Do snails hibernate and how to react to it

Have you ever observed the snails in your aquarium slowing down or even going missing for a while? Though it may seem confusing, don’t worry—snails can genuinely experience a dormant phase that is comparable to hibernation. Depending on the species and surroundings, this behavior may be perfectly normal. You can maintain the health of your aquarium and the happiness of your aquatic pets by knowing why and how snails hibernate.

For a variety of reasons, including temperature fluctuations, reduced food availability, or changes in water quality, the snails in your aquarium may go dormant. They could appear dormant or even hide during this time. They engage in this behavior to preserve energy and endure less-than-ideal circumstances.

What should you do, then, if you discover that your snails are hibernating? It is crucial to verify that the water parameters are within the suitable range for your snails. You can assist your snails in emerging from their dormant state and returning to their regular activities by ensuring that the environment is stable. All of the creatures in your tank will live in a healthy aquatic environment if you monitor its conditions and pay attention to your snails’ needs.

The role of hibernation

A snail’s natural response to unfavorable environmental conditions is hibernation. It manifests as a reduction in vital activity. A drought, an increase in air temperature, or a scarcity of food can all cause a snail to react. Diapause allows the mollusk to live until more favorable conditions arise, as continued active life may cause exhaustion and eventual death. The diapause phase is crucial to land snail survival.

  • helps to avoid drying out and overheating during drought and heat;
  • does not allow animals to freeze during winter cold;
  • stimulates reproduction.

How the process occurs

Snails find a suitable place as soon as the environmental conditions become unfavorable.

  • Helixes from cold regions hide in leaf litter or burrow into the ground when the temperature drops or there is a prolonged drought.
  • Helixes from southern latitudes attach themselves to tree trunks during drought, and burrow into the ground for winter hibernation.
  • Brefulopsis, Eobania and other land mollusks from drier places attach themselves to grass leaves, waiting for the end of the drought. If the heat is too strong or the weather is cold, they can also burrow into the ground.

The mollusc starts to form an epiphragm, or protective film covering the mouth, as it burrows into the ground so that the mouth is on top.

The snail climbs into its shell and holds on with a portion of its leg if it decides to hibernate on a grass leaf or a tree. The animal’s mantle fold glands start to release a secretion that covers its mouth. The secretion solidifies and fastens the shell firmly. The snail stays inside the house and works on the epiphragm, hiding completely.

The snail’s frozen mucus, which completely encases the mouth, is called the epiphragm. In the event that unfavorable conditions persist, the mollusk retreats farther within its shell and develops more epiphragm layers, which are divided by layers of air and tiny threads of frozen mucus known as aristae.

The air layers that exist in between the epiphragms keep the snail’s shell at the ideal temperature, preventing both overheating and hypothermia. Furthermore, mollusks need aristae in order to communicate signals about changing weather conditions from the outside world. Because of this, the snail can sense when it is raining and can create a new barrier if the temperature drops or rises.

Types of hibernation

It’s important to know the main types of diapause and when they occur in order to determine how the owner should respond to the snail’s sleep.

  • Short-term;
  • Seasonal.
Type of hibernation Types of snails Months of hibernation Temperature Humidity Period of awakening
Winter hibernation Ariantha Arbustorum, northern populations of Helix and Cepii, Fruticicola October-November to March-April

Short-term

Occurs during a season’s brief period of unfavorable weather. This kind of hibernation may continue for a few days or even weeks, depending on the favorable circumstances.

It has been observed that land snails of all kinds undergo brief hibernation.

The climate in tropical mollusks’ natural habitat is characterized by a degree of consistency. Mollusks are not used to short-term heat waves or droughts, so when these conditions occur, it could be harmful to them.

Therefore, short-term hibernation is not desirable for Achatina, Arkhachatina, Karakolus, and Limocolaria. These tropical snails experience diapauses, which are followed by growth cessation, shell scarring, exhaustion, and a stressed-out state.

Short hibernations, however, are a normal part of life for snails from arid regions with infrequent rains. People who live in these environments have adapted to endure brief diapauses during dry spells. Continuously high humidity can be harmful to Ariantha, Tsepii, and Helix. They require a brief drop in humidity when housed in a terrarium, which can be accomplished by setting up a good ventilation system and scheduling alternating wet and dry intervals that should last anywhere from three to fifteen days.

When living in extremely dry conditions, bryophilopsis can go into brief hibernations that last for a few months.

Some points

In extreme heat, when the temperature rises above 30 degrees, the snails" activity decreases. Therefore, the humidity in the snail cage should be reduced, simulating diapause. This must be done for all species, including tropical ones. Since in natural conditions, extreme heat is replaced by drought. If the temperature in the snail cage rises above 30 degrees with high humidity, the mollusks will get sick. High humidity does not allow the mucus to harden, the protective film does not form, and the snail overheats. Heat stroke, in turn, can lead to falling out of the shell and death. To prevent this from happening, in such conditions, stop spraying the terrarium, increase ventilation and dry the soil.

