A common snail at home. List of what to feed snails at home

African snail Achatina - exotic a pet. Mollusk at proper care grows to enormous sizes. It is important for breeders to know what to feed Achatina at home in order to provide them with all the nutrients necessary for life and growth.

Basic diet in winter and summer

Achatina are practically omnivorous. IN wildlife snails independently regulate their diet by choosing necessary for the body products. The basis good health shellfish - a sufficient amount of fiber, calcium and protein. The nutrition of domestic Achatina falls entirely on the shoulders of the owner.

The ratio of plant foods and protein-calcium supplements is balanced diet snails 70% to 30%.

What can you feed Achatina

The favorite delicacy of shellfish, which supplies them with fiber and vitamins, is juicy plant food. IN daily diet in unlimited quantities you can include:

• Fresh vegetables: cucumbers, carrots, zucchini, pumpkin, Chinese cabbage, broccoli, bell pepper, tomatoes. Beets can be given raw or boiled. White cabbage pour boiling water over it to remove the bitter taste.
• Ripe fruits: apples, melon, pears, peaches, plums. Bananas should be given no more than once a week.
• Greens: lettuce, dill, parsley, spinach, celery, dandelion and plantain leaves, nettles previously scalded with boiling water, beet and carrot tops.

Greens are simply necessary in the diet of Achatina snails

Video: greens in the diet of Achatina

You can pamper your pets with ripe berries: strawberries, cherries, grapes, raspberries. Some of them will like sugar watermelon or exotic coconut.

Achatina will not refuse ripe berries

It is preferable to feed Achatina with hard food; they crunch hard pieces with pleasure and do not disdain even stubs.

Shellfish also obtain fiber from grain mixtures and cereals. Useful for Achatina cereals, buckwheat, millet, corn, barley, pearl barley, sunflower grain. The ground mixture can be given dry, or it can be steamed with a small amount of boiling water and served cooled. Grains should not be a frequent guest on the snails’ table: they are quite difficult to digest. Use in the diet of sick, weakened snails and babies is contraindicated.

An important component of a snail's diet is protein. Its deficiency leads to slow growth, decreased activity, dangerous diseases. Achatina alone replenish their protein reserves by happily absorbing boiled poultry and fish. For others who have chosen a vegetarian lifestyle, special protein supplements are required:

Protein supplements are placed on top of Achatina’s favorite treats. A lettuce leaf or a cucumber circle is perfect as a plate. Vegetable protein found in mushrooms and legumes.

It is important to remember: moderation is good in everything. An excess of protein is also dangerous for the mollusk, as is its lack, causing swelling, copious discharge mucus and ultimately the death of the pet.

Video: feeding Achatina, nutritional supplements

Substances and foods that should not be given

The correct diet followed by African mollusks completely excludes a number of foods:

• The main health hazard for Achatina snails is salty food. Salt corrodes the body of the mollusk, causing it incredible suffering.
• Under strict ban All pickled, spicy, fried foods are available.
• You should not include foods with high content acids: citrus fruits (oranges, tangerines, lemons), sorrel and rhubarb. The acid helps to destroy the Achatina shell.
• Raw potatoes contain a large amount of a substance poisonous to snails - solanine. Potatoes can be offered in small quantities and strictly boiled.
• You should not give shellfish bitter vegetables: onions, garlic, eggplant, radishes, ginger, hot peppers.
• Absolutely any sweets are prohibited in Achatina’s diet.
• Bread, flour products and pasta is too heavy food for delicate shellfish to eat caring owners avoid.

Needless to say, Achatina should only eat high-quality, unspoiled foods without harmful additives and dyes. Food affected by mold, vegetables with pesticides or traces household chemicals

dangerous to the health and life of snails.

Achatina diet at home Achatina does not require frequent feeding. It is enough to give small snails food once a day. Adults eat even less often: 3–4 times a week (every other day).

