Raising snails for exploitation is not an appropriate practice, which is why we encourage you to reflect on it if that is what you intend. If you want to keep a snail for the above reasons, read on and discover with us how to take care of snails
Characteristics of the snail
If you are interested in how to raise a snail in your home, the first thing is that you know what its main characteristics are. Snails are gastropod molluscs very common in vegetable gardens. There are several species of land snails, the most common being Helix aspersa. They are herbivorous animals that feed on vegetables that gnaw using a part of their anatomy called the radula. There are about 40,000 tiny, backward-curving teeth on it. As the snail advances, it rubs against the upper jaw, which is also toothed. With this mechanism the grinding of food is achieved. The food particles are processed thanks to the chemical action of the secretions excreted by the salivary glands in the oral cavity.
However, its most prominent feature is its calcium carbonate shell, which is made up of three layers resulting from secretion of specific glands. Inside the shell are the viscera. When the snail feels in danger, is at rest or the outside conditions are unfavorable, it retracts inside it and closes with the so-called mucous operculum, which hardens and forms a solid film that keeps the snail protected and moist. In addition, to hibernate, it closes the shell with a kind of calcareous and porous lid that it loses with the arrival of the warm season. If there is drought in the warm months, it can also paralyze their activity.
The entire body of the snail is covered with mucus This is produced by epidermal glands and a large mucous gland that empties below the orifice oral. The mucus serves to reduce friction, so that the snail manages to glide smoothly over any type of surface, including the roughest.
Finally, another of the most easily recognizable characteristics of the snail is its particular retractable eyes located at the tip of two long tentacles. Likewise, the vision of this animal is very limited, so it only distinguishes masses and light.
How do snails breed?
Another well-known characteristic of snails is that they are hermaphrodites, that is, they produce both sperm and eggs, but do not self-fertilize, so they must mate. They have sexual organs that make a kind of arrows or spicules of calcium carbonate that sink into the body of the couple during courtship to stimulate reproduction. This usually takes place at night. After fertilization, the snail lays about 50-60 eggs in a hole it digs in the ground, which hatch after 15 days. She can lay eggs once a month.
The little snails will be born with a shell with a reduced number of whorls. The shell grows with the snail. At the end of this growth is when it begins to reproduce. Its habitat is clear forests of leafy species, crops and calcareous soils. Their average life expectancy is between 2-3 years.
If you want to know more about snail reproduction, don't miss this article: "How do snails reproduce?"
The snail as a pet
Humans have been farming snails for centuries. It is known by the name of helicicultura It is considered an edible animal, which has been consumed since Roman times. They already raised them for this purpose and, in addition, attributed certain medicinal properties to them.
Next, we are going to explain how to start raising snails at home, but not for commercial or food purposes, but as a petIt can be a good opportunity for the little ones in the house to learn more about snails by observing them live. In addition, if we host more than one we will be able to witness their courtship and reproduction. Then we can release them in a suitable environment, which has to be their natural habitat so as not to cause damage to the ecosystem, since they can become a pest for crops. Always return them to the place where you found them. Choose a warm day and leave them in an area where they can shelter. Better in the morning to take advantage of the humidity of the night dew. This care is also useful if we find a snail in poor condition and we want to help it until it recovers.
How to take care of a snail?
In this section we explain how to raise snails at home, in the sense of caring. You will see that these animals require little attention, so much so that children can even take care of them, always under your supervision to guarantee the well-being of the snails.
First, prepare the terrarium, which will be the place where your snail(s) will live. To do this, choose an aquarium-type container made of glass or plastic, but closed and, of course, with holes for oxygenation. Some measures of 30x20x20 are worth for a couple of snails. Once this is selected, keep the following tips in mind:
Ideal environment for snails
The humid and limestone environment is the most suitable for snails. Moisture can be provided with as frequent sprays of water as needed to maintain it. In this sense, the humidity must not drop below 65%.
On the other hand, humidity must be accompanied by good ventilation to prevent fungal growth.
Lightning
House snails also need good lighting, but not direct sun. They will be active with warm and warm temperatures, around 20 ºC.
Food and substrate for snails
Calcium is very necessary in the diet of snails, since with it they keep their shells in good condition. A poor environment and poor diet can cause the shell to be too thin or break. If these damages are minor, it is possible to solve them by improving the handling. Serious injuries or poor living conditions that do not allow the shell to regenerate endanger the snail.
As sources of calcium, they can take advantage of the limestone rocks that we include in the substrate. We can also add egg shells, cuttlefish bones or, directly, calcium blocks. Just leave them within their reach so they can eat them on demand and replenish them when they run out.
Now, what is the ideal substrate for snails? As a substrate you can use the soil elements typical of the place where you live, such as about 6 cm of soil so that the snail can bury itself and lay eggs, stones, herbs, leaves or sticks. Also, don't forget to put some hiding place!
As for the snails' diet, these animals feed on vegetables and fruits, such as lettuce, escarole, Swiss chard, broccoli, cabbage, apple, pear, banana or carrot. Remove the remains as soon as they spoil and renew the food every day. As a curious fact, we can say that young snails prefer leaves, older ones prefer fruits. For more details, don't miss this other article: "What do snails eat?".
Finally, get yourself a shallow trough to put water in, for example, use a lid from any jar.
Other care for snails
Container hygiene is very important to raising snails correctly, so remove the faeces that you spot on a daily basis. Other important precautions are:
- If you have to handle a snail, don't do it by pulling on the shell, but by placing your hand so that it rises and always holding the whole snail at the same time.
- If your snails lay eggs they will bury them and hatch after 24 hours, depending on weather conditions. The first food of the small snails will be the shell of their own egg and those around them that have not yet hatched. From that moment on, the care is the same as that mentioned for adult snails. Around two years they will begin to reproduce.
