You’re in for a treat if you’re thinking about include outdoor snails in your garden or aquarium. These fascinating animals are essential to keeping a healthy ecosystem in place in addition to adding charm to your setup. You can make sure they flourish and improve the aesthetics of your aquatic or garden setting by being aware of their needs in terms of nutrition, care, and general upkeep.
There are several species of outdoor snails, and each has its own requirements and traits. The key is to provide the proper environment and diet, regardless of whether you’re looking to introduce them to a freshwater tank or a pond. To keep them happy and healthy, proper care entails providing the right kind of food and setting up appropriate habitats.
The fundamentals of caring for snails will be covered in this guide, along with advice on setting up their habitat, feeding them, and keeping them healthy. You can make sure that your snails live long, healthy lives and make valuable contributions to your aquatic or garden setup by adhering to these guidelines.
| Aspect | Details |
| Care | Outdoor snails need a habitat with moist soil and a shaded area to prevent drying out. Regularly check for predators and provide a safe environment free of harsh chemicals. |
| Nutrition | Snails eat a variety of foods including leafy greens, fruits, and vegetables. Provide calcium supplements to support shell growth. Avoid feeding them processed or salty foods. |
| Maintenance | Keep their habitat clean by removing uneaten food and waste. Ensure they have access to fresh water and check their environment for any signs of disease or mold. |
Maintenance conditions
- Outdoor snails at home live at a temperature of +19°C — +21°C. The temperature should not exceed +24°C. At the same time, at night it should be lowered by several degrees.
- The humidity level, which is 50–60% during the day, should be slightly increased at night.
- A good substrate option is mixed soil, which consists of forest soil, sphagnum moss, neutralized high-moor peat and leaf litter.
It is not recommended to use coconut mats and substrate for outdoor snails. These materials can put natural mollusks under a great deal of stress because they are not natural for them.
For bedding, the kind of moss used makes little difference. Sphagnum or carpet moss are options. You can also collect falling leaves from nearly any tree. These can be the leaves of any fruit tree, including birch and oak.
Allowing street snails to seek refuge in a shelter is a desirable thing. Mollusks always attempt to burrow into the ground or get into an awkward-to-reach spot in their natural habitat. To create as natural a setting as possible, it’s a good idea to add driftwood or twigs to a home terrarium.
It is not advisable to expose the snail to direct sunlight. It ought to have a minimum of one sturdy shelter where the mollusk can take refuge from intense light.
What do street snails eat at home
What to feed street snails at home is a pertinent question. It is unrealistic to expect a wild mollusk to begin consuming tomatoes, cucumbers, or other vegetables if one decides to bring one home. It will require some time to adjust to a new diet. While outright rejection of strange food is not prohibited.
What then do house snails on the streets eat? Within their natural habitat, gastropods’ "menu" consists of the following:
- leaves,
- grass,
- rotten fruits,
- lichen,
- less often – some vegetables.
The container housing the street mollusks ought to contain the same food. They are always in need of fresh greens, grass, and lichen-covered branches. Whether the street snail consumes tomatoes, cabbage, or other vegetables that are part of the average human diet, it still needs this food. In addition, natural mollusks ought to always have access to a calcium source. Protein intake ought to be restricted. There is a belief that middle zone naturalists should avoid taking protein supplements.
Ensuring the health and well-being of outdoor snails requires regular maintenance, appropriate nutrition, and the right habitat. Snails eat leafy greens and sources of calcium to build strong shells, and they flourish in moist, shady environments. The secret to keeping them content and healthy is to frequently inspect their habitat to make sure it’s clean and they have enough room to roam around.
Hibernation
A snail picked up from the street hibernates when the winter months arrive. Its body rhythm is what causes this, so don’t try to wake it up or disturb it. It should be known that it will perish if it doesn’t get any winter sleep.
It is important to keep in mind that when the mollusk is fully fed and healthy, it should go into hibernation. You can only expect "wintering" to be successful in this situation.