You should only put food in the terrarium when your pets are awake. It is advisable to do this in the evening. Achatina prefer to lead a nocturnal lifestyle; during the day they usually sleep sweetly, buried in the ground. Treats that are too cold or too hot will cause irreparable harm to the snail. The remaining uneaten food remains from the terrarium in the morning must be removed. You should not offer snails weathered, stale foods.

Vitamins and minerals

Mollusks, like any living organisms, need vitamins and minerals. You can buy it in pet stores vitamin complexes, created specifically for Achatina. You should carefully read the instructions for use and monitor the expiration date of the drug.

Achatina needs vitamins and minerals

Sources of calcium in the snail's diet

Calcium is the main element for the construction of a strong and beautiful Achatina shell. An accessible source of useful minerals are calcium supplements:

Supplements can be given to snails individually, or they can also be mixed and used all at once as part of healthy calcium mixtures.

How often should you water clams?

Water is the source of life for African snails. It helps maintain body temperature, digest vitamins and minerals, remove toxins from the body, and produce protective mucus.

It is important to give the Achatina snails the opportunity to quench their thirst every time after feeding. For these purposes, you can purchase a spray bottle: mollusks love to drink, licking drops of water from the walls of the terrarium. To avoid dehydration of Achatina, you should regularly moisten the soil in the terrarium and keep a saucer with clean water room temperature.

Shellfish need water to live.

It is important to choose a container with low sides. Otherwise, the mollusk may choke. Do not use regular tap water. Its high chlorine content is dangerous for snails. Boiled, filtered, bottled water is suitable for Achatina.

What to feed newborns and small snails

For the first few days after hatching, Achatina snails feed on the shells of their eggs and do not require additional attention. Grown-up babies eat the same things as adults. But to make it easier for them to eat, food is grated or chopped with a knife. You cannot feed small Achatina with pureed food: they can suffocate in the loose mass.

Grown-up snails are fed the same foods as adults.

It is important to gradually introduce a variety of delicacies into the diet of small snails in order to form the correct eating habits and avoid pathological addiction to a particular product. It's best to start with greens, carrots and apples. The kids' favorite treat is cucumber.

It is necessary to add calcium supplements to food: the need of small Achatina for calcium during the period of intensive growth and shell formation is colossal.

Video: reproduction, laying, how to care for cubs

Proper care of Achatina snails at home is an important topic for lovers exotic pets. These African beauties are considered the largest of mollusks, have a shell up to 25 cm in size, a heart, kidney, lung, brain and have conditioned reflexes. They are unpretentious, but some conditions must be met when caring for them.

Achatina - contents

African Achatina snails are land snails; care and maintenance at home do not require much trouble. Many aquarists consider them ideal domesticated pets. Achatinas do not smell, do not bite, do not cause pain, do not require communication or walking, even on vacation or a business trip you don’t have to worry about them - the snail can easily live alone for a week or two.

What is needed to keep Achatina snails?

For the unassuming Achatina, when kept at home, you will need a transparent container. Suitable vessel:

• made of plastic;
• made of plexiglass;
• old glass aquarium.

In order for the mollusk to feel comfortable, the volume of the container must be at least 10 liters; if a family of snails lives in it, this means more. To allow fresh air to enter, the terrarium must be equipped with top covers with small holes through which the inhabitant cannot escape. Caring for Achatina snails at home - how to fill the container:

1. The bottom is covered with a layer of substrate 10 cm high; floral or pure peat is suitable. You can add sand, hazelnut shells or cores to it walnuts. The substrate is needed so that the snail can burrow into the ground - they love to do this and lay there. The compost needs to be moistened a little from a spray bottle every day.
2. Additionally, you can put large stones, driftwood, coconut halves in the aquarium - the snails will hide in them. Green vegetation (ferns, ivy) will decorate the living area and become useful food for the inhabitants.
3. A plastic feeder with low edges and a drinker made of a plastic lid are placed in the vessel.

