Principles of organization of proper nutrition and regime of African Akhatin

You won't be surprised with cats and dogs any more, people want to start more exotic animals at home. But if not everybody can afford a tiger cub or a raccoon, then practically any insect or mollusk. They liked the lovers of snails' home fauna. In this article we will tell about them, write what snails eat and how to care for them.

Achatina - land snails

This is a giant gastropods living in large quantities in areas with tropical climates: Africa, India, Thailand, Sri Lanka and is there an active pest of agricultural land.

Nowadays, thanks to active struggle, their reproduction and distribution is almost stopped. But not everywhere Akhatins do not like that, in European countries and in Russia they are treated differently, not only are they not destroyed, these amazing animals are bred as domestic animals.

And they are really amazing, that's why they got accustomed in our country. By sight the snail is similar to our usual ones, but its size is amazing, the length of the shell of some individuals is more than 20 centimeters.

In addition, it has been proven that amatina has a long-term memory. They remember the location of food sources and return to them if necessary, and if you move it to another point within 30 meters - it will return. For such an animal, these are striking abilities that are of interest.

What do street snails eat?

So, you decided to get yourself a snail as a pet. Getting Achatyn is not always easy, it is easier to find on the street ordinary. Therefore, here we will write what feeds are those that are found in the grass in the forest or in other places.

Usually this plant food growing in their habitat:

• Bark of trees (some species prefer rotten)
• Horse sorrel,
• Strawberry leaves and berries,
• Nettle,
• Dandelions
• Plantain,
• Cabbage.

There are some species that feed on insects and carrion. In general, they have no problems with food. Any plants with soft leaves and stems or fruits are suitable for food. Such omnivorousness is caused by the speed of movement, it is not particularly necessary to choose, one must eat what gets in the way.

What do snails eat at home?

At home, you can feed her what we have listed above. From food from your table you can give:

• Spinach and celery
• Cabbage leaves,
• Beans and peas,
• Pumpkin
• Carrots, cucumbers and tomatoes,
• Red pepper and squash,
• Boiled potatoes,
• Cereals.

From fruit take:

• Pears
• Apples
• Plums
• Grapes and apricots,
• Watermelons and melons.

Stick to the evening feeding schedule, as this is mostly a nightlife. In winter, feeding will have to be extremely rare, only in the period of wakefulness. But sometimes, living at home, mollusks change their lifestyle and are active in the winter just as in summer. Therefore, observe them and be guided by behavior.

What can not they give?

There are products that are contraindicated for feeding snails, you will not meet them in their natural environment, and they can be extremely dangerous for mollusks:

1. Any pickled, smoked and salted foods,
2. Sweet and sweet products,
3. Pasta - too hard for them,
4. Raw potatoes (only boiled will do),
5. Everything that contains food additives and spices,
6. Ready food for cats and dogs,
7. Pork and lamb are too fatty.

Calcium is necessary for babies to strengthen the shell, but do not use school chalk or tablets from the pharmacy. Well cooked uncooked eggshell, finely ground, cottage cheese and meat and bone meal.

Observe animal hygiene, otherwise they will be sick. To do this, periodically arrange them a shower with a spray gun, clean the house from mucus and change the soil. But to wash the snail under running tap water is not worth it, it is too hard, it contains chlorine. In addition, you can not hold the baby and she will swim away.

Food for mollusks: what is possible and what is not?

The African Achatina snail in its natural habitat prefers leaves and grass, tree bark and juicy tropical fruits. It seems gastropods real gourmets, they can eat fresh greens and then have a snack with half-rotten berries. Certain Achatina species consider fallen rotting wood to be a real delicacy and can be eaten whole with a huge colony without a trace. Mollusks have a lot of teeth, they are quite voracious, often attack large plantations of cultivated plants and in a short time cause irreparable damage to the farm.

Studying the habits and diet of gastropods in nature, breeders are interested in what they eat snails at home? First of all, vegetables, fruits and greens. To diversify the diet of Achatina snail it is advisable to buy products from the list:

• Vegetables - tomatoes and cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkin, carrots, bell peppers, tops.
• Fruits - apples, pears, bananas, strawberries or blueberries, peaches, apricots, watermelon.
• Greens - dill and parsley, grape leaves, lettuce, dandelion and plantain.

