How to Raise Snails as an ornamental

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Snails are great animals for first-time pet owners. Although slow to move, snails are also interesting to look at and are easier to care for than most other pets.

Table of Contents

Choose a snail

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Determine the type of snail you want to keep. Snails are actually hard to find at pet stores, but you can catch them right in your garden. Snails are often seen as pests rather than pets, so regulations have been established about the type of snails and where they are allowed to be sold. It is illegal to bring snails from other countries into the United States, and some states even have laws prohibiting the introduction of this species from other states.

Native species of snails can easily be found in gardens and wooded areas, and these are also the most likely places to find your first snail.
Common snail species such as the African giant snail, the Decplate snail, the Ghanaian giant tiger snail and the margies snail are banned in the US. ^{[1] X Research Source}
Snails can live from 3 to 15 years in captivity. Remember this is a long-term responsibility – if you’re not planning on keeping it for that long, you should choose a native snail species that you can release. ^{[2] X Research Source}
Snails love to eat vegetables and plants in the garden, and foreign snails can seriously damage the ecosystem if released into the environment. ^{[3] X Research Sources}
Remember that snails are not bare shelled slugs. If you’re interested in raising bare slugs, you need to understand the needs of bare slugs instead of snails to help them live healthy and happy lives.

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Consider keeping two or more snails. Snails love company, and your snail will be happier with a buddy to interact with. They will also make the scene more pleasing to the eye. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Taking care of one or two snails doesn’t make much of a difference, so it won’t cost you much money and effort to find a friend for your snail.
Try to choose snails of the same species to keep together, as one species can carry harmful pathogens and parasites to the other. ^{[5] X Research Sources}
A group of snails often huddle together to sleep, indicating that they have made friends. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

Prepare a place for snails

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Buy a plastic tank or container to keep the snails in. Snails can live in many different containers – you should look for a transparent, breathable and spacious box for your snail to roam and explore. Make sure the lid is tight or has a locking pin — snails can lift 10-50 times their body weight and can push the lid up to get out. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

If you don’t know how big of a tank you should buy, you can use this calculator to find the right size tank based on the species and number of snails you want to keep.
A large pet carrier can be a good home for snails, as the sides are made of clear plastic and the lid is well ventilated. ^{[8] X Research Sources}
Aquariums or glass tanks are also suitable for keeping snails, although thick glass will be difficult to clean and move. ^{[9] X Research Source}
Clear plastic store-bought containers are just as good as aquariums, but be sure to punch holes in the lid or top of the sides for the snails to breathe. ^{[10] X Research Source}
Clean the tank before placing items inside. Wash the tank with boiling water and mild soap, then rinse thoroughly with clean water. Make sure to wash off the soap thoroughly; otherwise, the snail can be poisoned. ^{[11] X Research Source}
Avoid using wooden or cardboard boxes as they will rot. Snails can even eat through cardboard boxes. ^{[12] X Research Source}

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Spread on the bottom of the box a layer of backing material about 2.5-5 cm thick. Common materials are peat, coir, potting soil and humus. You need to look for substrates that are disinfected, free of pesticides or fertilizers, as these will harm the snails. ^{[13] X Research Source}

Avoid using sand, gravel, rocks, shells, or any other brittle material that snails can’t dig into. ^{[14] X Research Source}
Peat, coir, and potting soil are all great substrates for snail digs that you can buy at pet stores or garden supply stores. ^{[15] X Research Source}
Spray water on foundation in the morning and evening to moisturize. Do not spray so wet that the water forms a puddle – just spray enough moisture so that the soil can stick to your hands. ^{[16] X Research Source}
Add some sphagnum moss to keep the substrate moist. ^{[17] X Research Source}
Note that the soil in the garden may contain insects or pesticides and harm the snails. ^{[18] X Research Sources}

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Decorate your snail’s “home” with things they can crawl on or hide under. Avoid using hard objects such as rocks, bricks or ceramics – snails can fall from the top of the tank, and if they hit a hard surface, the shell can crack and the snail can be seriously injured. ^{[19] X Research Source}

Find a planter made of plastic or PE. Place the potted plant in a snail tank or cut it in half to form a burrow. You can also place the pot upside down and cut a small hole for the snails to hide inside. ^{[20] X Research Source}
Look for organic materials that don’t perish, such as cork bark or dry twigs. You can look in the reptile section of pet stores to choose obstacles for snails to play with. ^{[21] X Research Source}
A shallow dish of water will provide the snail with a place to drink and play, in addition to creating more moisture in the tank. Choose a shallow dish and don’t put the water level too high, or the snails can fall in and drown. You can try using a dish made of resin made for reptiles. ^{[22] X Research Source}

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Pay attention to the temperature and humidity in the tank. The temperature should be between 18-30 degrees Celsius or equivalent room temperature. You should check the soil every day to make sure it’s not too dry. ^{[23] X Research Sources}

If the house is too cold in the winter, you should buy a heating mat to increase the temperature and humidity of the snail tank. Install a heating mat to cover the walls of the tank, but be sure to leave 1/3 of the space so the snails can move to a cooler area if the temperature gets too warm. ^{[24] X Research Source}