Temperature for keeping Achatina snails

When cared for and kept at home, African Achatina will feel comfortable at a temperature of 20-30°C and a humidity of 80-95%. Such conditions are close to their natural environment. The activity of the mollusk depends on sunlight, humidity and ambient temperature. They go for walks mainly at night or during rainy periods. If gastropods climb up the walls, it means there is high humidity in their house; if they hide in the ground, it means it’s very dry. The container should not be placed in direct sunlight or near heating devices.

Caring for Achatina at home

When caring for unpretentious domestic Achatina snails, in addition to maintaining optimal temperature and humidity, they require cleaning the aquarium, balanced feeding, and care during the period of breeding mollusks. Close attention should be paid to your pet's shell - it is its protection from diseases and external damage. When caring for Achatina snails at home, you can give them water procedures:

1. Place a bath of cool water in the terrarium; there should not be much liquid in it in depth.
2. Occasionally give your pets a warm shower, holding them in your hand over the sink for about 3 minutes.

Caring for Achatina snails at home - cleaning the terrarium:

1. The container is cleaned 2-3 times every 3 months.
2. Cleaning includes washing it completely and replacing the substrate.
3. If the walls of the aquarium are covered with mucus (it is left by crawling gastropods) or you can hear bad smell– unscheduled cleaning needs to be done.

Caring for Achatina in winter

The giant Achatina snail requires care and maintenance in winter special attention. During the cold season, at low temperatures and insufficient humidity in the terrarium, the mollusk can go into suspended animation - hibernation, while covering its shell with a protective film. Many breeders do not recommend allowing Achatina to hibernate for more than 2 months, otherwise the individuals may die.

For young animals, suspended animation is generally harmful - they are going through a period active growth and you need to eat well all the time. To wake up your pet, it is recommended to hold it under the stream. warm water or just spray. After a few minutes, he himself will break the protective film and appear in the light. To prevent the snail from hibernating, the home must have the recommended temperature and humidity.

Achatina – sink care

Large Achatina snails need special shell care; you need to pay attention to the following points:

1. For good growth and development, the mollusk must receive a sufficient amount of calcium. Otherwise, your pet may begin to have problems with the shell - it will begin to peel off, become fragile, and the snail itself will never reach the gigantic size for which it is so famous. The inhabitant also needs calcium if she is pregnant or her shell is damaged. Chalk ground into powder is used as a top dressing. eggshells or sepia - a mineral stone for birds.
2. Another common problem is chips and cracks in the sink. Sometimes a mollusk crawling along top edge house, falls down, which can lead to injury to the shell. In this case, it is necessary to treat the damaged area antiseptic and place the pet in a separate container so that it does not rub against its relatives (Achatina loves to do this).

Achatina eggs - care

When caring for Achatina snails at home, you need to know that these mollusks are hermaphrodites. Each individual has both female and male reproductive organs and, upon reaching the age of 6-7 months, they can reproduce. To produce offspring, a pair of adult individuals are placed in a separate vessel for a week. Achatina are hyperfertile; they bury eggs in the ground approximately 2 weeks after mating. At one time, a clutch can contain 50-400 eggs. Their size is 4-5 mm, their shape resembles that of a chicken.

Many breeders care for the Achatina clutch in a separate container. They transfer them with a plastic spoon into a separate transparent vessel and sprinkle them with a 1-2 cm layer of soil so that the eternally digging adults do not harm the offspring. The substrate and the walls of the vessel must be irrigated daily, and the container must be covered with a lid. Egg development occurs at a temperature of 25-27°C and a humidity of 70%; it is important not to allow changes in the values ​​of these indicators.

Newborn Achatina snails - care

African newborn Achatina snails, whose clutches were cared for in comfortable temperature conditions, are born a month after fertilization. The shell of eggs becomes thin, all the calcium from it is used to form the shell of the babies. During the birth process, the mollusk separates and tries to get out of the ground. In this case, it is advisable to dig up the soil around the masonry to help the newborns get out. The first few days the snails eat the remains of their shell.

