How to transport snails

Although moving snails might seem simple, there are a few precautions that must be taken to keep them safe. Knowing how to get these delicate creatures ready for the journey is crucial because they can be sensitive to changes in their surroundings.

The proper handling and transportation of snails can help avoid needless stress, whether you’re moving them to a new tank or to a friend’s aquarium. Your snails can reach their destination healthy and eager to explore their new home if the right precautions are taken.

Where to put

What to do with a snail if you need to leave home for a while? Everything will depend on how long you are leaving and how far you are going. If your pets are adults, then they can be left at home alone for a period not exceeding one week, putting a sufficient amount of non-perishable food. If you plan to leave for a longer period of time, then the mollusk should be given to relatives or friends for temporary care. Write detailed instructions on how to care for and feed the mollusks, and do not forget to leave everything that is necessary – a terrarium, a sprayer, food, calcium and protein supplements, calculated for the entire period of the pets" stay at the party. If you decide to take your pets with you, you should focus on the ambient temperature. At temperatures above 18 degrees, additional heating is not needed, and if the temperature is below 18 degrees, you need to provide the snails with additional heating. You should take snails with you or send them abroad only if there are no restrictions on the import of this type of animal.

How to prepare

The question of how to transport snails arises if you cannot leave your pets alone at home or give them to someone for maintenance. If you decide to take your pets with you, then prepare for the trip in advance. Find a small plastic container in which you will transport the snails, make holes in it for ventilation, and put substrate and moss or only moss for snails on its bottom. Spray the container thoroughly. You can put a lettuce leaf and some vegetables in it. If you are not going far, then you can do without food. If you are taking a terrarium with you, remove all the decor from it – driftwood, fallen leaves, moss, take out the soil and pack everything into different bags. Wash the snail cage itself thoroughly, cover it with foam, wrap it in a thick layer of fabric or wrapping paper so as not to break it during transportation. Take everything you need for the snail for the entire trip. Upon arrival, set up the terrarium, put the soil, moss and other decor in it. And bathe and feed the snails.

Snails on the train

If the journey is anticipated to take longer than a day, the container containing the pets must be put in a bag so that you can take them out right away, give them a spray, and feed them. In the event that the trip lasts less than a day, you can pack the mollusk container in your luggage. However, position it so that it presses firmly against objects and does not topple over or get compressed. It is necessary to have a certificate from a veterinary clinic in order to transport animals, so make sure other passengers are unaware of the extra "passenger."

Snails by mail

• A box for transportation;
• A material for filling the empty space, such as newspaper;
• A small container;
• Sphagnum moss;
• A sticky tape or scotch tape.

1. Put some damp sphagnum moss in the container and place the snail on it. If you need to transport several individuals, then place them separately or take a large container so that the snails cannot hit each other and are not damaged during transportation. Wet paper napkins or kitchen towels are not suitable as a filler during transportation. Soil is also not very suitable, since sometimes parcels can be transported and carried very roughly and carelessly. If you do not have moss, then it is better to use fallen leaves for this purpose. There should be enough moss in the container so that the snail"s shell and walls do not break. In the container and box for transportation, there should be air holes so that the mollusk does not suffocate.
2. Secure the lid of the container well with adhesive tape or scotch tape so that it does not open during transportation and the contents do not spill out into the box. In this case, even if the box with the snail is dropped several times or pressed down on something, the probability that the snail will fall out of the container and break its shell will be minimal.
3. Line the inside of the transport box with newspapers. For this, use crumpled paper, as it insulates and absorbs shocks better. You can also use pieces of foam or sheets the size of the box. The box should not be too dense and should have a good distance to all the walls. Place the container with the snail in the center of the box, and fill all the free space with crumpled paper so that the container cannot move inside the box.
4. Seal the box and make a couple of ventilation holes, but this is not necessary. Choose the fastest delivery way to transport snails faster. It is better to send by first class parcel, it costs the same as a parcel, but it goes faster. Also tell the operator that there is a fragile item inside, but it is better not to say that you are sending a snail by mail, otherwise they may refuse to send it. Sending animals by mail is prohibited!

Important points

Find out the dates of the parcel delivery before sending snail mail. Aim to avoid sending animals far away so that their travel time exceeds seven days.

The surrounding temperature is an additional crucial factor. It shouldn’t get any colder than 15-20 degrees at night. Moreover, avoid sending snails on extremely hot days as the mollusks may quickly become overheated in their container.

