Snails are considered as pests to some, but for a select few they are kept as pets, kept in special enclosures which are meant to simulate their natural habitat environments.
The 2006 animated feature Doogal, featured a bashful snail character, a character type that isn’t often encountered in animated features. Though the movie didn’t manage to rake in accolades and awards, it remains to be one of the few recently produced animated features which a titular snail character.
Keeping snails as pets aren’t all that complicated, with their primary care considerations delving into their enclosures, their diets and their care/cleaning and maintenance.
Here’s a look at the three primary considerations when talking about pet snails.
Enclosures – any enclosure, from tanks to containers, can be used to keep snails in as long as ample ventilation and light manages to get in.
Pet snails are typically housed in tanks which are large enough to accommodate them and decorations, with plastic boxes and aquariums being commonly used as containers. Ideally, containers which are easy to clean on a regular basis should be used, and in most cases, “see through” containers like glass aquariums are utilized so that snail pet owners can see what their snails are up to.
Also, since snails are actually strong creatures which can lift things which are 10 to 50 times their own weights, a snail enclosure has to be escape proof, to make sure that snails don’t get to break out.
Feeding – as creatures, snails aren’t picky with what they eat, consuming almost any type of food there is. Mixed fruits and vegetables are their favorite, while a number of pet snail owners confess that snails also have a thing for beer, given the yeast contained in beer. Just don’t overdo things with the beer.
Vegetables like carrots and potatoes are also well received by snails.
The thing with feeding and snails is that they have to be fed with fresh foods, since leaving old food stuff in enclosures tend to encourage the build up of funguses, which causes sanitary problems.
Care/Cleaning and Maintenance – ideally, snail enclosures should be cleaned out at least once a month, to ensure that their habitats are clean and that foul odors are not abound. “Snail slime” remains to be the biggest challenge in cleaning snail enclosures, and the use of vinegar in wiping them out is known to be.
Sterilizing snail enclosures with hot water is also one known practice for enclosures which can take the heat.
Easy to keep and easy to feed, snails are quite interesting as pets, at times the ideal alternative pet for those who are allergic to cat and/or dog fur, and not all that thrilled with keeping fish in tanks.