Little Achatina - care

Basic principles of caring for small Achatina:

1. A temporary home for newborn snails can be an 8-10 liter food container; they do not need a spacious home.
2. The lid of the container must have holes to allow air to enter.
3. For the first few months, it is best to place a thermometer and hygrometer in the container. The optimal temperature for keeping small Achatina is 25-27°C, humidity is 65-70%.
4. An incandescent lamp will help maintain the desired temperature, and a spray bottle will help maintain humidity.
5. For small Achatina, cabbage and lettuce foliage serves as soil. If they live in a terrarium with a substrate, then preference should be given to flower soil and coconut shavings. Moss, sand, sawdust and stones are prohibited.
6. It is better to place the container with babies on a shelf or bookshelf, rather than on a window.

What can you feed Achatina snails?

When caring for African Achatina snails at home, it is important to feed them correctly and in a timely manner so that the mollusk grows healthy and does not get sick. Their diet should consist of plant foods, mineral supplements and animal protein. Achatina – proper nutrition and care:

1. Basic diet: lettuce, dandelion, plantain leaves; various greens; shoots of vegetables and grains.
2. Vegetables: cucumbers, spinach, pumpkin, carrots, zucchini, tomatoes, peas.
3. Fruits and berries: apples, pears, watermelons, melons, bananas, apricots, plums, strawberries, raspberries, cherries.
4. Proteins: puree from meat products, fish food, meat and bone meal, boiled egg.
5. Mineral feeding: feed chalk, eggshells, small shrimp, special mixtures for reptiles, sepia.

There are a number of foods that should not be given to snails. Mortal danger for them it represents salt. We must ensure that pure form and it did not enter their diet in large quantities. It is prohibited to give gastropods spices, sweet, smoked, spicy or sour foods, or fried foods. From pasta raw potatoes You should also avoid citrus fruits; the latter do not have a very good effect on your pet’s shell.

What to feed Achatina in winter?

In the cold season, the diet of shellfish should not be meager. Winter nutrition consists of: oat flakes, wheat bran, bread soaked in milk. The menu is supplemented with bananas, beets, and carrots. Most snail breeders grow green grass on windowsills, which they sell in veterinary stores for cats. Many people do not know whether Achatina can be fed canned food. The answer is no, salt is bad for your pet’s health. It is better to replace pickled vegetables with frozen ones from the supermarket, defrosting them before feeding;

What to feed small Achatina snails?

1. The first few days after birth, a few lettuce leaves generously sprinkled with eggshells or chalk are enough for them.
2. After a week, you need to add chopped greens, grated vegetables, calcium and grain mixtures, ground in a coffee grinder, to the baby’s diet.
3. They need minerals to grow and form a beautiful and strong shell. Vegetable protein will help the formation of a healthy shellfish faster.
4. From the second week of life, you can add animal protein to the menu.
5. Beginning with one month old Grated fruits and vegetables are replaced with cubes.

How many times should I feed Achatina?

If an African Achatina lives in the house, it must be fed and cared for correctly. better evening, because these mollusks are nocturnal creatures and in the evening they become active. For adults, one feeding per day is enough; it is allowed to give them food every other day. Young animals need to have 24/7 access to food. Food should not be placed on the ground so that it does not mix with the substrate and spoil or become moldy. For food you need to use a bowl or extreme case- lettuce leaf.

Land snails are unpretentious and cute pets. Many breeders believe that these gastropods have very high intelligence, and watching them is a real pleasure.

It should be noted that land snails at home are not that uncommon. The popularity of these gastropods is determined various factors. So, snails are not at all boring, as it may initially seem. In addition, they are incredibly easy to maintain, since they do not require large financial costs and special care.

• does not make noise;
• does not require walking;
• does not smell;
• eats almost everything;
• does not stain clothes and furniture with wool;
• does not require expensive, complex or frequent maintenance;
• does not scratch or bite;
• does not take up much space;
• you can take the snail with you on vacation, or leave it alone at home;
• practically does not get sick and lives a long time;
• does not cause allergies.

Types of land snails

These creatures are great for home care. For example, the land snail Achatina is considered the most popular inhabitant of terrariums.