Perishable food should not be placed in the snail-filled container. Add a leaf of lettuce, a slice of apple, carrot, or zucchini. Do not worry if this food is insufficient. In their natural habitat, these animals can go for several months without eating. Additionally, they will withstand a few days of starvation during transit. If you overfeed it, the food will rot and grow mold, which will hurt the mollusks more than starving them for a few days. The materials you used as filler, like moss or fallen leaves, will become food for your pets.

Animals that are weak or ill shouldn’t be sent because they might not make it through the trip.

Furthermore, avoid sending recently hatched snails. They might not make the journey because they are so delicate.

Verify that the snails’ container is free of any hard objects and that the animals won’t come into contact with their shells.

How to transport a snail by plane

There are two methods for flying a snail.

1. Legal. First, you need to find out whether it is allowed to import snails into another country. If so, you need to find out what certificates are needed for this. Draw up all the necessary documents and you can fly safely with your pet, presenting the documents.
2. Illegally carry them in your hand luggage. This is done at your own risk, but most people prefer to carry snails this way. And if there are no problems in Russia and Ukraine, then you will definitely not be allowed to enter America with snails, and if they find them, they can even fine you.

Since the temperature in the luggage compartment is extremely low, it is best not to bring mollusks with you. If you do, snails may damage the shells or possibly disappear from your luggage. Alternately, put the snails in a well-ventilated container, tuck them into a warm scarf or sweater, and conceal them deep among your belongings.

Snails must be handled carefully when being transported in order to minimize stress and guarantee their safety. To keep them moist during transit, place them in a small, well-ventilated container with moss or a damp cloth inside. Tighten the lid to prevent any movement. To ensure the comfort of the snails, maintain a consistent temperature by steering clear of extreme heat or cold.

Transportation in the cold season

Many people have a question about how to transport snails in winter. Since these animals are cold-blooded and do not warm themselves, it is not recommended to transport them in winter. The best option would be to take a small container with a snail and put it in your bosom so that the mollusk is warmed by your heat. For tropical species of snails, such as Achatina, temperatures below 20 degrees are already cold. If you carry these animals outside at a temperature of 10-15 degrees, they can get severe stress and their growth will slow down significantly or stop altogether. And small individuals simply die from the cold. Therefore, in cold weather, you need to transport snails either in your bosom or in a thermal bag with a heating pad or a bottle filled with hot water. In the latter case, you must ensure that the pet does not overheat.

In the winter, never mail snails!

There are two things you can do if you have to transport snails quickly during the winter or other cold season.

1. Wrap the prepared container with pets in paper and place in a thermal bag. Put a heating pad or a bottle of hot water wrapped in a towel nearby. It is necessary to constantly monitor that the temperature is optimal for the snail, for this you can put a thermometer. If the heating pad heats the container strongly even through the towel, you can put an additional layer of paper. If it starts to cool down, you need to gradually unroll the towel.
2. Insulate the cardboard box with foam plastic so that the insulation is on all sides. Place the container with the snail and a bottle of water inside, making a partition between them from newspapers. All free space is also filled with crumpled newspapers. Cover it with a foam plastic lid on top.

If you are transporting snails on your own, it is recommended that you use any of these methods. It is impossible to ensure that your mollusks will arrive at their destination alive when they are sent by bus or train because no one keeps an eye on the box’s temperature.

Transportation of clutches

Clutches are sent out by certain snail breeders. It is risky to purchase or sell clutches, though, as there are instances where the clutch is completely empty or only partially hatches. Furthermore, nobody can promise that a given batch of eggs will produce a 100% success rate—they might start out empty, have problems during transit, or have the wrong incubation conditions.

Stress

Changes in living conditions cause stress for snails. And particularly when there is a sudden shift in the home’s size, temperature swings, or a food shortage. While some snails hibernate, others start to gnaw on their shells. Some even pass away before ever reaching their new owner. Because of our mail, if snails travel too far, all of this occurs. While some mollusks can live up to two weeks, others do not. There’s a belief that since they sleep most of the time, young people can handle travel better.

To help the snails heal more quickly, they must be given enough food, rest, and comfortable surroundings as soon as they are given new pets.

Snails have special needs, so careful planning and consideration go into their transportation. They will remain healthier and less stressed if they are transported in a safe, damp environment.

Don’t forget to place them in a container that lets some air flow through it without letting them escape. As snails are sensitive to temperature changes, it’s also critical to keep an eye on the temperature and steer clear of harsh environments.

You can safely relocate your snails to their new location and ensure that they thrive in their aquarium habitat by following these steps.

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