
A solution of vitamins Vittri, Vitatrin, Trivit (1 drop per meal once a week);
Milk, diluted with water 1:1,
Baby food (no salt, sugar or preservatives),
Super premium dry food for cats and dogs.
The quantity and frequency of feeding is selected individually for each specific snail.
★★★ Feed chalk can be found in the bird market, pet stores, agricultural stores, in the affiliated Sim-land online store: zooregion. Price: 30-100r per 1kg. Agromel is the same chalk, but you can buy it only in gardening stores, as it is considered a fertilizer. Price: 60-70r per 1kg.
Shell rock is considered a top dressing for chickens and other birds, so you can find it in the same place as fodder chalk. And he is also on Sima Land for the price: 23-26r per 1kg.
About the shell, I think, you don’t need to write), so it’s clear where to get it).
Sepia is considered a mineral feed for parrots, it is quite expensive and not profitable in terms of the fact that it is one tooth for a snail, but it is considered a very good source of calcium after the shell and cannot be compared with the poor composition of chalk. It can be purchased at pet stores, in many online stores (for example: My-shop, Sima-Land and etc.). Its prices are very different. From 50 to 300 rubles for 1 piece!
Limestone, dolomite flour - fertilizer, sold in gardening stores. Price: 15-30r per 1kg.
Tricalcium phosphate - can be found in the same place as chalk and shell). I do not know the price, unfortunately, I have not seen it for sale for a long time.
Mineral supplements for reptiles - can be found at pet stores, online pet stores. They are not cheap: from 500r per jar. This option is only for wealthy snail growers).
Human mineral supplements - can be found at the pharmacy).
Gammarus and daphnia are fish food. Price: from 10r to .... depending on the volume and brand. You can buy at any pet stores, online pet stores (cheapest on My-shop and Sima-Lende).
Meat and bone meal and fish meal are considered a source of protein for agricultural animals and dogs, so you can find it in the zoo, in the bird market, in online pet stores. Price: 50-300r per 1kg.
Vitamins "Vittry" and its analogues are considered vitamins for cats and dogs, so you can buy it at pet stores or veterinary pharmacies. Average price: 150r ★★★
Why do snails eat paper? And why you shouldn't let them do it ?
Very often I meet smart people who claim that paper contains calcium: -0, therefore it is useful for snails and it is necessary to give it to them). Such people are likely to have dropped out of school in primary school and in general they live somewhere not on this planet, since they spread such ridiculous assumptions, it is not clear what they are based on).
Paper, as you know, is made from recycled wood, and wood is made from cellulose, which in turn is the main integral part all plants. It is she who attracts snails, for which, in fact, is the basis of food.
In addition to cellulose, paper also contains hazardous substances. chemical substances used in its manufacture.
Conclusion: letting the snail eat paper, you simply poison it.
How and when to clean?
Do not forget to carry out minor cleaning (food leftovers, feces) at least once every 2 days. Otherwise, from a snail breeder, you will definitely turn into a fly or worm breeder.
Once a month or when midges / nematodes and other uninvited guests appear, do a general cleaning: with a complete wash of the terrarium with hot water and soap.
If you have coconut soil, you don’t need to completely change it to a new one (snails don’t like this), besides, it is REUSABLE. So, it will be enough to rinse (boil in case of uninvited guests) in a good old way (it is very convenient to do this in nylon tights) and return to the terrarium.
Moss, you can also wash.
Peat and earth are disposable soils, so washing them will not work).
Does a snail need company?
One Achatina Fulika will live perfectly on her own and does not need a company of her own kind, but if you have firmly decided to have several individuals, then remember that:
You can plant only snails of the same species or the species of Achatina Reticulum (with other species - they do not get along or get along, but extremely rarely),
Two (or more) individuals of Achatina Fulik will breed often and a lot (there are, of course, exceptions when they do not breed at all - but this is quite rare).
What to do with clutches?
Freeze (throw out / drown / crush / etc., but the most humane option is to freeze).
Dry and grind as calcium for adult snails (this is done mainly with eggs, but it is also possible with already hatched snails, after separating the shells from the bodies),
Give to feed red-eared turtles or other reptiles (both eggs and small snails are possible).
If you want to keep a couple of snails for yourself, then incubate a few eggs in a separate small container with a lid, soil and temperature, like the parents (but keep in mind that there is marriage in clutches and it is better to leave more, so that later we can cull weak individuals),
DO NOT PRODUCT THOSE WHO YOU DO NOT NEED!
Do not forget that each snail needs at least 15-20 liters for normal growth and development, and growing several hundred (and this is only from one clutch) in one aquarium will not work, they will be crooked, oblique and eat each other mercilessly, so that somehow increase the space for yourself to live.
Breeding a bunch of such a genetic defect, people act stupidly, senselessly and irresponsibly! And there are a lot of such people. Why they do this is still a mystery to me ... Either the poor hope to get rich (although it will be difficult to attach such snails even for nothing), or it’s a pity for them to freeze (although it’s much more pitiful to look at their torment at the moment of growth ... .), but in any case, I can’t call such people other than flayers.
The snails ate and...
Where to get snails for home keeping?
Only from breeders (they can be found, for example, in snail groups in contact).
You will pay the same as in the store (or even less), but you will get a healthy snail with good genes, not a gnawed snail.
For the same reason, do not take snails from random breeders from your hands (for example, from Avito).