It is a large snail whose shell reaches 20 cm in length. She is not picky about food and is very inert. The snail rests most of the time.

Achatina immaculata is distinguished by a stripe along the entire head, as well as a pinkish rim running along its shell.

Achatina reticulata is a curious and active representative of the family.

The land snail Achatina vulgaris has a tiger coloring and is gigantic in size, its shell reaches 20 cm in length. At home, it has more modest parameters.

In addition to Achatina, Achatina is also popular among domestic breeders because it has a huge variety of colors, while being much smaller in size than Achatina. Their shells reach 5 cm in length and 4.5 cm in height.

Advantages

The main advantages of these pets are their undemanding maintenance. The land snail lives well at home in terrariums or small aquariums. It is clear that such a pet does not need to be walked. While the financial costs are also insignificant, they can be fed fruits and vegetables in small quantities. For land snails, it can be done only once a month, and its cost is low.

It is worth noting that keeping land snails is very simple. To do this you will need a 10 liter glass terrarium. Top part The terrarium should have small holes for normal ventilation so that pets cannot crawl through them. The temperature in the terrarium should be constant and not exceed 27 °C.

It is advisable to place heating sources with outside aquarium - they can be thermal cords or thermal mats. At the same time, internal heat sources pose a danger to land snails, as they can suffer serious burns.

It is better to use it as soil. The thickness of the flooring should correspond to the overall size of the snails, which will allow gastropods to completely bury themselves in it during the period nap. It is necessary to maintain constant soil moisture, for which it will be enough to lightly spray it with water once a day. It should not be over-watered.

The soil needs to be loosened periodically. But in the terrarium it is necessary to plant green non-toxic plants, for example, leaf salad or cat grass.

Continuing to figure out how to care for land snails, it is worth noting that their aquarium needs weekly cleaning of its walls every day with a damp cloth, without using household chemicals.

Land snails are very fond of water treatments. To do this, they can be bathed under a thin stream of lukewarm water or in a shallow, separate bowl. The pet's sink also requires special care; it must be cleaned during bathing. soft brush from pollution.

If something irreparable happens - for example, a sink breaks or there is a hole in it, try gluing it together with BF glue. Such a snail has very little chance of survival, but it still exists. At the same time, in young animals, any damage to the shell is healed without problems, while adults suffer much more severely (although their shell is more durable). But a snail with a shell split into pieces cannot be saved.

Nutrition

Land snails rely on plant foods as their main source of nutrition. Pets happily eat all kinds of greens, as well as fruits and vegetables, which are served cut into small slices. Solid foods should initially be grated.

Domestic land snails as a complement to their plant-based diet enjoy using different protein food- fish food, seafood and meat puree, gammarus, daphnia. Such feeding should be offered to pets several times every week.

Domestic snails should not be offered various salty foods, since salt is poisonous to any gastropod!

For proper development and shell strength, you can introduce calcium into your pets' diet in the form of sepia or crushed eggshells.

Reproduction

Snails are hermaphrodites, which means keeping two or more snails in one terrarium can lead to their fertilization. The majority of these mollusks lay eggs, although viviparous species are also found. Basically, the snail buries its clutch in the ground, while this moment It is advisable not to miss it, since the masonry is removed from the terrarium and placed carefully in a separate container.

In this case, it is necessary to maintain the same soil consistency and humidity where adult individuals live. Soon the small snails hatch and then crawl to the surface. The babies are completely ready for life and feed on the food that their parents eat, but until their shells get stronger, it is better not to put them with large snails.

Walks

Land snails do not need walks like other domestic animals, but Fresh air It has a very good effect on them - the gastropods' appetite improves and their activity increases. They are taken outside on a cool day in a container. A very short walk is enough for them - only about half an hour. At this time, you must carefully ensure that the snail’s skin does not dry out; for this, it is recommended to spray it with water from time to time. Also protect the container from direct sunlight.

The most popular are Achatina snails. These are real giant mollusks. If you provide proper care and nutrition, they will grow large and will delight the owner for about ten years.