If Achatina contain simultaneously with aquarium fish, they get along as good neighbors and can live in the same aquarium. At the same time, mollusks are happy to eat fish food, they can destroy grass and rotting aquarium plants, and they will not refuse special feeding for green algae.

On a note! Any human food, bread and other flour products are strictly contraindicated for homemade snails.

In no case can not pour into the aquarium sliced ​​newspapers as bedding. Eating paper with typographical font will lead to the death of pets. And, most importantly, gentle creatures are very afraid of salt grains. They corrode their thin skin and burn the insides. A half teaspoon of salt can destroy a whole herd of defenseless mollusks!

It is undesirable to include in the daily ration of snails Achatina citrus and other sour fruits. Any strong acids adversely affect the digestion and livelihoods of mollusks. These categorical foods are not prohibited, they can be given in limited quantities and monitor the reaction and condition of the pet.

Proteins and mineral supplements are important components of nutrition.

Domestic snails for normal growth and reproduction need protein foods. Once or twice a week they can be pampered with thoroughly ground minced meat and meat and bone meal.

Calcium is also vital for growing and pregnant individuals. For this you need to put in the aquarium chalk, crushed eggshells or buy a special additive to sepia - a mineral stone for birds.

If calcium is purchased at a pharmacy, then it must be pure without sodium and other additives.

In the organization of feeding gastropods there are several important points:

• Food domestic snails Akhatin should be modal.
• Food is best served on a platter or on a sheet of lettuce 1 time per day in the evening.
• In young animals, food should be in constant access, but it is important to ensure that it does not spoil, and insects do not start there.
• Soft vegetables and fruits should be served in slices, and chop hard ones into mush.
• Water should be in constant access, but the level in the water bowl should not exceed a height of 1 cm.

The question of what snails eat at home cannot be answered with a definite list. Much depends on the place of residence of the breeder and seasonal plants. Meals can be based on the characteristics of the species and the preferences of the pet. The main thing is to exclude prohibited foods, and the remaining vegetables, fruits and herbs can be given without restrictions. Achatina will decide for herself what she likes best and which products will benefit her growth, development and reproduction.

When to give food

Achatina snails are nocturnal mollusks. In the daytime they sleep, having dug into the ground, and in the evenings they become active and crawl quickly in their homes, hoping to find something edible. That is why it is desirable to feed the snails in the evening or at night.

It is better to feed the snail in the evening, it is necessary to lay out food on a plate

It is better to let the snails eat on a plastic tray with low edges or on a saucer, which are easily cleaned after dinner, which allows you to maintain the purity of the molluskarium (aquarium). Putting products on the ground is undesirable, it leads to their pollution, rapid deterioration. Achatina do not eat all the food at once, trying to stretch the pleasure. But with sufficiently high humidity, necessary for the normal functioning of mollusks, the food quickly begins to rot, become covered with mold, so after a while the remaining products are better removed.

How often and in what quantity to feed

The frequency of feeding snails depends on their age:

• juveniles need daily food intake,
• adult snails enough 2-3 times a week.

The amount of feed depends on the size of the mollusks. The more often and more domestic snails eat, the larger they grow. But if Achatina feels that because of her size, her home is becoming cramped, then she begins to restrain herself in food, stops growing.

If, however, move the pets to a larger molluscary, then they are happy to eat again, again begin to increase in size. So, for example, African snails are able to reach a weight of up to 600 grams, and their shell can grow up to 40 cm.

What can pet pet

Like humans, snails have their own nutritional preferences or unloved dishes. But, in general, they are almost omnivorous. It is very good if snails eat the following at home:

It is necessary to tear it off as far as possible from the city, roads, and wash thoroughly before giving it to the snail. Most of all mollusks love lettuce, which can be given whole, without tearing, and also leaves of dandelion, plantain, clover, alfalfa, nettle. They will not refuse from the inflorescences of fruit trees, meadow flowers, sprouted oats.

The favorite fruit of many snails are apples. With appetite they eat grapes (you can not give it very often), figs, pineapple, pears, strawberries, strawberries, cherries, apricots, peaches, nectarines, bananas, plums, mangoes, avocados, blueberries, cherries, plums, kiwi, papayas, watermelon (without stones!).

