ARE THEY THE RIGHT PETS FOR ME?

Snails make really good pets, because they are low-maintenance pets and are inexpensive to care for. Snails are observational pets, and are also handleable! Their setup can just be kept on a shelf for display, and is fun to construct their terrarium. Snails are fun to observe as it is calming to watch these creatures slowly move around their terrarium.

WHERE DO I GET SNAILS?

Snails can be acquired from an exotic pet shop, and you can choose what species you need. DO YOUR RESEARCH FIRST, as some might need slightly different care requirenments.
Depending on whether you want a terrestrial or aquatic snail, choose what you are comfortable with keeping and maintaining. You can also collect the snails from outside! They are found almost everywhere, from plants and under logs in gardens forests inside lakes and rivers! You can safely put them in a jar temporarily before you set up their permanent home. TIP: Getting multiple snails is more fun to observe.



WHAT SETUP DO THEY REQUIRE?

Snails have to be kept in a well-ventilated, enclosed setup. You can use a plastic storage bin and poke small holes on the top, or use a fancy aquarium or critter keeper. For terrestrial (living on land) snails, thee enclosure can be decorated with soil, twigs and branches for them to climb, rocks, plants, etc. They also need a dark place to hide under- such as readily bought reptile hides, pieces of bark, big leaves, etc. For aquatic snails you will need more high tech equipment (PLEASE DO YOUR RESEARCH), water, a hiding place, and optional decor like aquatic plants, pebbles, rocks, branches and driftwood (for some surface area for the snail to move around), etc.



 



WHAT DO I FEED THEM?

Terrestrial snails can eat most fresh grocery items- like tomatoes, other fruits, carrots, melon, cabbage, lettuce, kale, spinach, meat (and fish), etc. DO NOT feed them onions, celery, leek, citrus fruits and salt!
Snails will also require calcium, as it is important to build up their shells as they grow. You can use many calcium sources like cuttlebone, ground up eggshells or bones, etc. Aquatic snails feed on water plants, algae, and sometimes small fish (depending on the species) and their food requirenments need to be researched more.



 

WHAT ABOUT MAINTENANCE?

Snails are relatively low-maintenance pets. Terrestrial snails need their enclosure misted with water around once or twice per week, replacement of food around every alternate day, and being checked upon. Clean the sides of their terrarium to make it look clean. Aquatic snails need occasional water changes (PLEASE RESEARCH THESE THINGS), feeding, and that's basically it! Snails are relatively easy to care for, as compared to a dog or a cat or a bird.



HOW SHOULD I BREED THEM?

Snails are hermaphroditic animals, which means they have both male and female reproductive organs! Therefore, if you need to breed them, you don't need to worry about their gender. Adult snails will breed if the get the oppurtunity, and the mother will lay her eggs in the substrate of the enclosure. Breeding shall only happen if there are multiple snails in the setup. The eggs don't need special care...
If you don't want cute snail babies (I don't know who doesn't), let the eggs hatch and gently scoop the babies into a container and release them outside. DON'T DO THIS IF THE SNAIL IS AN IMPORTED SPECIES, as it could affect the local ecosystem. You can instead give the snail babies to the pet store where you got them from, or a friend who is willing to keep them...

And that's it! Snails make amazing pets, and I don't see why you shouldn't keep them!

To learn more about snails and their care, watch this tutorial which I have made: