Content

• Steps
• Advice
• Warning

The snail is a great species for first-time pet owners. Although moving slowly, the snail looks interesting and is easier to care for than most other pets.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Choose a snail

1. 

   Determine what type of snail you want to keep. Snails are actually very difficult to find at a pet store, but you can find them in your garden. Snails are often viewed as pests rather than pets, so the rules for snails and where snails are allowed to be sold. Bringing snails from other countries into the US is illegal, and some states even have laws that prohibit the introduction of snails from other states.
   • Native snails are easily found in gardens and wooded areas, and these are also the best places to find your first snail.
   • Common snails such as the African giant snail, the Decollate snail, the Ghanaian giant tiger snail, and the margies are banned in the US.
   • Snails can live from 3 to 15 years in captivity. Remember that this is a long-term responsibility - if you are not going to keep it that long, choose a native snail that you can let go of.
   • Snails love to eat vegetables and garden plants, while foreign snails can seriously damage the ecosystem if released into the environment.
   • Remember that a snail is not a snail with a shell. If you are interested in keeping snails, you will need to learn about snails instead of snails to help them live a healthy and happy life.

2. 

   
   
   Consider raising two or more snails. Snails love company, and your snail will be more than happy to have a buddy to interact with. They will also make the scene more fun.
   • Taking care of one or two snails is not that different, so it doesn't cost you much extra money and effort to find a friend for your snail.
   • Try to choose snails of the same species to keep together, as one can carry pathogens and parasites that are harmful to the other.
   • A group of snails often bunches together to sleep, proving that they have made friends.
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Method 2 of 4: Prepare a snail shelter

1. 

   
   
   Buy a plastic tank or box to feed the snails. Snails can live in a variety of containers - look for a clear, well-ventilated, and spacious box for your snail to roam and explore. Make sure the lid is snug or securely locked - snails can lift 10-50 times their body weight and can push the lid up to escape.
   • If you don't know how wide your tank should be, you can use this calculator to find the right tank based on the species and the number of snails you want to keep.
   • A large pet carrier can be a suitable home for a snail, as the sides of the box are made of clear plastic and the lid has good ventilation.
   • Aquariums or glass tanks are also great for keeping snails, although thick glass will be difficult to clean and move.
   • Store-bought plastic containers are just as good as a fish tank, but make sure to make holes in the lid or the top of the walls for the snail to breathe.
   • Rinse the tank before placing objects inside. Wash the tank with boiling water and mild soap, then rinse thoroughly with clean water. Guaranteed wash thoroughly with soap; If not, the snail can be poisoned.
   • Avoid using wooden or cardboard boxes as they will rot. Snails can even puncture cardboard boxes.

2. 

   
   
   Spread on the bottom of the box a layer of backing material about 2.5-5 cm thick. The most common materials are peat, coir, cropland and humus.Look for sterile backing materials that do not contain pesticides or fertilizers, as these will harm snails.
   • Avoid using sand, gravel, rocks, shells, or any other brittle material that the snail cannot dig down.
   • Peat, coir, and soil are great base materials for a peach snail that you can buy at pet stores or gardening stores.
   • Spray the substrate with water in the morning and evening to keep it moist. Don't spray so wet that the water is pooled - just spray enough moisture so the soil can get on your hands.
   • Add a little sphagnum moss to keep the substrate moist.
   • Note that soil in the garden can contain pests or pesticides and harm snails.

3. 

   Decorate the snails 'home' with things they can crawl or hide under. Avoid using hard objects such as rocks, bricks or ceramic - a snail can fall from the top of the tank, and if hit with a hard surface, the shell may crack and the snail will be seriously injured.
   • Find a plastic or PE plant pot. Place the pot in the snail tank or cut it in half to form a cave. You can also place the pot upside down and cut a small hole for the snail to enter and hide inside.
   • Look for organic material that does not rot easily, such as cork or dry branches. You can look at the reptile section of the pet stores to choose obstacles for the snails to play with.
   • A shallow dish of water will give the snails a place to drink and play, in addition to creating extra moisture in the tank. Choose a shallow dish and do not pour the water level too high, otherwise the snail may fall and drown. You can also try a plate made of reptile tree resin.

4. 

   Pay attention to the temperature and humidity in the tank. The temperature should be between 18-30 degrees C or the equivalent of room temperature. Test the soil every day to make sure it's not too dry.
   • If your house is too cold in winter, you should buy a heating mat to increase the temperature and humidity of your snail tank. Use a heating mat to cover the walls of the tank, but be sure to leave 1/3 of the area so the snails can move to a cooler area if the temperature becomes too warm.
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Method 3 of 4: Feed the snails

1. 