Ground snails gladly eat fresh cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes, melons, pumpkin, spinach, sweet peppers. Some individuals eat carrots and cabbage (cauliflower, Peking, broccoli). But what they do not like very much is the potato, unless it is boiled.

You can give beans, beans, peas, corn.

To the list of what snails eat, you can add champignons, bread in a softened form, hard-boiled eggs, cottage cheese, baby food, fish food (gammarus, daphnia), dry oat flakes, and bran.

Attention: one of the conditions of a balanced diet is not too often providing snails with their most beloved delicacy, otherwise there is a risk of the snails refusing from other products.

How to strengthen the shell

For the growth and maintenance of the shell strong and healthy it is necessary to include in the menu products containing minerals, especially calcium, vitamins. Their shortage can lead to deformation, thinning of the shell, to the fact that the snail will begin to nibble the shell of its relatives or its own.

A high content of calcium in sepia (comb or bone of cuttlefish), shell rock, gummaruse, mineral stone, a large selection of which provide pet shops. Natural chalk is very useful (not to be confused with chalk sold by stationery stores - it contains many different harmful chemical additives that could harm the pet's health).

The ideal source of calcium and other trace elements is the raw shells of chicken or quail eggs. It must be thoroughly washed, dried well, crushed with a coffee grinder, and then the resulting powder added to the soil every day.

Is it possible to give meat

Known habit of street snails to eat carrion, dead insects. This is captured on many photos. Therefore, some owners believe that the meat is useful for mollusks, and give them:

• bone meal,
• salted meat
• pureed meat puree.

In fact, such food is poorly digested by snails, even if they do not eat it very often, it does more harm than good.

In addition, the home content of Akhatins, who eat meat additives, can be complicated by the predatory habits that appear in them. The meat-eating snail may begin to attack its weaker, petty tribesmen. Therefore, it is better if the food is still vegetarian.

What is contraindicated Akhatinam

Snail salt is absolutely contraindicated

One of the basic rules of care is knowledge: do not eat snails that people eat and cook for themselves. Especially it concerns:

Salt, even in the smallest amount, is detrimental to Achatina. The owner must become a habit to read the composition of any purchased food and under no circumstances give snails food, which includes salt.

It is no less deadly and harmful, for example, pasta.

One of the amazing habits is that snails eat newspapers, and whenever possible, do not mind eating them. It is impossible to allow this to be done, as printing ink can lead to the death of an illegible pet.

Contraindicated shellfish eating sweets, citrus, roasted, smoked, pickled, spicy, sour. It is not recommended to give large pieces of any product with loose flesh, as the snail can dig into it and suffocate.

Do I need to give water

Water is an essential component of the diet of snails. It is necessary not only for drinking, but also for the secretion of mucus. In addition to the drinker, which can become a shallow container, you need to regularly spray the walls and the animal itself from the spray gun with warm water.

If you do not take care of the snail, depriving it of water and spraying for a long time, the body of the poor girl will gradually lose moisture, decrease in size, eventually fall into a coma and die.

How long can a snail spend without food and water

In the absence of water and food, Achatina can hibernate (hibernation) for a sufficiently long period of time, hiding in the sink and corking in it. Without prejudice to health, hibernation can last for about 2 months. This is convenient if the owners need to leave for a while. But care in anabiosis must be performed correctly. Before this, the snail must stop giving food, change the soil to dry.

To bring the animal out of hibernation, you need to gently take it, hold it under a stream of warm water for 10 minutes. Achatina awakened must necessarily be given food, drink.

Achatina - very beautiful, intelligent snails, accustomed to the person and able to recognize their breadwinner, give to take yourself in your arms, bathe. To do this, quite a bit: the right care and maintenance, timely supply of useful, fresh products, sincere love, care. The snail will surely answer you with sincere reciprocation and sympathy!

What do Achatina snails eat?

If you still have a large snail, do not worry about what to feed him - they are not picky either.

Their favorite foods are:

But do not limit them to only these products, they need a variety of foods to maintain health. Therefore, let them:

• Almost any fruit
• Berries
• Boiled chicken or turkey,
• Mushrooms
• Calcium products - cottage cheese, eggs, bone meal, fish scales.