Similar steps should be taken if the apartment is excessively cold: lower the humidity and either partially or fully dry the filler. Mollusks freeze in wet filler because it cools down quickly. The snail closes its mouth with an epiphragm to prevent freezing. Furthermore, the protective screen won’t form in high humidity.

A well-fed and healthy pet is the only one that can go into hibernation!

Seasonal

Snails go into seasonal hibernation when the seasons change, which typically lasts 1-2 seasons. There are types for summer and winter:

  • Winter hibernation occurs when the temperature drops and there is no food.
  • Summer hibernation occurs during drought, extreme heat.

Regardless of the weather, the majority of natural snail species go into seasonal hibernation at a specific time.

Owners of these snails have to make arrangements for their pets to hibernate at the appropriate time and under specific circumstances. In the absence of this diapause, animals weaken and cease to reproduce.

Mollusks naturally prepare for hibernation at the start of autumn, when the air temperature gradually drops and the number of daylight hours decreases. In order to store up on nutrients, eat a lot of food, mate, and lay eggs. The mollusk terrarium should be moved to a windowsill or glazed balcony when kept indoors in September through October to allow for a gradual drop in temperature. Pets should be fed until they are satisfied and given lots of water all the time to help them become stronger for the impending winter.

A tired mollusk will not make it through the winter if it is placed in hibernation!

When the outside temperature falls below 0°C at the beginning of October, the following steps need to be taken:

  • Lower the temperature;
  • Increase ventilation;
  • Gradually reduce the number of sprays, and eventually stop spraying altogether so that the soil dries out;
  • Reduce the amount of food until feeding is completely stopped.

If everything goes according to plan, the snail will burrow into the ground or leaf litter, shut its mouth, and go to sleep. It indicates that the air temperature is not low enough if the snail nods off on the terrarium wall. In this instance, give it some time for the snail to form a robust covering. and bury it in the ground after carefully unfastening it.

By late March or early April, you can wake up your pets. To achieve this, raise the temperature and humidity progressively while also increasing the spraying frequency. Once the snail awakens, give it a thorough feeding and bath in warm water to restore its nutritional stores.

In a state of diapause, snails are not prepared for a change in environment, so do not disturb or dig up sleeping snails from the terrarium walls. Instead, let them wake up on their own.

The snail does not need to be put back into hibernation if it awakens earlier. A diapause should endure for two to three months, but no less than one. The snail will die of exhaustion if you leave it in hibernation for longer than three months.

Particularly in colder water or during environmental shifts, your aquarium snails may be going into hibernation if you observe them slowing down or appearing inactive. To ensure their wellbeing, it is essential to comprehend this behavior. This post will discuss the reasons behind snails’ hibernation, how to spot it, and what you can do to help them during this time.

Where to keep a sleeping snail

There are two methods:

  • Place the snail house with mollusks on a cool windowsill close to the window frame, where the sun"s rays do not shine very brightly.
  • At the beginning of October, when the temperature outside drops, the container with snails is placed in the cellar, choosing a dry and cool corner, creating good ventilation and leaving it there until spring.

It should be noted that mollusks cannot be kept in the refrigerator over the winter. Because of the unsuitable conditions, the snails refuse to go to sleep.

Topic Description
Do snails hibernate? Yes, snails do hibernate, or more accurately, they enter a state of dormancy during colder months or when conditions are not ideal. This helps them survive harsh conditions.
How to react if snails hibernate If your snails are hibernating, ensure their environment is suitable for their needs when they wake up. Maintain proper water temperature and quality, and avoid disturbing their habitat during dormancy.

Knowing whether or not snails hibernate and how to react to them is essential to keeping an aquarium environment that is healthy. Although not all snails hibernate, many do slow down considerably in the winter or in unfavorable weather conditions. They frequently use this hibernation-like state as a survival strategy, storing energy until things get better.

Your snails may be hibernating or reacting to unfavorable conditions if you observe them becoming less active or even looking to "sleep" more than usual. Make sure the water quality and temperature in your aquarium are suitable for your snails. In order to maintain a stable aquatic environment, regularly check for any indications of distress or illness and make any necessary adjustments.

All things considered, even though hibernation may be a natural reaction for certain snails, keeping ideal conditions will help guarantee they remain healthy and active. You can support your snails’ year-round growth by closely monitoring them and making necessary adjustments to their surroundings.

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Elena Grishina

Ecologist and aquarist with a special interest in creating balanced ecosystems in aquariums. Main focus — ecosystems that require minimal human intervention. I support a natural approach to aquarium care, where each element plays its role, helping to maintain harmony in a closed ecosystem. I promote sustainable aquarium keeping and respect for nature.

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