Feed the snails

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Feed your snails fresh fruits and vegetables every few days. Snails love a variety of foods such as apples, mushrooms, tomatoes, bananas, strawberries, carrots, green leafy vegetables and many more. You can try different foods to your snails and see what they like. ^{[25] X Research Sources}

Snails may also like cat food or turtle food, both wet and dry. ^{[26] X Research Sources}
Place the food dish in the snail tank to make it easier to clean up rotting leftovers. ^{[27] X Research Source}
Do not feed your snails salt or foods containing salt. Salt can kill them. ^{[28] X Research Sources}

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Provides a source of calcium for snails. Snail shells need calcium to stay strong. A good source of calcium for snails is squid shell, which is quite cheap and easy to find at pet stores. In the snail tank, there should always be a washed squid shell. ^{[29] X Research Sources}

Eggshells and calcium supplements are also easy to find to supplement calcium for snails. ^{[30] X Research Source}
Snails can absorb calcium through the body by crawling onto the squid shell and disintegrating the squid shell with its feet. ^{[31] X Research Source}

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Always wash food before feeding it to your snails. Any amount of pesticide left over can poison and kill the snails. You should never skip this step, even with organic vegetables. ^{[32] X Research Sources} Organic produce is often said to be pesticide-free, but this is not always the case. ^{[33] X Research Source} Even if you’re sure there’s no pesticides, it’s still a good idea to wash your snail food thoroughly to prevent small residues of toxic substances on it.

You also need to wash off the calcium sources for the snails.

Snail care

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Learn how to hold a snail properly. If the snails are clinging to the walls of the tank, you can spray water on your hands and the snails. Slide one finger under the snail’s head, between the snail and the tank wall. Hold the snail’s body with your other hand and gently pull and slide your finger down the snail’s body. Place the snail in the palm of your hand. ^{[34] X Research Source}

Remember to wet your hands every time you handle the snail. ^{[35] X Research Source}
If you can’t get your finger under the snail’s head, use the food to lure the snail from a distance slightly beyond its reach. The snail will raise its head, and you can slide your finger under it. ^{[36] X Research Source}
Wash your hands before and after handling snails to prevent infection. ^{[37] X Research Source}
Don’t make the snail move. If the snail does not easily come off the wall of the tank, you should wait until another time to pick it up. ^{[38] X Research Source}
If your snail is too small, you should try to get it to crawl on a piece of food or a leaf and switch to your hand. Don’t try to catch small snails with your hands, as this really harms the snails. ^{[39] X Research Sources}
Be careful not to lift the snail shell. If you accidentally pull the shell off, your snail will die. ^{[40] X Research Source}

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Remove 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 a single egg or a cluster of hundreds of eggs. Snail eggs will hatch in two weeks, so you need to check the eggs in the substrate weekly. ^{[41] X Research Source}

Discard snail eggs by placing in a bag and freezing. Make sure eggs are completely frozen before throwing them away.
Do not leave snail eggs in the wild, especially foreign snails.
If you’re worried about snail eggs, don’t spread a lot of substrate material on the bottom of the tank. This makes it easier for you to find and handle eggs.

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Clean the tank once a month. Put the snails 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 soap residue can kill the snail. ^{[42] X Research Source}

Use water to clean the sides of the tank once a week so the tank doesn’t get too dirty between deep cleanings. ^{[43] X Research Source}
Clean up waste or rotting food that you haven’t cleaned up yet. ^{[44] X Research Source}
Clean the substrate or replace with a new one on the bottom of the tank. ^{[45] X Research Source}
If you find snail slime on the walls of the tank difficult to clean, try using a little vinegar. ^{[46] X Research Source}

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Snail bath. Give your snails a bath from time to time (about once a month) to get rid of pests. Place the snail in a shallow dish of room temperature water and pour or sprinkle the water over the snail. Do not submerge the snail in water or it will drown. ^{[47] X Research Sources}

Use your hands, a soft rag, or a soft toothbrush to gently clean the shells. Do not use any abrasive materials for scrubbing. ^{[48]X Research Source}
Only use water to wash snails. Never use soap. ^{[49] X Research Source}

Advice

When feeding your snails, don’t worry if the snail droppings are orange like carrots or green like lettuce. This phenomenon is normal.
Wash your hands before handling snails. Your hands are high in salt from sweat and can cause serious harm to snails.
Bare slugs have a different way of life than snails, so don’t let naked slugs into a snail’s home.
Place the snail tank away from dogs, cats and large pets.
Do not use tap water to spray or wash the snails. Tap water contains chemicals that can kill or seriously harm snails. You should only use spring water, bottled water or purified water.
Keep your 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 to give the snails a sense of being in a familiar environment.
Get the leaflets at the pet store or ask them about snail care.
Feed your snails a variety of vegetables and fruits to provide them with adequate nutrients.
Avoid feeding your snails cucumbers. Snails love to eat cucumbers, but they will become “addicted” and refuse to eat anything else.
When you lift the snail up and see a white film on the snail’s mouth, it’s probably dried slime. To remove this film, simply pry up with your fingernails and wash your hands under running water.
Don’t let the salt get on the snails. Snails can dry out when exposed to salt.

Warning

Do not squeeze the snail shells, they can be crushed.
Do not feed your snails anything containing salt or saline solution, as salt can kill the snail.
Do not poke the snail’s soft parts to avoid stressing them.

Steps