Their diet is similar to the menu of any type of shellfish. Also be guided by the preferences of pets, try different products, except those that are in the prohibited list above.

What to do if the snail shell is broken?

This is one of the common problems that breeders face - cracks or chips on their shells. They usually appear when the gastropod falls from the cover of the aquarium or the owner drops it on the floor. But you can cope with it, the shell is treated, if it certainly has not completely fallen off, in this case the animal may die.

So proceed as follows:

• Gently remove sharp pieces with manicure scissors,
• If large pieces have fallen off, glue them back with a film of raw eggs, and fix them with a plaster on top,
• Or zhipsuyte gently, but make sure that the plaster does not hit the skin of the animal,
• Set aside the victim in another container until recovery,
• Increase your diet with calcium.

After 4-5 days, if the individual is not very old, a film forms on the crack, which over time hardens and becomes part of the shell. From now on, be careful with your pets - try not to take it once more in your arms, and at the bottom of the dwelling you will lay soft moss.

Mollusk breeders tell amazing stories about their pets, that they recognize them among strangers and even tame them a little. If you do not believe, try it yourself - this is an extremely unpretentious animal that can be left for a long time and do not have to be walked. Moreover, now you know what snails eat and what doesn't and how to care for them.

The advantages of snails

Of course, you will not play with a snail, it will not bring the ball, but it will not be at the same time tearing off the wallpaper, scratching, biting and revenge for having been alone at home all day. The only thing that is required of you is to properly equip the place, find out what snails eat and make friends with a new pet. These mollusks live quite long and rarely get sick.

Как едят улитки

Независимо от того, что едят улитки, они используют для измельчения радулу, которая представляет собой ленту, покрытую тысячами маленьких зубов. It is a jagged tongue by which the clam clings to food and grinds it before sending it further. From the outside, it seems that the snail is absorbing food, but in fact, at this moment the food gets into the meat grinder of 200 thousand small knives in its mouth cavity. Despite this, not all food can be given darling.

Achatina snails

Achatina is one of the largest land mollusks. Recently, African snails are very popular as pets. They quickly get used to the owner, unpretentious in care and nutrition. Nevertheless, it is worth paying attention to some points related to the creation of an optimal atmosphere for giant mollusks.

For Achatina suitable aquariums of glass or plastic, a volume of at least three liters per snail. The terrarium should be equipped with a tight cap with holes. Like all Achatina snails, they love burrowing on the bottom in the daytime, so you need to take care of a good layer of the substrate. If you decide to use peat, pay attention to how clean it is, otherwise the soil will become acidic in a few days. It is desirable that the substrate was constantly wet, so the snail will feel more comfortable. The best option is sand, since it is a natural habitat for the African individual and, moreover, stimulates their reproduction.

In addition, you can use the shells from the nuts. The advantage of such an organic substrate is that it does not get dirty, and the snail will not scratch the walls of the aquarium with sharp particles adhering to its body. It is necessary to clean the terrarium every few months, replacing the substrate in it.

It is not necessary to install lighting in the terrarium, the snails do not pay attention to it. But the temperature should be from 20 to 28 degrees, but at the same time avoid direct sunlight.

In order to make the house more attractive to a snail, pieces of rotting wood or pieces of flower pots can be placed in an aquarium.

What can not be given to eat Akhatinam

Achatina snails do not always understand what they eat, so it is important not to give them those foods that can harm them. Strong, smoked, fried, pickled foods, as well as products containing sugar are strictly contraindicated. For the construction of the shell snails need calcium. Its source in the diet can be a piece of natural chalk, eggshell, cottage cheese, gammarus.

What do snails eat

The list of what grapes snails eat is much smaller, as pickups feed exclusively on plants, their green parts that rot, as well as fallen leaves and the fungal mycelium. This is their main diet. But they will never give up fresh greens, fruits and vegetables. If the snail is kept at home, then she can be given boiled carrots, but only without salt. Salt in any form is very dangerous for snails. It should also be remembered that snails can not be fed from the table, for them food is fried and pickled.

The buccal cavity of the grape snail is designed only for the absorption of plant food. Her tongue is a muscular roller, it is covered with a hard cap with teeth resembling a grater. Thus, the snail rubs the plants and receives vegetable porridge as a “ready dish” for itself. Thanks to her perfect oral apparatus, she can easily eat nettles, without fear of her burning hairs.

