Giant African Land Snails (Achatina sp.) are molluscs that make ideal pets due to their ease of care. They can live for several years and grow up to 20cm in length. These snails are native to East Africa but have adapted to many other countries, becoming an invasive species.
In countries where it's legal to keep them, they make good pets, as they are relatively low maintenance and fascinating to watch. Remember: it is important that you know the needs and requirements of your pet before you obtain the animal.
In some countries, it is illegal to own Giant African Land Snails because of the invasive nature of this snail. There are currently no restrictions on owning these snails in the UK, but it is illegal to release them (including eggs) into the wild.
Giant African Land Snail Set-Up! || Leaf Eater
Setting Up the Perfect Terrarium
A good container is a glass or plastic aquarium tank. There is a wide range of suitable enclosures for Giant African Land Snails; glass tanks can be used as long as the roofs are low.
Find an aquarium with a tightly fitting lid. While the snail needs ventilation, it's also important that the lid of its container fits tightly, as it will climb out if given a chance. It's fine to keep a snail alone or with a partner.
Read also: Adorable African Wildlife
The lid in the terrarium is necessary to ensure that the snails will not escape and to maintain high humidity (it should be at the level of 70-80%).
The snails like to burrow, so when you have your tank, fill it with several centimetres of peat-free compost and a large piece of bark. Since snails like to burrow, you should provide a deeper area in the tank where they can dig. The substrate is basically the flooring your snail needs to be content.
Coir substrate is the best option to use, and you can buy it as compact bricks or loose. The compost you use needs to be kept moist for the snail to be happy. It doesn't need to be soaking wet. Rather, it just needs to be kept damp.
Terrarium Essentials:
- Substrate: You can use ordinary soil from your garden or flower shop, coconut substrate, moss, or combine them. Your substrate should be environmentally friendly and chemically neutral, without any impurities, as these can harm or even kill your snails.
- Sphagnum Moss: We recommend the use of dry, non-toxic (chemical-free) sphagnum moss. Dried moss does not contain microorganisms and is safe.
- Snags (Roots) of Trees: You can find the roots of the trees in your garden when you uproot a tree. The roots from nature must be boiled in water for 1 hour. Then dry it and put it in a terrarium.
- Greens: You can plant a special sowing grass for cats. Do not plant houseplants in the terrarium!
- Decor: Plastic food dishes, flower pots, corkbark, plastic plants, and flowers are all suitable for snails. The terrarium should not contain any stones, ceramic pots, or other solid objects so that snails won’t damage their shells.
- Background: Alternatively, you can cover the walls of the terrarium (on the outside) with a natural background printed on the printer.
Temperature and Lighting
This species requires temperatures between 20-25 o C, in some cold houses a heat mat with a thermostat will be required. The temperatures at which each species is happiest can vary.
The Lissachatina Fulica, for example, needs a tank ideally between 22-24 degrees Celsius, while the Achatina Achatina or Tiger snail prefers it warmer at 27-29 degrees Celsius. The best temperature is from 22 to 28 degrees Celsius (or 71.6° - 82.4° Fahrenheit), depending on the type of snail. The comfortable temperature for each will be different.
Read also: Embracing African Style
The best way to achieve a warmer temperature (if the room isn't warm enough) is to place a heating pad on the side of the snail's tank. You shouldn't place it under the tank as this will dry out the substrate. Only place it on half the tank so the snail has somewhere to go to cool down if need be.
It also is vital that you use a thermostat with any heat pad to control the temperature range of the tank. Heat pads can have temperature malfunctions and potentially kill your snail and are not good at controlling temperature alone.
The temperature is mostly maintained and is stable throughout the year in your living space. You can also maintain a constant temperature in your terrarium with special heat mats. You can control the temperature and humidity with a humidity-temperature meter.
Snails need some light to be happy. However, indirect sunlight is best. The best place is in the corner of the room, away from direct sunlight. Direct sunlight can overheat the terrarium and harm your snail. Drafts from windows or doors also have a negative effect on the health of snails, so they should be secured against this.