Feeding snails usually never causes problems. The main thing is that the food is varied, fortified and healthy. Inexperienced owners are immediately interested in how often they need to feed mollusks, as well as how long snails live without food. There are no clear instructions on how many times a day to feed these pets. In general, once is enough, but it all depends on individual characteristics type of snail. It’s better not to experiment with how long you can go without feeding the baby. But, experts say that grape mollusks can withstand 8 weeks without food; Achatina can be put into hibernation if you plan to leave for a long period of time.

It doesn’t matter whether you bought shellfish in a store or found it on the street, everyone’s favorite food is greens, fruits, and vegetables. There is not much difference in how to feed the mollusk in winter, spring, or summer. At home, it always remains at the same temperature.

What grains can you feed shellfish? The list of cereals is basically large, the main thing is to exclude semolina from your diet. Most shellfish are delighted with oatmeal, barley, and corn grits. Add feed chalk, which is rich in calcium, to the cereal mixture.

b"> What to feed Achatina snails at home?

The huge African snail is known as the Achatina. These are quite cute, friendly and calm mollusks that can live in a dry aquarium. With proper care and good nutrition snails will be very comfortable living at home.

Little Achatina hatches from the egg completely helpless, but give her a little time, and the baby will begin to grow and strengthen literally before your eyes. We will talk about what you need to regularly feed small and large Achatina a little later. Babies are born with a translucent body and two curls of the future shell. Therefore, it is customary to count the number of rings on the shell without the first two. The domestic snail Achatina grows really big and strong. Mollusks grow throughout their lives (10-15 years), but the most intensive period is the first two years. Achatina is often used for cosmetic purposes.

Achatina does not need to be fed very often, only when they are awake (most often in the evening and at night). Sometimes mollusks may not wake up every day, but every other day. These creatures literally adore vegetables, fruits and greens. Snails eat grass, cereals and mushrooms. Do not accustom Achatina to only one type of food. If from childhood they are given mainly only cucumber, then later they can ignore the rest of the food.

Don't forget that calcium plays a major role in the structure of the shell. To make the shell strong and beautiful, feed eggshells and feed chalk.

It often happens that children bring snails straight from the street. It is not so easy to persuade a child to part with the mollusk, and the parents decide to keep the street snail at home. If you wish, you can catch a country or garden snail.

But in order for the creature not to die in the first days of home life, you need to know what to feed it and where to keep it. Regular land or forest mollusks need to be fed approximately the same as giant Achatina, just the portion sizes will be much smaller. Offer the clam lettuce leaves; various fruits and vegetables will be happy to use. Make sure the food is clean and as natural as possible. Immediately remove the leftovers after the clam has eaten, otherwise spoiled food can harm your little friend.

Today, more and more aquarium, grape and ornamental snails are bred as pets. These creatures are completely unpretentious; you don’t need to spend a lot of money and time on them. If you have an aquarium, then you cannot do without ampularia. It is these mollusks that will help keep the area clean. But be very vigilant: sometimes it is difficult to keep the ampullary in one place. They often escape from the water and die.

It depends only on you what kind of snail you decide to get (river, field, land, Madagascar or American). They are all beautiful and attractive in their own way. Teach children to feed snails, and they will happily act as hosts all the time!

Snail food

It is very important to choose the right food for your snail species and support healthy diet throughout life. Wash store-bought products thoroughly before offering them to your little friends. Food should be absolutely free of additives!

Each type of snail has different feeding habits. We will look at some of them in detail. Enough has already been said about Achatina snails, now let’s move on to the aquarium inhabitants.

d"> What to feed hatched Achatina snails?

Reproduction is natural process in any living creature, and snails are no exception to the rule. But if you have baby Achatina in your house, you need to clearly know all the details about caring for and feeding the babies.