The snail has an excellent sense of smell, it can smell the smell of a fresh melon or watermelon at a distance far from it, about 50 centimeters. Unless, of course, a little breeze blows on her.

The snail needs to be fed with a grain mixture, constantly pouring it into the bowl, and kalzesmesyu, which can be given along with the main food. The grape snail eats at night, in the afternoon it hides in a shell.

Land snails

Ground snails contain at least 10 liters per specimen in a glass terrarium or aquarium. The cover of the aquarium should fit snugly and have openings for ventilation. Holes should not be too big so that pets could not get out through them. The temperature must be maintained constantly in the region of 26-27 degrees. To do this, it is better to use only external sources of heat, it can be thermal shingles or thermal cords. It is better not to install internal heaters, otherwise the snail may get burned.

As a substrate, land snails prefer coconut chips, in which they can be fully buried during the day. Maintain a constant level of humidity is not necessary, it is enough just to lightly spray the soil once a day.

Unlike Achatines, who require their aquarium to be cleaned every few months, land beauties need general cleaning every week.

What forest and land snails eat

The basis of food for land snails is vegetable food. They love vegetables, fruits and greens. If the plant is hard, it is better to grind it on a grater, if soft, cut it into slices. Ground snails feed on fresh plants. They do not eat boiled and steamed vegetables. Especially with salt. Salt is absolutely contraindicated in all snails.

In addition to plants, land and forest snails eat protein food. It can be shredded mashed seafood, meat, as well as special food for fish, gammarus and daphnia. Do not get involved, every day, giving them similar food. Enough several times a week.
The list of what land snails eat includes a rather large list of fruits and dried fruits. Most of all love:

From vegetables they prefer:

To strengthen the shell and the general physical development of the land snails, it is necessary to feed them with eggshell, which is rich in calcium, useful for all gastropods. But calcium can also be given in the form of a special calcium mixture, sprinkling it to vegetables and fruits. Land snails will not refuse a portion of tasty cottage cheese.

What to feed the little snails

Large snails can recycle fairly large food waste, such as apple stubs. Kids should be given only small pieces of food, it is not recommended to feed them with soft foods. For example, if you offer a small snail a banana, it may accidentally burrow into it and suffocate. It is best to feed babies with greens, mashed carrots, and at a more adult age you can switch to lettuce and apples. What do little snails eat? This is very important because the food must contain calcium in order for their shells to form correctly.

Finally

Mollusks have their own character and eating habits. Snails, photos of which are in the article, look different, but they all look amazing not only because of their size, but also due to the unique shape and amazing body structure. Despite their slowness and secreted mucus, they are very friendly and are happy every time they are picked up. With proper care and study of what snails eat, given the distinctive features of each individual, you will gain not only a wonder, but also a devoted comrade.

Snails Overview

Gastropods can adapt to different conditions of life, and they do not require large amounts of food. They were able to constantly evolve in order to survive in the surrounding conditions. Many researchers find these creatures very exciting.

Gastropods belong to mollusks and are classified as invertebrates with a soft non-segmented body, sometimes covered with a hard shell. This type of mollusk includes animals such as squid, octopus, clams, cuttlefish, etc.

Snails and slugs are gastropods.. Therefore, they are closely related to each other, despite the fact that the latter have no containment shell.

The biological features of gastropods are fascinating. For example, most of them are hermaphrodites. This means that one snail has male and female reproductive organs at the same time. However, they are usually combined in pairs in the "traditional" way: with a partner.

A few weeks after mating and laying eggs, little cubs hatch. They are defenseless against many predators that live around, such as beetles, birds, turtles and even other snails. There are exceptions. Some species have sexual differentiation.

Types of land snails

• Giant African Earthen. The giant African snail is a 20-centimeter creature, originally from Africa, and it is one of the largest species. In some places, it is considered an invasive animal due to its high reproduction rate and insatiable appetite for crops and vegetation.
• Street (Garden) snail - This is a small view with a height of up to 5 centimeters and a special design of the shell, which distinguishes it from other species. They are the native representative for the Mediterranean region, Western Europe, part of Asia and northern Egypt.
• Roman snail. She has a beautiful sink, which is almost a third of the total weight. Originally born in Europe, it is found in most countries of the world. She lives in temperate forests with high humidity, but scant precipitation.