The mollusk itself can sense when its active season is coming to an end and needs to go to sleep. It uses an epiphragm, which hardens when dry, to seal the opening to the shell. However, this kind of course of events is not always followed. A snail kept outdoors frequently needs its owner to put it to sleep. To accomplish this, you’ll need:
- With the onset of the first frosts, gradually lower the temperature and humidity level in the container with snails.
- Reduce the amount of food until it is completely absent.
The mollusk can be artificially forced to hibernate for up to a week. You will therefore have to exercise patience. You run the risk of hurting your pet if you try to rush this process.
The snail eventually starts to conceal itself farther and farther inside the shell when everything is done properly. She simultaneously applies multiple layers of mucus to seal the opening, which solidifies when it dries.
Some snail farmers transfer the "sleeping" mollusks to a tiny container and store it in the refrigerator’s vegetable section. They take these steps to provide themselves with as natural of a wintering environment as possible.
You can keep sleeping snails on the balcony if the winters are mild where you live. If the temperature there stays above freezing, this is acceptable.
It is best not to wake up street snails who choose to hibernate in the middle of the summer. Maybe the mollusks need this rest to build up their strength. Sleeping for a few days can help the mollusk’s body handle stress. Unsuitable conditions of keeping, for instance, can lead to stress.
Awakening
Street snails should hibernate for at least a month at home. Aim for two to three months. This could end badly for the mollusk if it sleeps for an extended period of time. The organism becomes too tired to continue, and the snail perishes.
If the snail is still asleep after three months, it can be roused by progressively raising the humidity and temperature. When the nighttime temperature outside rises above +5°C, it is time to wake up. And from the time hibernation starts, two to three months will pass.
For the snail to regain its strength when it awakens, it will require improved nutrition.
Types of outdoor snails
You can find names, photos, and types of outdoor snails on the Internet. We will only discuss a few of them with you.
- Grape snail (Helix Pomatia). This is a moisture-loving species of mollusks that is found in parks, gardens, on grape bushes or among the grass.
- Cepaea nemoralis or forest snail (Cepaea nemoralis). The natural habitat of this type of mollusks are rare deciduous mixed forests, gardens and summer cottages. They like to settle along water bodies, in places where the bright rays of the sun do not penetrate.
- Cepaea hortensis. This mollusk has a white lip and a shell diameter of 1.5 – 2 cm. Its color is uniformly yellow or dark with light stripes.
- Yantarka – a resident of the middle zone. Lives on the leaves of aquatic plants along the banks of fresh water bodies or in swampy damp areas.
- Bush snail (Fruticicola (bradybaena) fruticum). This mollusk is able to adapt to different living conditions.
- Brefulopsis cylindrical. The shell of this mollusk has a tower-shaped cylindrical shape. Brephulopsis cylindrical belongs to the steppe species of snails that live in large colonies. They form whole "clusters" hanging on the stems of grass. In natural conditions, they are mainly in a state of sleep. This is due to too hot or cold climate. At the time of rare awakenings, they make clutches of eggs, after which they safely fall asleep again. This snail inhabits open steppe biotopes, while living in large colonies on the stems of herbaceous plants.
- Common steppe snail. Lives in dry open places. Settles in large families on the grass. From July to September, it forms clusters on the stems of tall grass.
- Paper nun Monacha cartusiana. A steppe snail that lives mainly in relatively dry areas. It can also be found in large colonies hanging in clusters on herbaceous plants.
- Large common snail. (Helix albescens). Lives in dry and relatively warm places, in open steppe areas, in thickets of bushes, on the edges of forests. Can also be found in populated areas.
Taking care of outdoor snails can yield great rewards, as these interesting animals offer something special to your garden or aquarium. You can make sure they flourish and make a positive contribution to your aquatic ecosystem by being aware of their needs and creating the ideal environment for them.
Taking good care of them entails routinely maintaining their habitat, which includes checking the pH and temperature and keeping the water clean. Providing a diverse range of food items such as algae, veggies, and specially prepared snail chow will maintain their well-being and vitality.
If you pay attention to their needs, outdoor snails can make an interesting and useful addition to your setup. Their presence contributes to the aquatic environment’s balance and enhances its natural beauty. Take pleasure in raising these amazing animals and watching their intriguing antics!