Newborn Achatina should not be picked up in the first days of their life; they are too fragile and defenseless. These creatures are only 5 mm in length. But after just three days, the cubs will be ready to start adult life. Their nutrition, in principle, will be practically no different from their parents’. But you should pay attention to the fact that kids especially love lettuce, cucumbers, and zucchini. To help your children grow up quickly, place shells from them in their home. raw egg. Do not forget to spray the walls of the container or aquarium from time to time so that the mollusks have water to quench their thirst. It is not recommended to give a lot of soft food; the baby can suffocate in a piece of banana, for example. Greens and finely chopped carrots work best at first.

Babies grow so quickly that in just five months they can become bigger than their parents. If you are planning to raise a real giant, for example, for an exhibition, then immediately choose a suitable candidate among the kids. From the first days, provide the snail with the most better food And comfortable conditions residence. Depending on the species, in six months a snail can grow 30-40 cm!

If you love exotic animals, and especially various kinds shellfish, then try to make friends with snails. These silent creatures can add variety to your life and will quickly become your good friends!

Proper nutrition is the key healthy life every creature, and snails are no exception. From balanced and varied diet The normal growth of the shell and body of the mollusk will depend. Sometimes questions arise whether it is possible to feed a snail with this or that product. And to deal with this issue, we have compiled a list of what to feed snails at home, and also what not to feed.

Can

The list below shows foods that can be fed to shellfish. All snails have a different taste and if they don’t like something, they won’t eat it. Try offering something different. Keep in mind that raw foods have a higher content nutrients than heat-treated ones.

Fruits that can be fed to snails at home should only be given when they are ripe and sweet.

• Apple (varieties with a little acid!),
• apricot,
• watermelon,
• banana,
• melon,
• nectarine,
• peach,
• pear,
• plum (not sour varieties),
• figs (ripe).

Exotic fruits

• Avocado,
• coconut,
• mango,
• papaya.

Berries

• Raspberries,
• strawberry,
• grape,
• strawberries,
• cherries,
• black currant.

Vegetables

• Sweet potato,
• broccoli,
• Brussels sprouts and white cabbage,
• bell pepper,
• green peas,
• zucchini or zucchini
• boiled potatoes,
• corn,
• carrot,
• cucumber,
• tomato (not sour),
• squash,
• Chinese cabbage,
• boiled beets,
• pumpkin,
• Jerusalem artichoke,
• cauliflower,
• lentils (boiled),
• green beans.

Greens and herbs

• Leaf and head lettuce,
• chicory salad,
• spinach,
• clover,
• burdock,
• dandelion,
• plantain,
• parsley,
• stinging nettle (boiled briefly with hot water),
• woodlice,
• chamomile,
• daisy,
• celery,
• asparagus,
• beet and carrot tops,
• dill,
• alfalfa.

Other

• Any mushrooms are edible. You need to feed only fresh, well-washed, not boiled.
• Lichens are necessary for arboreal and semi-arboreal species.
• Leaves of oak, birch, linden, apple, currant, raspberry, grape. Birch bark.
• Flax seeds, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame.
• Nuts (except peanuts)
• Milk.
• Boiled shrimp, squid, mussels, octopus and fish.
• Gammarus, daphnia, boiled chicken and rabbit meat (without salt and spices), food for fish and turtles, meat and bone meal.
• Fodder chalk, sepia (cuttlefish shell), shell rock, eggshell.
• Cereals and grains for making grain mixtures. Hercules, buckwheat, corn grits, pearl barley, cereals, barley grits, wheat cereal, rice, peas.

Carefully

The following foods should be given to snails with caution in small quantities, or even better, simply abstain from them so that your pets do not have health problems. Below is a list of what to feed snails at home with extreme caution:

Vegetables

• Artichoke,
• swede,
• eggplant,
• boiled peas,
• kohlrabi,
• potatoes are not green,
• turnip,
• boiled beans and beans,
• basil,
• oregano,
• honeysuckle,
• St. John's wort,
• cilantro,
• mint,
• Melissa,
• motherwort,
• tansy,
• horseradish leaves,
• thyme.