   Feed the snails fresh fruit and vegetables every few days. Snails love a variety of foods such as apples, mushrooms, tomatoes, bananas, strawberries, carrots, green leafy vegetables and more. You can try feeding the snails a variety of foods to see what they like.
   • Snails may also like cat dog food or turtle food, both dry and wet.
   • Place the food plate in the snail tank to make it easier to remove any rotten food leftovers.
   • Do not give the snails salt or food containing salt. Salt can kill them.

2. 

   Provide calcium source for snails. Snail shells need calcium to stay strong. A good source of calcium for snails is squid, which is quite cheap and easy to find at pet stores. Snail tanks should always have a cleaned squid shell.
   • Egg shells and calcium supplements are also easy to find things to add calcium to snails.
   • The snail can absorb calcium through the body by crawling onto the cuttlefish and decomposing the cuttlefish with its legs.

3. 

   Always wash the food thoroughly before feeding the snails. Any remaining pesticide can poison and kill the snails. Never skip this step, even for organic vegetables. Organic products are often said to be free of pesticides, but this is not always the case. Even if you are sure that there are no pesticides, you should wash the snail's food thoroughly in case there are small residues of harmful substances on it.
   • You also need to rinse the snails' sources of calcium.
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Method 4 of 4: Taking care of the snail

1. 

   Learn how to properly hold a snail. If the snail is clinging to the wall of the tank, spray water on your hands and snails. Slide a finger under the snail's head, between the snail and the wall. Use the other hand to support the snail's body and lightly Pulling and sliding your finger down the snail's body. Place the snail in the palm of your hand.
   • Remember to wet your hands every time you handle the snail.
   • If you can't get your finger under the snail's head, lure the snail a little further away from its reach. The snail will raise its head, and you can slide your finger under it.
   • Wash hands before and after handling snails to prevent infection.
   • Don't make the snails move. If the snail doesn't come out of the tank easily, wait another time to pick it up.
   • If your snail is too small, try to get it to crawl onto a piece of food or a leaf and switch it to your hand. Do not try to catch the small snail by hand, as this is really harmful to the snail.
   • Be careful not to pick up the snail shell. If you accidentally pull the shell off, your snail will die.

2. 

   Get rid of snail eggs from the soil. Unless you want dozens or even hundreds of baby snails, get rid of all the eggs before they hatch. Snail eggs are round, white or transparent. You may see individual eggs or a cluster of hundreds of eggs. Snail eggs will hatch after two weeks, so check the eggs in the substrate weekly.
   • Discard snail eggs by bag and freeze. Make sure the eggs are completely frozen before disposing of them.
   • Do not put snail eggs out in nature, especially are foreign snails.
   • If you're concerned about snail eggs, don't spread a lot of substrate on the bottom of the tank. This makes it easier to find and process eggs.

3. 

   Clean the tank once a month. Place the snail in temporary housing and remove everything in the tank. Rinse the tank with boiling water and a little mild soap. Rinse thoroughly with water - any leftover soap can kill the snail.
   • Use water to wipe the walls of the tank once a week so that the tank doesn't get too dirty between deep cleaning.
   • Get rid of waste or rotten food that you haven't cleaned up yet.
   • Clean the substrate or replace a new one on the bottom of the tank.
   • If you find the slime on the sides of the tank is difficult to clean, try using a little vinegar.

4. 

   Bath for the snail. Occasionally use water to bath the snails (about once a month) to get rid of pests. Place the snails in a shallow dish of room temperature water and pour or sprinkle water on the snail's body. Do not submerge the snail in water, lest it drown.
   • Use your hand, a soft rag or a soft toothbrush to gently clean the snail's shell. Do not use any abrasive materials to scrub.
   • Use only water to wash snails. Never use soap.
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Advice

• When feeding the snails, don't worry if the droppings are orange like carrots or green like lettuce. This phenomenon is normal.
• Wash your hands before handling a snail. Your hands are high in salt from sweat and can cause serious harm to snails.
• A slug has a different way of life than a snail, so don't put a bare slug into a snail's house.
• Keep the snail tank away from dogs, cats, and large pets.
• Do not use tap water to spray or wash snails. Tap water contains chemicals that can kill or seriously harm snails. You should only use mineral water, bottled water or purified water.
• Keep snails in a large tank or box so they have a place to play, eat, and crawl around. Add sticks, soil, and plants to the tank so the snails will feel like they're in a familiar environment.
• Grab the pamphlets from the pet store or ask them how to care for a snail.
• Feed the snails a variety of vegetables and fruits to give them full nutrition.
• Avoid giving the snails cucumber. Snails love to eat cucumbers, but they will be "addicted" and will not eat anything else.
• When you lift the snail and you see a white film on its mouth, it's probably already dry mucus. To remove this film, simply pry it off with your fingernail and wash your hands under running water.
• Don't let the salt get on the snail. Snails can dry out when exposed to salt.

Warning

• Do not squeeze on snail shells, they can be crushed.
• Do not give the snail anything that contains salt or salt solution, as salt can kill the snail.
• Do not poke at the snails' soft parts to avoid stressing them.