Do not encourage breeders, they spoil and devalue the views!
If you don’t understand snails and simply take “for the soul” or “for the child”, then all the more contact the breeders, because it is not known who and under what conditions they breed there ... Snails may be victims of “snail therapy” and, as a result, carriers of heaps of infections.
If you did not find breeders in your city, then snails can be ordered by mail from another. This is common practice. And with good weather and packing, the snails arrive perfectly).
Epilogue: In general, snails are cool creatures! This is a new generation antidepressant. Watching them is very interesting and touching)))). Such a pet will suit both an adult and a child, and with the right maintenance, it will please for a long time.
African Achatina snails are exotic animals that are gaining popularity and are becoming pets. Cats, dogs, hamsters have already become familiar, they can not surprise anyone, but snails are of interest.
Features of Achatina
African Achatina - big snails. The shell dimensions reach 20 cm fits in the hand of an adult. You need to keep pets in aquariums, supporting warm temperature (23-28℃ ) and high humidity. They need light, but better artificial and in moderation. Direct Sun rays lead to burns, drying of the skin, destruction of the shell. Too much low temperatures contribute hibernation for up to 6 months can lead to the death of the pet. They need enough space in the aquarium so that they do not damage each other's shells in tight spaces. Often deformations, chips occur when a mollusk falls from the walls of the aquarium. To avoid this, you can glue the walls from the inside with foam rubber.
Achatina nutrition consists of plant foods and calcium. For example, they eagerly eat cucumbers, carrots, apples, zucchini. The main thing is that vegetables and fruits are cut into small cubes. Also, snails do not mind eating plantain, lettuce, dandelion leaves. They react very positively to grated eggshells.
Advantages of keeping Achatins at home
- Do not cause allergies, so they are great for people who cannot have cats, dogs, hamsters in the house. Safe for both adults and children.
- Have no smell. So it does not matter how many mollusks you have to grow - two or twenty. No need to buy air fresheners.
- Silent. Snails simply crawl along the walls of the aquarium, do not scream, do not beg for food, but calmly wait for it. They do not have sharp teeth and claws, so they do not spoil things, and you can sleep peacefully at night.
- have decorative properties. Reaching huge sizes, they look very interesting, they can differ in the pattern on the shell. Beautifully obtained in the photo, and fit perfectly into the home interior.
- They are calm. You can watch them even for hours on end, take them in your arms. The snails will not break free and try to escape.
- Allows for additional income. They have a very large offspring that can be sold. Snails are hermaphrodites by nature, meaning they can have both female and male reproductive organs. If you plant snails of the same size, then they will produce mutual fertilization, and if the sizes are different, then the female will be the one that is larger. When a white shoot appears on the head of a mollusk, this indicates its sexual maturity. In a favorable environment, proper care offspring will appear every month in the amount of 50-300 eggs. Achatinas are suitable for people with an entrepreneurial streak who are open to everything new.
- Rejuvenate the skin. Clam mucus has special elements that make it added to face masks and creams. To feel the effect of rejuvenation, you need to put a snail on your face. She massages, cleanses the skin, heals wounds, scratches. After the procedure, the face looks fresh and rejuvenated.
- Relieve stress. Watching the slow movement of the snails helps to calm down. After work or a situation of high stress, acute experiences, it is recommended to observe the life of a pet.
- Suitable for food. Achatina meat is considered dietary, easily digestible. It is used in fried, boiled form. Another snail can be baked, marinated, stuffed. There are enough recipes on the Internet to satisfy gastronomic interest. Suitable for overweight people.
Disadvantages of keeping Achatins at home
- Require care. They are not toys to bring home and forget. They need a properly equipped container or aquarium that should be cleaned frequently as it gets dirty. They should be on healthy soil, eat fresh food. Snails get dirty, so it is worth spending a daily bath in water without soap and detergents. Some foods and substances are so harmful that they can kill. These include salt, lemon, garlic, bread, chocolate, potatoes.
- Very slippery. Not suitable for squeamish people, as mucus will cause disgust.
- Too passive. They do not run joyfully to meet the owners, you can’t really play with them. Sometimes Achatinas show attention to people: they stick out of the shell, substitute their heads for stroking. Only they do this not to show love, or the desire to communicate, as cats do, but simply because the human body emits heat, which is pleasant for snails.
- Not allowed to roam freely around the house, because they hide so that it will be difficult to find. In addition, they can get hurt or damage the shell, like a cat or dog for a treat.
- Get sick with the wrong content. It is important to notice unusual behavior in time, to establish its cause. Often veterinarians don't know how to cure a snail.
Achatina can pick up worms, and so that he does not die because of this, his diet should be changed. Give him carrots, raw pureed pumpkin seeds. Completely clean the habitat, replace the soil.
Do not wash the snail in hot water, or allow overheating, because this leads to burns. Sometimes a pet can be saved, but it is often more humane to freeze it.
Conclusion
Thus, it is possible to start Achatina for different purposes: as pets, for food or sale. These giants can be ideal pets as they have more advantages than disadvantages.
It is recommended to purchase Achatina responsible people, who will monitor the snails, and take into account helpful tips to maintain the health and life of the pet. Suitable for people with problematic skin who want to eliminate pimples, blackheads, wrinkles without resorting to foundation, powder and other cosmetics. Suitable for enterprising people and real gourmets.