Snails in the wild

They eat a variety of foods found in nature and their habitat. What they eat depends on the environment and place of feeding. There is a list of basic resources - these are vegetables, plants, algae, fruits. Flowers that disappear will often be good food for them, and they can also try grains of sand or earth, which are necessary for calcium to enter the body in order to have an even thicker and stronger shell.

Many terrestrial representatives are herbivores, but there are omnivores, and some are even predatory. Each subspecies has different ways of feeding, depending on their weight, life, food environment, and special food needs. You can meet them on the street and in the garden, as there are many fresh flowers and herbs to eat.

Herbivores eat a lot of live organic fauna: leaves, flowers, plants, bark. They eat mushrooms, and the rest of the subspecies can sometimes produce algae. Some species of snails can be used as food and consume live or dead organic matter. These creatures are detrital, as they feed on the debris or solid residues that are in the soil.

Achatina diet in vivo

This herbivore does not distinguish between live or missing plant matter. He has such a huge appetite that it feeds on more than 500 plant species, including those that are grown by people. The giant African Achatina feeds on leaves, flowers, fruits, stems, bark, trees, seeds, grains, nuts, algae and even lichens, mushrooms and other snails.

Economically valuable crops for people such as cauliflower, cocoa, papaya, peanuts, cassava, banana and many other vegetables often become food for the giant Achatina of Africa. They also need calcium to store and grow solid shells, so they will consume more plant species to get the required calcium. When they cannot get enough calcium in their diet from plants, they can feed on bones from carcasses, sand, or small stones to get it.

The main ration of snails at home

What do snails eat in an aquarium? Below is a detailed answer.

• Water plants. Some household representatives will eat living aquatic plants, but not all. Almost all individuals feed on live or rotten plants. Apple species can eat live plants, so if you decide to offer them as a food source, you will need to replenish them often. For example, street snails, which are a kind of apple snails, are less likely to eat healthy plants.
• Seaweed. Algae are the main source of food for snails. Algae will grow by themselves in an aquarium, even without the presence of fish. The more your aquarium shines and the water temperature is warmer, the more algae will grow in the gravel, on the walls of the aquarium, decorations and plants. Street representatives often eat algae from healthy plants, but not the plants themselves.
• Fruits. You can give a lot of different fruits to snails. Grapes, melon, pumpkin, cucumber, apples and pears keep well in an aquarium, and snails are easy to eat. It is necessary to avoid feeding your street individuals with sour fruits, such as oranges and tomatoes. It is always necessary to thoroughly wash and dry food, since chemicals from pesticides and water supply are harmful to these creatures. Washing a snail in dechlorinated water is the safest option. Peeling the fruit will make it easier for your pets to work and remove any chemicals from the outside.
• Vegetables. Snails love to bite a variety of vegetables. They can eat peas, carrots, lettuce and other leafy greens. Blush and cool overly hard vegetables like carrots before feeding your pets. Peel and peel vegetables. Attaching products to the side of the tank with clips facilitates food for these slowly moving creatures. Pet stores sell special clips for use in an aquarium.

What eat Achatina snails at home

African earthlings Achatina will eat almost any kind of fruit and vegetables, and in the wild they eat up to 500 different types of plants. Most people especially love cucumber, lettuce, pepper and corn.

It is a good idea to feed a homemade Achatina variety of food, as they can become choosy. In addition, many snails love cucumber, but it is less nutritious than other vegetables, so it is important to continue to eat other foods.

What do African ground representatives eat? No need to feed the snails with onions. You also need to process starchy foods, such as pasta, or anything that contains salt, as this is likely to make them sick or even kill them.

African Achatina also need a constant supply of calcium so that their shells can grow. Cuttlefish bone is ideal for this and is probably the easiest to find, since most pet stores store it. You can also buy a snail with a cuttlefish very cheaply online. Other sources of calcium include oyster shells and egg shells, although they are less effective. You can also buy liquid calcium for spraying food, if your snail is particularly picky and will not eat cuttlefish.