Snails do not need light. You can illuminate your terrarium from the outside (or set it inside) just to admire your snails and enjoy the atmosphere of the terrarium you have created. The terrarium with illumination looks very beautiful in the evening. Such a calm, natural atmosphere can relax you after a hard day.
Read also: Giant Bullfrog Care Sheet
Snail Feeding
The African Land Snails are detritivores and will eat decaying matter. A wide variety of plants, fruit, and vegetables can be offered, including dandelions, kale, broccoli, sweet/bell peppers, green beans, strawberries, bananas, squashes, and parsley. Food that has become moldy should be removed. Another essential part of the snails' diet is calcium.
Since snails are most active in the evening and at night, the best time to feed them is in the evening. Feed your snails daily. It is desirable (if possible) to give fresh vegetables and fruits daily and sprinkle them with dry mixtures and calcium.
If it is not possible to give fresh vegetables or fruits every day - give moist mixtures (porridge) and make sure that there is always a plate with a dry mixture and calcium in the terrarium.
Plant Food: It can be lettuce, vegetables, fruits (zucchini, melon, watermelon, carrots, cucumbers, apples, pears, bananas, avocados, mangoes, etc.). You can not feed snail citrus (tangerines, oranges, etc.). In our experience, lettuce leaves are the best plant food. It is easy to find in the grocery store, it can lie in the terrarium for a long time without spoiling, and it can be used as a plate.
Essential Nutrients for Snails
- Calcium: This is an essential element in your snail's diet! After all, thanks to calcium, the snail grows and develops properly, and in case of damage - the shell recovers very quickly. Cuttlefish should be provided as a source of supplementation for giant african land snails.
- Dry Mixes: It is desirable that your snails have access to dry mixes throughout the day. Dry mixes should primarily contain calcium, vitamins, and minerals based on plant products (rice flour, buckwheat, chickpeas, and other various kinds of cereal).
- Animal Protein: Food that contains animal protein is equally important for the normal growth and development of your snails. This can be ground food for aquarium fish, turtles, lizards, etc. However, you can give animal protein to snails no more than once or twice a week!
- Microgreens: It's just a vitamin boost for your snails because such food contains a lot of micro and macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals.
- Wet Mixes or Porridges: Wet mixtures (porridges) can be made from dry mixes. To do this, add warm boiled water to the dry mixture and mix thoroughly. You can also add fruit puree to the dry mixture.
Unlike dry mixes, wet mixes (porridges) have a tendency to spoil quickly. Therefore, it is very important to remove the remains (those that your snails could not eat) from your terrarium after a maximum of 3 hours, as the spoiled mixture can cause poisoning or even death of your snail.
Our "FOOD FOR SNAILS" Feeding Guide
As any other pet, your snail needs full nutrition every day: a protein that is most concentrated in meat and legumes, vitamins and minerals contained in fresh vegetables and fruits (carrots, cabbage, potatoes, lettuce, apples, bananas, strawberries, etc.).
This food contains all the necessary minerals, trace elements, and protein for your snail to grow healthy and energetic. It is recommended for daily use. It has a specific taste and smell, which snails like very much. It is suitable for snails of all ages.
In order to achieve the best result it is recommended to use this food together with a food supplement "SNAILS CARE" by ®MyHappySnails .
Dosage and Method of Use:
For one middle-sized snail (1-2 inches shell size), take 1/3 of a teaspoon of the mixture and pour it into a shallow (0.5 inches max) feeding plate. After feeding snails for 8 hours (10 hours max), remove the plate with the mixture. If the snail did not eat the mixture you prepared, the leftovers should be thrown away (because of the high humidity in your terrarium, the mixture absorbs water and will deteriorate very quickly). Next time reduce the dose and do so until you see that your snail eats all the mixture you give to it.
Snails are animals that are most active in the dark (from evening to morning). Therefore, it is best to feed them in the evening. However, many snails are often active during the day, so if you have the opportunity to feed them during the day, you can do so.