Fruits

• Cherry,
• blackberry,
• kiwi (sweet),
• mandarin,
• persimmon (overripe, not tart).

• Boiled turkey, low-fat cottage cheese are not food in natural environment a habitat. Can be occasionally offered as a protein supplement.
• Food for dogs or cats ( highest quality, very rarely) – such food may contain salt, which is dangerous for snails.
• Olives and olives (not canned), dried fruits, poppy seeds.
• Calcium gluconate – it is advisable not to use this type of calcium, since in addition to calcium, it contains other additives that are not advisable to feed to snails.
• Mineral stone – may contain various additives and salt.
• Compound feed for poultry. Consumption large quantity vitamins contained in such preparations can lead to hypervitaminosis, which in turn can cause various diseases or even death.
• Bread - may contain stabilizers, thickeners, salt, which is not very beneficial for the delicate body of the snail.
• Baby purees (any kind, as long as they don’t contain sugar, salt or cream). Although many snail breeders actively use purchased baby food in the diet of snails, but we believe that this is not very useful product for shellfish. Since this food is intended for humans, it is unlikely that snails will benefit from such nutrition. In addition, for longer storage, preservatives are used, which will also not benefit the gastropods. If you want to make puree for weakened pets, then steam the vegetables or fruits yourself and grind them using a blender or strainer.

It is forbidden

Below we will present a list of what you should not feed snails. These products should not be fed to shellfish under any circumstances. Even if, out of ignorance, you fed your pets such food and they remained alive and healthy, then this is not a reason to continue conducting experiments on animals!

Fruits and berries

with high content organic acids. The acids contained in these foods interfere with the absorption of calcium and destroy calcium in the body. If you want to find out whether a snail can have an orange or a lemon, then take the juice of this citrus fruit and add food chalk to it. You will clearly see the interaction of acid with calcium, which will manifest itself in the bubbling of the juice. This is the same reaction that will happen if you feed a snail an orange, lemon or other sour product. And don’t think that by giving the snail calcium and sour product, You will protect her from such a reaction. Everything will be much worse, because it will happen inside the mollusk. And then people wonder why the snail’s mouth or internal organs fall out.

• orange,
• a pineapple,
• cherry plum,
• pomegranate,
• guava,
• gooseberry,
• viburnum,
• cranberry,
• stone berry,
• currant,
• Rowan,
• feijoa,
• turn,
• lime,
• lemon,
• other citrus fruits.

Vegetables

The following vegetables are also prohibited for snails:

• radish,
• radish,
• potato,
• hot peppers,
• garlic.

Greens and herbs

Not suitable for feeding snails:

• ambrosia,
• sagebrush,
• rhubarb,
• sorrel (contains oxalic acid, the reaction may be similar to citrus fruits),
• potato tops and tomatoes (contain solanine, a toxic substance),
• green potatoes and their eyes (contain solanine, a toxic substance),
• acacia leaves,
• linden inflorescences.

Other products

1. Peanuts, ginger, salt, sugar, spices, candied fruits, as well as calcium D3 tablets and other calcium-containing preparations with additives.
2. Any food from the human table - salty, sour, sweet, spicy, fried, smoked and alcoholic. This includes sweets, cakes, chocolate, honey, cookies.
3. Pasta, noodles, semolina. Neither raw nor boiled! Swell in digestive tract, and the snail may not remove them from its body and die.
4. Eggs. If you feed systematically egg white and the yolk as protein supplements, then the snails eventually go behind the coil and die.
5. In sour cream, kefir, cream, cheese, fatty cottage cheese, pork, beef, lamb, the snail liver is not able to digest a lot of fat. Cheese also contains salt and other harmful additives.

Bottom line

In this article we tried to tell you what you can feed snails. The list of products to feed snails at home is very extensive, mainly consisting of products plant origin, calcium and protein supplements. If you have doubts about any product, it is better not to give it. If you have forgotten what is included in the list of permitted products, then remember what a snail eats in nature. What do you feed your pets? Share your experience and write comments in the comments to the article. Health to you and your pets!