Our Feeding Recommendations:
Based on the long experience of feeding snails with this mixture, we got the best result when such feeding was alternated with feeding fresh vegetables and fruits. For example, one day you feed the snails with this mixture, and the next day you give them fresh vegetables or fruits. If you do not have the ability to give fresh vegetables or fruits, then you can simply feed your snails with the mixture.
There is protein, calcium, vitamins, and minerals that make a complete set of elements necessary for growth. Then fresh vegetables and fruits will be a treat to be served for your snails when you want to have a holiday. Thank you very much for choosing our product and being with us :)
Daily Care
Giant African land snails, as with most pets, require a clean environment to thrive. We recommend a spot clean as often as possible (every day) and a full clean every 4 weeks or so.
If you are keeping the snail in a bio-active enclosure you can spot clean and monitor the enclosure. It may still be a good idea to change out the bedding a few times per year.
When cleaning the enclosure, you should remove your animal, all decorations, and all of the bedding. Once the enclosure is clear you can spray it all over with a reptile-friendly disinfectant.
These usually work very quickly and only need to be left for around 30 seconds, instructions can normally be found on the disinfectants packaging. Once the disinfectant has done its work it can be wiped away from the surfaces with a paper towel. In some cases, you might want to repeat this process a second time to ensure that the enclosure is thoroughly cleaned.
Your decorations can be cleaned in a similar method, simply spray them down with the disinfectant and rinse thoroughly with water before drying them off and putting them back into the enclosure.
Daily Tasks:
- Check the temperature and humidity in your terrarium. To do this, you need to buy a temperature/humidity meter. If the temperature is low, you need to turn on the heating for your snails. If the temperature is too high - then you need to cool the terrarium.
- Clean the feces of your snails. They can be on the surface of the soil, in the soil, or on the glass of the terrarium.
- Remove leftover food that spoils quickly. It can be a wet mixture (porridge), vegetables, and fruits. A maximum of 3 hours after you put such food in the terrarium, take it away and throw it in the trash. Such food is not suitable for re-feeding.
How to Fix a Broken Snail Shell?
Repairing a broken snail shell can be a delicate process that requires care and patience.
Assess the damage: The first step is to assess the extent of the damage to the shell. If the shell is only cracked or chipped, it may be possible to repair it. However, if the damage is too severe or the snail is injured, it may be best to take it to a veterinarian who specializes in treating exotic pets.
Clean the shell: Before attempting any repairs, it is important...
Additional Tips for Snail Care
- If your snail doesn't like the conditions of its house, it will likely close itself up in its shell, creating a papery white seal at the opening. This has two main causes; a lack of humidity- called aestivation, or a lack of warmth- called hibernation.
- If your snail is in aestivation or hibernation, revise your care and see if there might be something that needs amending- and fix them. Snails will (with a few rare exceptions) destroy their seal and come out within a few days of the issue being resolved.
- When you notice the tank starts to look smeared or dirty, it's time to wipe it down. You can also check for eggs during this time.
- Wash your hands thoroughly. After you do anything with your snail you need to wash your hands well.
- Always check up on the food, and remove it when it's gone bad.
- Use organic, pesticide-free food when possible. Leftover pesticides on produce can make your snail ill or potentially kill them. If this is not possible, rinse whatever your snail will eat thoroughly before feeding.
- Place a shallow water dish in the snail's container for the snail to drink. This dish has the added benefit of providing extra humidity to the tank, but does not really provide much otherwise and can spill. If you do decide to use one, be sure to change it out regularly.
- Get one made out of a soft material like plastic or silicone- ceramic or glass dishes can break a snail’s shell if they happen to fall on them.
- Your chosen source of calcium should never be put directly onto the snail's food source, rather left in a separate place as they self-regulate their calcium intake and cannot do this if it is on what they are eating.
- Placing calcium directly onto the snail's food can also risk conditions like organ calcification and improper growth.
- Wet your hands before picking up a snail. Slide your hand under the front of the snail. Don't pick snails up by their shells, especially when they are young.
- Make sure you have a steady temperature suited to the snails' species. If using a heat mat, make sure to use a thermostat, and tape the sensor onto the heat mat using strong tape.
- Add enrichment objects like leaves or tree branches to your snail's enclosure.
